Tag: Pauline Epistles (Page 2 of 3)

The Humiliation and Exaltation of Jesus – Philippians 2:5-11

June 22, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. Unfortunately, the sermon was not recorded. I previously preached this sermon at another church, when you can view here.

We’ve been walking through Philippians, which is a letter that Paul wrote from prison to a church that he loved very much.

In the last two posts, we’ve seen:

First, that we should live worthy of the gospel in the face of external opposition (1:27-30).

Second, that our church should be marked by unity and we should practice humility, and service (2:1-4).

We cannot achieve unity in our church simply by me preaching on it. I agree with Tony Merida:

“Unity is a result of people adoring and emulating Jesus. The more we behold His glory and imitate His character, the more unified we will be as a church.”
tony merida

In simple terms, we should adore Jesus and live like Jesus.

Our text today is one of the most famous passages in the New Testament and is one of the foremost Christological passages. It is sometimes referred to as the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus.

Sermon Text: Philippians 2:5-11

BIG IDEA: The humiliation and exaltation of Jesus should lead us to follow Jesus’ example and to worship Him as Lord of all.

We are to have the attitude of Christ (5)

v. 5 – “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,”

The ESV says “mind”. The NIV says “mind-set.” Most translations say “attitude.”

We are to think like Jesus, and value what he values. In this context, we see that Jesus values humility and service more than self-exaltation.

The attitude of Christians should reflect the attitude of their master, Jesus Christ.

When Paul says that we are to have the mind or attitude of Christ, he is saying that we should not be prideful and selfish, but rather that we should be humble and selflessly serve others.

In this passage, we see the attitude of Christ. First, we see his humility:

“did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (6)

“emptied himself” or “made himself nothing” (7)

We also see his service:

“took the form of a servant” (7)

“became a man and died on the cross” (8)

The world lives to get and get and get—more pleasure, more praise, more money. What Paul is saying to us is that as Christians, we are to imitate Christ, who came to give and give and give.

As we look at Philippians 2:6-11 this morning, I want you think about these questions:

Do you seek to get, get, and get, or to give, give, and give?
Do you have the mind/attitude of Christ?
Are you humbly seeking serve others within the church as well as those outside the church?

We are to have the attitude of Christ. We are also to learn humility from Christ.

We are to learn humility from Christ (6-8)

Jesus’ Humble Renunciation (6)

“who, though he was in the form of God”

The phrase “form of God” doesn’t mean that Jesus “had some Godlike qualities or appearance, but that he was of the same nature or essence.”

Jesus was the true and exact nature of God. This phrase means that Jesus was and is equal with God.

Biblical Christianity says is that there is one God who has eternally existed in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He was not created. There was never a time when the Son of God did not exist.

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.”
Council of Nicea (325 AD)

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 17:5

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

“did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (6)

This means that although Jesus was God, He did not use his high position for His own advantage but chose to serve and to give. Jesus deserved the praise of every person He encountered but He lived open-handedly and provided an example for all of us to follow.

So often, we live exactly the opposite of how Christ lived.

We want to exalt ourselves, but Jesus made himself nothing and submitted to the will of the Father.
We want to be in charge, but Jesus took the form of a slave.
We reject God’s Word in sinful disobedience, but Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s Word.
We so often give in to temptation, but Jesus always overcame temptation.

What are you grasping for? What are you holding onto?

Are you living for pleasure?

Are you seeking power and position?

Are you living for money?

Have you bought into the lie of the prosperity gospel? Do you think that if you come to church and give that God will make you happy, healthy, and wealthy?

Christians are not immune to pride and selfishness.

We see it in the SBC with denominational politics – pastors promoting themselves and slandering others on social media.

We see women seeking to be pastors when God has forbidden it.

In many churches, there are some people who want all the power in the church but don’t want to serve in any way.

In our marriages, are we seeking to serve or be served?

Friends, Paul is calling us to live like Jesus, who, rather than grasping for a position of power, took on the form of a servant.

How can we do this? We need the gospel, as Paul shows us in the next verses.

Jesus’ Humble Incarnation (7)

“but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (7)

Jesus did not cease to be God when he took on human form but rather gave up his rights. He rightfully deserved to remain at the right hand of God, but He took on the form of a servant and was born as a baby.

Jesus, the perfect Son of God, took on human flesh. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

Norm Geisler writes, “Jesus’ incarnation was not the subtraction of deity, but the addition of humanity.”

A.W. Tozer said, “Jesus veiled His deity but He did not void it.”

Jesus took on the form of a servant.

Have you noticed in the Gospels that Jesus is always serving others and not the other way around?

While American Christianity says to live your best life now, to become a better you, to love yourself, and to slay your giants, Jesus exemplified true greatness by serving and dying.

Imagine what would happen in the church if we all followed the example of Jesus and sought not to grasp for power and position but to seek to humbly serve one another.

Jesus’ Humble Crucifixion (8)

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death…”

Jesus’ whole life was marked by humility:

He was not born in Rome, Athens, or Jerusalem, but Bethlehem.
He lived 30 years in relative obscurity in Nazareth.
In his earthly ministry, he was known for loving the unlovable.
At this death, he was nailed to a cross between two criminals.

Notice that the text says that Jesus humbled himself. No one humbled Jesus.

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus, John 10:18

“…even death on a cross.”

In the Roman empire, crucifixion was the cruelest form of official execution. Depending on who you read, some say that Roman citizens could not be crucified. Others say that Roman citizens could only be crucified if they were convicted of high treason. Certainly, crucifixion was commonly reserved for the lower classes, especially slaves.

The Jews believed a person was cursed if he died by crucifixion. And yet, Scripture says that Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).

Christ went from the highest position imaginable (the right hand of the Father) to the lowest (crucified between two criminals) because of His love for His people. His selfless love was an expression of His deity.

Even Hollywood understands what a powerful story the gospel is.

In the live action Lion King movie, Mufasa tells Simba this: “While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.”

In The Dark Knight Rises, Batman (who is billionaire Bruce Wayne) fights to save Gotham and its people when he could’ve lived for pleasure and himself. Instead, he serves the city of Gotham by putting his life on the line every night.

Because of the gospel, we should be marked by service and love to others.

As Christians, we are to have the attitude of Christ. We are to learn humility from Christ. Finally, we are to bow the knee and exalt Jesus Christ.

We are to bow the knee and exalt Jesus Christ (9-11)

Jesus’ Exalted Position (9)

Jesus humbled himself, and God has highly exalted Him.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (9)

The phrase “the name that is above every name” refers to Lord (see v. 11). The Father has given Jesus a new name – “Lord” (Phil 2:11; cf. Isa 45:23-24). This name that is above every name is Lord. The Greek word is kurios, which was the word used to translate Yahweh into the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament).

Look at one verse from the Old Testament:

Is 42:8
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.

Yahweh (Lord) is the awesome covenant name of the God of Israel – “the name that is above every name.”

Our Adoration and Confession (10-11)

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Notice that Paul mentions heaven, earth, and under the earth.

Every part of creation will bow. No part of creation is exempt:

In heaven, the angels will bow.
On earth, humanity will bow.
Under the earth, the demons and Satan will bow.

Every creature will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Every creature will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

In New Testament times, Christians were persecuted and could be killed for saying that “Jesus is Lord” rather than Caesar.

Every week, we gather as Christians to declare that Jesus is Lord – not Caesar, not President Biden, and not anyone else on earth.

Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

To be saved, we must repent and believe the gospel.

At Christ’s exaltation, Jesus will be acknowledged by all creation as Lord of all Creation.

Every one of us will bow the knee.
Some will bow before Him and confess Him as Lord with great joy.
Others will bow before Him and confess Him as Lord with despair and anguish.

How would you answer these questions?

Have you bowed the knee to Jesus?
Do you have the attitude of Jesus?
Are you serving others like Jesus?
Are you seeking to exalt yourself or to exalt Jesus?

Gospel Unity – Philippians 2:1-4

June 21, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here (unfortunately, some of the sermon was not recorded).

Sermon Text: Philippians 2:1-4

If you’ve been a part of a church for a while, you’ve probably experienced or witnessed conflict within the church.

Why is it that so many churches seem to have so much conflict?

Of course, no church will never be able to eradicate all conflict because every church is made up of sinful people.

But what if there is some way that we can minimize conflict within the church? Our text this morning speaks to this issue.

Last week, as we finished Philippians 1, Paul began giving instructions to the Philippian church.

Paul told the Philippians to “live worthy of the gospel” by:

Being unified around the gospel (27)
Not fearing those who oppose the gospel (28)
Being willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel (29-30)

In last week’s text, Paul was addressing external opposition. In today’s text, we see Paul focusing on how to have unity within the church.

BIG IDEA: Our church will have unity as we practice Christlike humility and service.

Our church should be marked by unity (1-2)

We see in verse 2 Paul’s command to have unity. But before he gives the command, he provides the basis for Christian unity and fellowship in verse 1.

The basis of unity and Christian fellowship (1)

Phil 2:1 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

Paul uses the conditional statement “if” to get the Philippians to consider whether these qualities are present in their lives.

Encouragement in Christ – nothing should lift our spirits more than knowing that we are in Christ. Paul is encouraging these believers when he himself is in prison.
Comfort from love – because we know the love of Christ, we are to love others. See 1 John 4:19.
Participation (or fellowship) in the Spirit – since all who are in Christ have the Holy Spirit within them, this should bring unity.
- If the Holy Spirit truly lives within us, then we will be united around the Bible, which is breathed out by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21).
- If someone in the church consistently causes division, this text implies that they do not have the Holy Spirit living within them.
Affection and sympathy – affections and sympathy (or mercy) towards others flows from our union with Christ.

Because we are in Christ, we should be encouraged and comforted, knowing that we are loved by him.

Furthermore, because we are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit, we should have unity and love one another.

In other words, Paul is saying if we have truly come to know Christ, then as true believers, we will be progressing in the faith.

These qualities will be increasingly present in our lives. Remember, Paul said in Phil 1:6 that where God has begun a work, He will bring it to completion.

So, our union with Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit within our hearts is the basis for unity in the church.

We see the basis for unity in verse 1. We see the command for unity in verse 2.

The command for unity (2)

Phil 2:2 – complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Paul says to the Philippians, since the things from verse 1 are present in your lives, “Complete my joy”, or “Make my joy complete”.

How could the Philippians complete Paul’s joy?

First, by “being of the same mind” – As Christians, our minds should be in tune with God’s Word.

Second, Paul says, “Having the same love” – We should love Christ as well as other Christians.

And finally, “being in full accord and of one mind” – We should be in agreement about the purpose of the church – to make disciples of Jesus (Matt 28:18-20).

Each of these phrases Paul uses in verse 2 point to unity. Paul, who is imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, says that his joy would be complete if the Philippians would live in unity. This shows us how important unity is in the church.

Why is Paul so concerned with unity?

If believers cannot live in unity, the transformative power of the gospel comes into question and the gospel message loses credibility among unbelievers.

If believers cannot live in unity, the transformative power of the gospel comes into question and the gospel message loses credibility among unbelievers.

How can we say we believe the gospel and have been transformed by the gospel if we are unwilling to forgive one another and to serve others (see Matt 6:14-15; 18:21-35)?

Just as a house divided against itself cannot stand, neither can a divided church. A divided church will be spiritually weak and no threat to the kingdom of darkness.

What are some ways we can cultivate unity?

By assuming the best of others’ motives.
By listening in order to understand the perspective of others.
Be refusing to speak ill of our Christian brothers and sisters.

We should practice Christlike humility and service (3-4)

Phil 2:3 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Remember from Phil 1:15 that Paul said some people were preaching out of envy and rivalry.

Some people, in their selfish ambition, join a church for the wrong reasons. They think it will increase their stature in the community – perhaps to win a vote or to market their business.

Others will leave a church and join another church if they are not given a certain position within the church. A person who is conceited believes he is always right and expects others to agree with him. He is only happy when he gets what he wants. I’ve heard it said that you see someone’s spiritual maturity (or the lack of it) when they don’t get their way.

Both those who are driven by selfish ambition and those driven by conceit are not seeking to make much of Christ, but to make much of themselves. They are seeking to advance their own agenda rather than that of Jesus.

This attitude is totally different than that of Jesus, who took emptied himself, took on the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Notice that Paul continues in v. 3: “but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Paul wants us to see that selfish ambition will ruin a church, but humility helps build it.

Selfish ambition will ruin a church but humility helps build it.

When Paul wrote Philippians, humility was not considered a virtue. There were likely many retired Roman soldiers who were members of the Philippian church. These were proud men of position, but Paul told them to have humility.

Paul says that rather than being motivated by selfish ambition or conceit, we as Christians should walk in humility by counting others more significant than ourselves.

In verse 4, Paul shows what it looks like to put others first.

Phil 2:4 – “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

I’ve heard it said that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. A humble person thinks of others while a selfish person thinks only of himself.

In a culture that is all about me, myself, and I, Paul says that we should seek to put others first.

Many people in America attend a worship service to get something (a good message, good music, God’s blessing) for themselves rather seeking to serve their fellow church members and exalt Jesus.

In reality, church is not a service you attend but a people to belong to – other baptized Christians who are seeking to further the kingdom of God.

Conclusion

So, Paul’s argument in vv. 1-4 is this: if we are truly Christians, then we should be unified. The problem is that in our flesh we are driven by selfish ambition and conceit. But we are to put off those things and grow in humility and service.

As we grow in humility and service, we will grow in unity.

First, how can we grow in humility?

1. We can grow in humility by reflecting on the cross (see Phil 2:6-8).

There is no room for pride when we realize that we deserve nothing but God’s wrath and eternal punishment.

2. We can grow in humility by reflecting on the glory of Jesus (see Phil 2:9-11).

Rather than making much of ourselves, we should bow the knee to King Jesus.

3. We can grow in humility through prayer.

When we refuse to pray, we are pridefully refusing to acknowledge that we need God’s help. We should also pray to God for humility, asking him to help us love others more than ourselves.

4. We can grow in humility by serving others (Mark 10:45)

Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

As we serve others, we are reminded that we are not the center of the universe.

Second, what are some practical ways we can look to the interests of others within the church?

Pray for one another.
Show hospitality by having church members into your home, especially those that you don’t know well.
Invite someone to your Sunday school class.
Take someone a meal when they have a baby or are sick.
A younger Sunday school class might give up the nicer classroom on the first floor to the senior adults who have a hard time climbing the stairs.
Older members can serve younger members by being okay with adding an instrument or two to the church music (so long as the congregational voices are still featured).
Serve in the nursery even when you don’t have kids.

The important thing to remember is this – we should look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.

We should not think in terms of “us vs them” but instead “let’s make much of Jesus together.”

When Christians are controlled by humility and love, they will be genuinely united in spirit and will not allow small differences to divide them or hinder their service for the Lord.

Why do many churches have so much conflict? Because of of pride and selfishness.

How can we avoid conflict within the church? Through humility and service.

As a church, are we united?

Are we humble?

More personally:

Has your life been changed by the gospel?

Are you walking in a manner worthy of the gospel?

Do you promote unity within the church?

Is your life marked by humility and service?

Living Worthy of the Gospel – Philippians 1:27-30

June 21, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Philippians 1:27-30

So far in Philippians 1, Paul has reminded the Philippians that he is grateful for them and that they are a source of joy to him even in prison. He has informed them that the gospel continues to go forth even in his imprisonment. He has told them about his situation and that he hopes to visit them again.

In Phil 1:27-30, he begins to give some instructions to the Philippian church.

BIG IDEA: Our manner of life should be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (ESV)

Some translations say, “as citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

We should probably start with an explanation of the gospel. The gospel starts with God. God is holy, perfect, and righteous. He created us in His image, but we have all fallen short of His perfect standard. Therefore, we deserve His just wrath. But in His love and mercy, God sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins in our place. Because of Jesus, we can be reconciled with God and spend eternity enjoying His presence rather than separated from Him in hell.

Paul is not saying that we could ever be worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. He is saying that because Jesus has died for our sins, that we should live in a way that reflects our gratitude. As the hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.”

Salvation is not a one-time decision. Salvation affects our whole lives. Someone that is truly saved will be truly changed.

Look at Romans 6:1-4:

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:1-4

Elsewhere, in Ephesians 4:1, Paul writes, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”

What Paul is saying in verse 27 is that “our manner of life” (the way we live) should be worthy of the gospel. We should live in a way that is consistent with the truth of the gospel.

When we live in a way that is inconsistent or contrary to the gospel we claim to believe, the world rightly sees us as hypocrites. Listen to these words from John MacArthur:

“When the unsaved look at the church and do not see holiness, purity, and virtue, there appears to be no reason to believe the gospel it proclaims. When pastors commit gross sins and are later restored to positions of leadership in the church; when church members lie, steal, cheat, gossip, and quarrel; and when congregations seem to care little about such sin and hypocrisy in their midst, the world is understandably repulsed by their claims to love and serve God. And the name of Christ is sullied and dishonored.”
John Macarthur

My hope is that all of us desire to live in a way that is worthy of the gospel. In our text, we see at least three ways we can live worthy of the gospel:

First, we should be unified around the gospel (27).

“Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”

Many churches spend more time fighting one another than they do the real enemy. When Paul speaks of “standing firm,” he is using military language. Remember, many of the citizens of Philippi are retired Roman soldiers. Paul is saying to stand firm in the face of intimidation and external opposition.

Paul also says that he wants to find the Philippians “striving side by side.” This is sports language. Just as a team must be unified to win the game, as Christians and as church members, we must be unified around the gospel.

“When you get the gospel, you get joy. When you focus on the gospel, you get unity.”
Tony merida

In the church, our unity should not come from our financial status, our geographical location, our family ties, our skin color, or our worship style. Our unity comes from a shared understanding of the gospel and God’s Word.

When our unity comes from a right understanding of the gospel, our church can be a place where we have rich and poor people, people of all ethnicities, people of all ages, broken families, cowboys, and bikers.

We don’t have to have a church for only certain kinds of people because it’s the gospel that unites, not these other cheaper things.

We are to be unified around the gospel, but please don’t misunderstand me – we must never seek unity at the expense of truth. This is why I preach through books of the Bible and explain the gospel in every sermon.

Second, we should not be afraid of those who oppose the gospel (28).

“And not frightened in anything by your opponents”

Paul tells the Philippians that they are not to be frightened by their opponents.

Who are these opponents? Perhaps Paul is speaking of the Judaizers mentioned in chapter three, but more likely he is referring to pagans living in Philippi, maybe even civil authorities. Remember, Paul was arrested in Acts 16 because he was “advocating customs” that were not Roman in nature.

The fact is that we are not living worthy of the gospel when we fear men and refuse to stand up for the truth.

Listen to Jesus in Matt 10:28:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.“
Jesus, Matthew 10:28

“this is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”

Paul says that the church’s unity and boldness is a sure sign that these saints have indeed experienced salvation. When people are willing to endure great hardship for the sake of the gospel, it indicates that they truly believe and have been changed by it.

We live worthy of the gospel when we’re unified around the gospel and when we stand up to those who oppose the gospel. A third way we can live worthy of the gospel is to be willing to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel.

We should be willing to endure suffering for the sake of Christ and the gospel (29-30).

“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” (29)

We should not just believe in Christ, but be willing to live for Christ, even when it costs us. We saw this clearly in our Scripture reading from Luke 14.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.“
jesus, luke 14:26-27

Paul writes, “It has been granted to you.” Suffering is a gift in the sense that it helps us to see if we really belong to Christ. Many young adults make a profession of faith early in their childhood, but go to college and “abandon” the faith. In most cases, they were never Christians to begin with (1 John 2:19). Most never had their faith tested before leaving home. This is why it can be dangerous to baptize young children.^[1]See here and here.

Saving faith is faith that is willing to suffer for Christ. Again, hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 10:

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.“
Jesus, matthew 10:32-33

When we suffer for the sake of the gospel, we identify with Christ, who suffered on the cross for us.

Paul’s words are a much-needed corrective for us in the American church. So few of us have really had to count the cost of following Jesus and even fewer are prepared to suffer for Christ.

Most people want the benefits of the gospel without the cost of discipleship:

We are glad to have Jesus as our Savior. We don’t want him as Lord.
We want to go to heaven, but we don’t want to deny ourselves and forsake our sins.

Paul says that we should be willing to suffer for Christ, but many people can’t even make it to church more than once or twice a month.

Many give little or no money to the kingdom of God.
We would rather scroll through social media than the pages of God’s Word.
We think suffering is attending church instead of being on the lake or in the duck blind.
We think we’re suffering if we the worship service lasts more than an hour.

It’s no wonder that many church buildings are more than half empty most of the time. If we’re honest, most of the time, we don’t live lives that are worthy of the gospel.

I’m not trying to beat you up this morning, but rather I’m trying to challenge us to action.

30 – “engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have”

Paul was on the frontlines of gospel advancement and the Philippians were engaged in the same conflict that Paul was – spiritual war.

In Ephesians 6:11-13, Paul told the Ephesians to put on the armor of God. You only put on armor if you’re going to war. Friends, the devil is scheming against us! There are cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil that want to destroy us. We are in a spiritual war!

We are crazy if we think that reaching people with the gospel will be easy. Paul was trying to spread the gospel message and he was imprisoned, awaiting trial. Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy people! Peter wrote that the devil is like a prowling lion, seeking who he may devour (1 Pet 5:8).

We cannot expect to win the spiritual war if we’re not ready to be engaged in battle and to be willing to suffer losses for the kingdom of God.

For us to win people to Christ:

It’s going to take more than letting the pastor do it.
It’s going to take prayer.
It’s going to require us to commit to Christ and the church and to not treat Sundays as an optional event in our schedules.
It’s going to take boldness.
It’s going to take us being willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
It’s going to take committing ourselves to the truth of the Word when it conflicts with our church’s traditions.

Church, we should live our lives in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus died for us. Let us live for him!

Let’s be unified around the gospel.

Let’s not fear those who oppose the gospel.

Let’s be willing to endure true suffering for Christ and the gospel.

If we are willing to do those things, then we will indeed be living in a way that is worthy of the gospel!

References[+]

References
↑1	See here and here.

To Live is Christ – Philippians 1:18b-26

June 14, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

People will do incredible things to avoid death. Perhaps you’ve heard the story of hiker Aron Ralston.

While hiking, a boulder fell and pinned his right arm. After attempting to get free, on the sixth day, he amputated his right forearm with a dull multi-tool. He then rappelled down a 60 foot cliff and hiked eight miles before finding a family that took him to a rescue helicopter. He wrote a book called Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which was later made into a movie called 127 Hours.

People will do incredible things to avoid death. What lengths would you go to in order to avoid death?

Here’s a more important question: What do you live for?

Sermon Text: Philippians 1:18b-26

We should live for the glory of Christ (18b-20)

18b – Yes, and I will rejoice.

It’s evident through the book of Philippians that Paul is full of joy stemming from his union with Christ and his relationship with the Philippian church.

In v. 19, Paul mentions that he knows that he will be delivered. The deliverance that Paul speaks of is not his release from prison, but rather ultimate deliverance – the hope of being with Christ in life or in death (Phil 1:20-21).

Paul knew that whether he was executed for his faith or he continued to live and minister, that he would honor Christ in his body (v. 20). Paul’s confidence in this fact came from the prayers of the saints, the provision of the Holy Spirit, and the plan of God.

First, like Paul, we should have confidence in the prayers of the saints (v. 19).

Our trials should lead us not to despair, but to God in prayer.

Our trials should lead us not to despair, but to God in prayer.

Prayer is the normal means by which God provides help to the struggling believer (Jam 5:16). God uses the prayer of his people to provide strength to his servants.

In my church experience, there are some people that want prayer for the smallest things. If they stub their toe, they desire prayer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some people never want to be put on the prayer list because they are so full of pride that they don’t want others to know about their struggles.

I want to encourage you to be like Paul and to be transparent with your prayer requests. This implies that you have relationships with others in your church that you can share your prayer requests with them. Relationships between believers are meant to be a source of encouragement to us!

Second, like Paul, we have confidence in the provision of the Holy Spirit (v. 19).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our hardest trials. I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8:26.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Romans 8:26

Third, like Paul, we should have confidence in the plan of God (v. 20).

Paul trusted in God’s sovereign plan when mentioned “whether by life or by death” in v. 20. Paul trusted that God knew what was best for him and the churches he was ministering to. Paul was resolved to honor Christ in life or in death. May we have the same confidence in God’s sovereignty. After all, He knows all our days (Ps 139:16).

We should long for the presence of Christ (21-23)

Paul lived for the glory of Christ, but he also longed for the presence of Christ.

Phil 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

What does it mean to live is Christ? It means that Christ completely defines the meaning of life. I’m reminded of Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Verse 21 is a test for our lives. What do you live for? We show what’s most important to us by what we speak of and how we spend out time and money.

Some would say, “For me to live is money and possessions and to die is to leave it all behind.” These people work all the time so they can buy more stuff to make themselves happy.

Some would say, “For me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.” These people spend all their time trying to influence people for their own gain.

Some would say, “For me to live is beauty and to die is to rot in the grave.” These people work out all the time, eat perfectly, and spend hours in front of a mirror.

Some would say, “For me to live is entertainment and pleasure and to die is to be bored.” These people play video games or watch countless hours of TV or maybe enjoy pornography and sexual pleasure.

Some would say, “For me to live is sports and to die is to not get to enjoy competition.” These people spend lots of money and time playing and/or watching sports.

Some would say, “For me to live is the weekend and to die is to be alone.” These people spend excessive amounts of time with family and friends, to the detriment of their walk with Christ.

What will you be known for at your funeral?

A good man that worked hard and took care of his family?
Someone that loved to play golf?
A woman that was very beautiful?
A man that loved going hunting and fishing?

None of those things are bad, but by God’s grace, I hope that all of us would want to be known as men and women that were passionate about Christ and the furtherance of the gospel; that the gospel was the driving passion of our lives.

The gospel should change us. It should affect us so greatly that we can’t help but want to share its message with others. Consider Paul’s attitude in Acts 20:24.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24

Phil 1:22-23 – If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

We see in these verses that Paul was torn between two options. He desired to be with Christ but he also saw the need for him to be able to minister to the Philippian church.

In v. 23, we see that if Paul only had his own interest to consider, then he would depart and be with Christ.

In our culture, we avoid death at all costs. Today, people die in hospitals and hospice houses. In the not-so-distant past, people died in their homes and even children knew about the reality of death.

In reality, death is not the enemy for the Christian. It is a boat that takes you where you want to go – to be with Christ. I’m not going to spend a ton of time on this topic, but Phil 1:23 is a verse that speaks against the idea of soul sleep.

Finally, notice that Paul doesn’t mention a desire for rewards or to be reunited with loved ones, but instead Paul desires Christ himself, who is the ultimate reward.

We’ve seen that we should live for the glory of Christ and long for the presence of Christ. Finally, we should labor among the people of Christ.

We should labor among the people of Christ (24-26)

There is more to life than meeting our needs and sustaining our bodies – we are to help others grow into spiritual maturity (vv. 24-26).

Paul is saying, “I want to be with Jesus, but I want to help your progress in the faith.”

Are you serving others in your local church? Are you a “necessary” member? Is it necessary for you to stay at your church? If you left, would people really miss you?

Are you serving for the progress and joy of others (v. 25)? Do you live for the benefit of others’ progress in the faith?

Paul was in his late 50s or early 60s when he wrote Philippians, yet he was continuing to faithfully labor among the churches he had planted for the glory of God. There is no such thing as retirement from God’s kingdom work!

Conclusion

What is the focus of your life?

For me to live is ___________. If you’re honest, how would you answer that question?

“Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
C.T. Studd

Do you live for the glory of Christ?

Do you long for the presence of Christ?

Are you laboring among the people of Christ?

At the beginning of my message, I said that people will go to great lengths to stay alive. The reality is that every one of us will die. When you depart from this life, will you be with Christ or separated from Him for all of eternity?

A Gospel Focus Leads to Joy – Philippians 1:12-18a

May 25, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

We are living in interesting times. Our culture is becoming increasingly secular and antagonistic to the Christian faith. Many people in our culture consider us to be narrow-minded because of our beliefs on sexuality, abortion, and other issues.

You may not have heard about it, but in January, the Canadian government passed Bill C-4, which effectively made it illegal to give biblical counsel with regard to sexual immorality and gender.

This bill could be used to make it illegal to evangelize the lost in Canada or to encourage someone to repent of homosexuality, transgenderism, and other sexual immorality.

Brothers and sisters, there may come a time when pastors may be imprisoned for simply preaching the Word of God. There may come a time when you lose your job because of something you posted on Facebook.

How should we respond if we have been wronged because of our commitment to Christ? What if we are persecuted, hated, or even imprisoned because of our Christian faith?

Today, in our text in Philippians 1, we see how Paul responded to being imprisoned and maligned for his commitment to Christ.

Paul was writing to the church in Philippi, a church he had founded 10 years earlier. This church had partnered with Paul through prayer and financial support in order to spread the gospel.

Paul loved this church and they were a great source of joy to him as he was imprisoned for his faith. In verses 12-18, Paul wants to update the church about how the gospel continues to spread.

Phil 1:12-18 (click for text)

BIG IDEA: We should care more about proclaiming Christ and the gospel than our own reputation.

We should trust God as we proclaim the gospel without fear (12-14)

The church at Philippi is concerned:

They have a personal concern about Pauls’ well-being, because they love him.
They have a kingdom concern about the advance of the gospel. Paul is in prison—how will the gospel go forth?

Paul wants to let the Philippians know that despite his imprisonment, the gospel is advancing (12-14).

Paul spent quite a bit of time in jail. Remember, in Acts 16, one of the founding members of the church was the Philippian jailer and his family.

Now, Paul says that his imprisonment for Christ “has become known throughout the whole imperial guard” (13). The imperial guard were elite Roman soldiers (around 10,000 of them) under the direct command of Caesar. Probably the best modern-day equivalent would be the secret service. In God’s sovereignty, Paul is in prison so that the gospel would be able to infiltrate a group of people who would presumably be hostile to the gospel.

Paul is essentially under house arrest. He was allowed to write letters and to speak with visitors, but he was chained to a Roman guard at all times. Every 4-6 hours, a shift change would occur and another guard would come in to guard Paul. So, Paul was sharing the gospel with every guard he came into contact with.

As Paul shared the gospel, others became emboldened to preach the gospel because of Paul’s faithfulness (v. 14).

In verses 12-14, we see that Paul is much more concerned with the advancement of the gospel than he is with his personal circumstances. In fact, rather than telling the Philippians how he was doing, Paul talks about how the gospel is doing.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

What are some things we can learn from Paul in these verses? Three things:

(1) Trust in God’s sovereignty during your trials (12-13).

Paul was imprisoned for the sake of Christ (13). This should not be surprising. If we follow Christ, we will be hated. Remember Jesus’ words:

John 15:20a – Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

The Romans thought that by imprisoning Paul, they would keep him quiet and Christianity would eventually dissipate. Instead, they gave him a captive audience that he wouldn’t have otherwise had.

How do you respond when you have a trial? You have two options:

The first is that you can throw a pity party and feel sorry for yourself.

The second is that you can trust God and be a steward of the situation for His glory.

When we throw a pity party, we are really proclaiming that life is about us. We think that life isn’t fair and God doesn’t care about us.

However, when we see tough situations as something that God uses to make us more like Christ, then our whole perspective changes. We are to be more concerned about God’s glory than our own comfort!

Rather than being sad about what God has not done for you, rejoice at what God will do in you and through you as you submit to his sovereign plan!

There are people that God has placed in your life to help you grow in your faith or for you to share your faith with (family, neighbors, co-workers, and others). What if your chronic health condition is God’s way for the doctors and nursing staff to hear the gospel? God can use you for His glory if you will be faithful!

If you are focused on Christ and the gospel, then your problems and your pain can become your pulpit.

If you are focused on Christ and the gospel, then your problems and your pain can become your pulpit.

See your circumstances as opportunities to speak the gospel. God doesn’t just work in spite of your circumstances, but God works through your circumstances.

Consider the fact that the church at Rome had no doubt prayed that the Lord would open a way to witness to the elite and influential imperial guard. In God’s wisdom, He answered that prayer by making members of that guard captive to Paul for two years.

(2) Trust in the power of the gospel. (12-13; Rom 1:16)

Rom 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The gospel penetrated the toughest of the tough. These Roman soldiers were probably the manliest men and the toughest men on the planet at that time. And yet, the gospel was the power of God for salvation.

It is likely that Paul was a special prisoner of the emperor (Phil 4:22). The fact that he closes the letter with a greeting from “Caesar’s household” testifies to the power of the gospel over the most powerful family in the world.

Maybe you’re not in prison for the gospel, but do you ever feel chained to circumstances? Maybe you’re a woman who stays at home with her children. You can reach them with the gospel. Maybe you have a spouse who is an unbeliever or children or grandchildren who are living in sin. Never quit praying for them. Never quit sharing the gospel with them. The gospel is powerful!

(3) Trust that God will use your example to help others (14).

Paul’s example has helped other brothers be bold for Christ. When we take a stand for Christ, it helps others do the same.

We should love the glory of Christ more than our own (15-18)

There are two groups present in vv. 15-18.

There were the envious evangelists who preached because of envy and rivalry. They saw Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to tear him down and stir up trouble. They sought to elevate their ministries and to “afflict Paul in his imprisonment” (17).

Second, there were the empathetic evangelists who preached out of goodwill. They cared about Paul and continued his mission care about Paul’s mission to advance the gospel. They served with goodwill and love towards Paul.

What motives do we have as a church?

Is it possible that at times we are like these envious evangelists?

Do we tear down other churches that are preaching the gospel?

Their preacher is a Calvinist (or a non-Calvinist).
Their music is too loud and too repetitive.
They sit in chairs instead of pews.
They use a different Bible version.

Do we elevate our ministries and think we’re a better church because we do this or that?

When another church is held in high esteem, how do we react?

When another person is honored, are you jealous, or can you thank God for their ministry?

Remember, the envious evangelists were guilty of rivalry (17). But…sServing Jesus out of envy or rivalry is a warped motivation.

Notice Paul’s response in v. 18:

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Paul is so focused on the glory of Christ, that his only concern is that “Christ is proclaimed.”

Do you care more about Christ’s glory or getting recognition for yourself?

The gospel is so glorious. We deserve nothing but God’s wrath, but God adopts us as His own children. There is no room for envy and rivalry in the kingdom of God.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

I hope the glory of God and the spread of the gospel is the passion of our church. For that to happen, we need to focus on Jesus, proclaim the gospel and love the glory of Christ more than our own.

As we live an attractive and joyful lives before people and share the gospel with them, then we will see people come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians – Philippians 1:9-11

May 22, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

I recently began a sermon series in Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

How’s your prayer life? When you pray for other believers, how do you pray for them?

In our text today, Paul gives us a wonderful prayer to pray for believers – especially Christians who are young in the faith.

Philippians is a letter that Paul sent to a church that he had planted about 10 years earlier. He was writing to the Christians in Philippi who were discouraged and concerned about his imprisonment.

We saw last week that despite being in prison because of his faith, Paul had great joy because of his relationship with Christ and the Christians at Philippi.

Philippians 1:9-11 (click for text)

BIG IDEA: We should pray for other believers to grow in love and purity as we prepare for the return of Christ.

The request of Paul’s prayer (9)

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more”…

Paul wants the Philippians to grow in love – in their love for God and in their love for one another. The latter is probably what Paul has in mind.

As we will see in the rest of the letter, the church was struggling to maintain unity. Later in chapter one, Paul wanted the church to have one spirit and one mind, and to stand firm side by side for the sake of the gospel.

In chapter two, Paul encouraged the church to have unity and to put the needs of others before themselves.

In chapter four, Paul specifically addressed two women in the church and told them to agree in the Lord.

It should be the prayer of all of us that our church would grow in love for God and for one another. Every church should be marked by a love for one another. Jesus said it this way:

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus said that the way that people know that we are His disciples – that we are Christians and we belong to Him is by how we love one another. Paul prayed for this church to grow in love because a church will never be unified if the church members do not love one another.

On the flipside, if Christians are growing in love for one another, then there will be unity. Notice I said unity, not uniformity. Though we may love one another, it does not mean we will all have the same preferences or agree on everything. My wife and I love each other very much, but we don’t agree on everything. She likes her bacon a little more crispy than me. She loads the dishwasher differently. But we are unified because of our love for Christ.

Paul writes of this kind of love in the church in First Corinthians.

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

As a church, let’s pray that:

We will be patient with one another.
We will be kind to one another.
We will not envy or boast.
We will not be arrogant or rude.
We will not insist on our own way.
We will not be irritable or resentful.
We will not rejoice at wrongdoing but will rejoice with the truth.

When we do sin against each other, we should be quick to forgive.

Eph 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

If we will commit to loving one another, then will be able to endure anything this world throws at us and the world will know that we belong to Jesus.

Also, notice that Paul wants the love of the Philippians to grow with knowledge and discernment:

“…with knowledge and all discernment…”

Paul doesn’t just want the Philippians to grow in love – he wants their love to be filled with knowledge and discernment.

This is such an important topic today because the world says that if we don’t celebrate certain behaviors that the Bible calls sin, then we are not loving.

The world embraces homosexuality, transgenderism, co-habitation, fornication (pre-marital sex), no-fault divorce, and pornography.

The world says, “All you need is love” and, “If it feels good, do it.”

Many individuals make this argument – “This person makes me happy. I wish you would just love me.”

I had a conversation with a relative years ago that said, “I know I’m just supposed to love people.”

Here’s the problem with that statement: without the Bible, we wouldn’t know how to love someone. Love must be rooted in the knowledge of God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

To truly love someone means that we tell them the truth. We just read 1 Cor 13:6, which says that love rejoices with the truth. We tell them the truth about God and what His Word says. We point them to Jesus. We speak the truth in love.

Of course, we are called to love our neighbors. The best way to do that is to tell them that they are sinning against God, destroying their lives and their families, and that they need to repent.

To enable someone’s sin is not to love them – it’s to hate them. The Bible says it this way – “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” (Pro 13:24).

Our love must be filled with knowledge and discernment. We are to love the things that God loves and to hate the things that God hates.

We are called to be loving people who are biblically informed. We must submit to the authority of God’s Word – not to our feelings or the opinions of the culture.

Paul wants the Christians in Philippi to be able to ask and answer this question: “What is the best way to love this person based on what God’s Word says?”

“What is the best way to love this person based on what God’s Word says?”

How would our church be different if we prayed this prayer regularly – “Lord, based on what your Word says, help me to love my church family well.”

What if we prayed this about every relationship?

“Lord, based on what your Word says, help me to love my son or daughter that is watching pornography, or living with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or having sex before marriage.”

See how that prayer changes things. Instead of trying to indulge someone’s happiness, which is based on their feelings, we speak the truth in love, knowing that God’s way is what is truly best. They may not like what you say. They may even despise you for a time. Guess what – many people didn’t like Jesus either and they crucified Him for telling the truth.

Let’s side with Jesus, not our feelings or the culture.

Before we go further, let’s pray:

Father, please increase our love for one another. Help us to be faithful to love one another based on our knowledge of Christ and His Word. Help us to speak the truth in love. Amen.

In verse 9, we see The request of Paul’s prayer.

In verse 10, we see The purpose of Paul’s prayer (10a) – “to approve what is excellent.”

The purpose of Paul’s prayer (10a)

“…so that you may approve what is excellent…”

The verb that is used here means to “test and approve.” It’s the same Greek word used in Rom 12:2.

Again, Paul wants the Philippians love for one another to abound more and more. But this love is not a worldly, hippie love – it is a love that is discerning and is based on a knowledge of biblical truth.

What Paul means by this phrase “so that you may approve what is excellent,” is that the Philippians are to set their affections on the most important and excellent things rather than things that distract us.

Aren’t churches prone to get distracted and do this? Here are a couple of quick examples:

We tend to focus on the style of music and our own preferences when the real purposes of singing in church are to glorify God and encourage one another.

Sometimes churches fight over using a hymnal or using a projector. However, the important thing is not the way we read the lyrics, but that we are truly worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

The purpose of Paul’s prayer is that we would be able to approve what is excellent – that we as a church will be so focused on glorifying God, making much of Christ, and being filled with the Spirit that we don’t spend time arguing and fighting about trivial things.

We’ve seen The request of Paul’s prayer. We’ve seen The purpose of Paul’s prayer.

And finally, we see the desired results of Paul’s prayer (10b-11)

The results of Paul’s prayer (10b-11)

“…and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…”

When we are able to approve what is excellent according to God’s Word, then we will be pure and blameless when Christ returns.

This phrase speaks of moral purity and completeness. In plain English, when we know the Word of God, we can judge what is right and wrong and live pure lives. Paul wants the Philippians to live in a pure way and to be spiritually mature as the return of Christ approaches.

The fact that Jesus is coming back should encourage us to live this way.

When Jesus comes back, I hope that He will find us pure and blameless. The word blameless means to not cause offense. We should not be doing anything that might cause division in the church – whether it’s gossiping, complaining, or arguing.

Look at the next phrase. Not only should we be pure and blameless, but Paul says we should be

“…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ…”

Paul means here that as Christians, we should be producing spiritual fruit because of our relationship with Christ. If we have been made righteous because of Christ, then we should be producing spiritual fruit.

During John the Baptist’s ministry, he told the Pharisees to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8).

As Baptists, we believe there’s nothing we can do to earn our salvation, but we recognize that those who have come to know Jesus should produce spiritual fruit (John 15:8).

Just as you can recognize an apple tree because of its apples, you should be able to recognize a Christian because of their love for God, their love for others, and the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

As you read this:

Are you someone that is filled with the fruit of righteousness?
Are you growing in your love for God and other Christians?
Are you growing in your knowledge of God’s Word?

If you’re not, then you need to repent of your sin and believe the gospel.

All these things that Paul has prayed for the Philippians point to one overarching goal. Look at the last phrase in verse 11.

“…to the glory and praise of God.”

The glory and praise of God is why we exist and why our church exists. We exist to make much of Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

This morning, that is my prayer for our church.

Prayer

Father, help us to pursue what matters most – knowing Christ, loving others, and fulfilling the Great Commission. Give us pure motives. Help us to be people that seek to be blameless. Above all, help us to seek to glorify You in all that we do. Help us to live for Your glory in how we love, by the way we think, and by the way we live. Help us to live in view of the return of Your Son, Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.

Finding Joy in Christ and Community – Philippians 1:3-8

May 20, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

I recently began a sermon series in Philippians. Unfortunately, this sermon was not recorded. Here is an older version of the sermon I previously preached (click here).

An Overview of Philippians (PDF)

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”

Perhaps you’ve heard that song by U2. I looked up the song this week on YouTube, and it’s been played almost 140 million times.

That song is so popular because people are looking for something. Ultimately, whether they realize it or not, people are looking for something that will bring them purpose and joy.

Do you have joy in your heart as you’re reading this post? I hope that you do.

But I also know it’s very possible that you are not joyful. Maybe you’re discouraged for whatever reason. Maybe your job isn’t going well. Maybe you have problems in your marriage or with your children. Maybe your health is not good.

In Philippians 1:3-8, we see how that we can have joy, even during difficult circumstances.

Last week, I introduced the book of Philippians (see post).

One of the things that we looked at was the back story of the church in Philippi, which is found in Acts 16.

As you recall, Paul loved the church at Philippi, which he founded about 10 years before he wrote this letter. He wrote this letter in part because the church was discouraged that Paul, a missionary whom they had financially supported, was now imprisoned for preaching the gospel.

So, Paul wrote this letter to encourage these Christians who were young in the faith and discouraged. In the early verses of the letter, Paul writes with a tone of joy – that the Philippians (and us) can have joy because of Christ and the gospel.

Consider this: Paul was in chains because of the gospel, and yet he was likely the happiest man in Rome (if that is where he was imprisoned). How could this be? Ancient Rome was like a modern-day Las Vegas. There were games, sexual pleasures, parties, and more. And yet, the happiest man in Rome sat in prison.

Do you think you need something other than Jesus to find real joy? Perhaps you wish you could make more money or build a bigger house or build a bigger church. I agree with Tony Merida when he says that what we really need is a bigger vision of God. ^[1]Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians, 23

The reason that Paul was happy even in prison is this: when you come to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ, you can have a joy that can never be taken away no matter what is going on in your life. This morning, we see four ways we can experience joy in the Christian life from our text.

We can know the joy of prayer (Phil 1:3-4)
We can know the joy of gospel partnerships (Phil 1:5)
We can know the joy of God’s work within us (Phil 1:6)
We can know the joy of affection toward other believers (Phil 1:7-8)

Philippians 1:3-8 (click link for text)

First, I want to encourage you, to know the joy of prayer.

Know the joy of prayer (3-4)

³I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,…

Every time Paul thought about the Philippians, he thanked God for them. As Paul thought of the Philippians, he was overwhelmed by joy.

Notice that Paul emphasizes that he was grateful for all of the Philippian Christians. In verses 4, 7, and 8, Paul makes it clear that he is thankful for all the Christians there. Even though the church wasn’t perfect, Paul was grateful for them.

Like Paul, we should look for evidence of grace in people’s lives.
If you’re a super critical person who is always focused on what’s wrong in the church, then you will not have joy.
Don’t allow something small or petty within the church rob you of your joy and gratitude for the church and its leadership.
Look at the big picture and give thanks to God!

A question you might ask yourself is this: “Are you the kind of Christian who brings joy to your pastors and fellow church members when they think of you?”

“Are you the kind of Christian who brings joy to your pastors and fellow church members when they think of you?”

When Paul interceded on behalf of the Philippians, Paul had great joy. Paul was faithful to pray for the Philippian church because he loved them.

Are we as a church a prayerful people?

Are we faithful to thank God for those who have ministered to us? Perhaps it’s a previous pastor or church member, or a family member.

Maybe you lack joy because you are too focused on your own problems instead of being thankful to God for those who brought you the gospel.

The great thing about having the joy of prayer is that God is always listening. No matter where you are or what you’ve done, God always listens to those who call out to Him in faith.

Paul was in prison for the sake of the gospel, but he knew the joy of prayer.

And like Paul, we can know the joy of gospel partnerships.

Know the joy of gospel partnerships (5)

“…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.“

Why was Paul joyful every time he prayed for the Philippians? It’s because, as v. 5 says, Paul had a partnership in the gospel with this church.

Last week, we saw that Paul planted the church during a missionary journey through Macedonia (Acts 16). Since that time, the church at Philippi had supported Paul’s missionary endeavors.

In chapter 4, Paul said that the Philippian church was the only one that helped him financially after he left Macedonia (Phil 4:15–16).

Notice in v. 5 that the Philippian church had partnered with Paul “from the first day.” From the beginning of its existence, the church at Philippi was supportive of Paul’s work of advancing the gospel.

When we share in the work of the gospel, it is a sign that God is working in us and through us.
We must remember that we are partners in ministry with other likeminded churches (association, SBC) and even churches that are from other denominations but preach the message of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
We are not competing with other churches – there are plenty of lost people to be reached with the gospel and discipled to spiritual maturity.
In partnering together for the gospel, we recognize our differences, but we celebrate our unity in Jesus and commit to the mission of making the gospel known.

The word that is translated partnership is koinonia, which is more commonly translated as fellowship.

As we see in this text, true fellowship, or partnership, is not just spending time with other Christians (although that’s not a bad thing).

In true Christian fellowship, the koinonia relationships exist because of the gospel (what God has done for us in Christ) and for the purpose of advancing the gospel (which God does through us).

D.A. Carson writes, “Both from Paul’s example and from that of the Philippians…we learn that the fellowship of the gospel, the partnership of the gospel, should be at the center of our relationships with other believers.” ^[2]Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, 19

What do you talk about w/ other believers? Weather? Sports? Politics?

It’s okay to talk about these things from time to time, but the point is that we are meant for deep, meaningful relationships within the church.

My encouragement for you is to find other church members who will help you become more like Christ and spend time with them!

We can know the joy of prayer and of gospel partnerships. And third, we can know the joy of God’s work within you.

Know the joy of God’s work within you (6)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Verse 6 speaks to both God’s work in the life of the church at Philippi and in the life of the individuals that make up the church.

Paul says that God has begun a work in the Christians at the church at Philippi and that he will bring it to completion.

This verse is important for a number of reasons.

First, it tells us that God is the one that begun a good work in us. Romans 5 says that even while we were weak, even while we were ungodly, even while we were sinners and enemies of God that Christ died for our sins.
Second, this verse tells us that God finishes what he starts. If we are united with Christ (that is, we have been saved), then God will eventually complete the work of conforming us to the image of his Son (Rom 8:29). We don’t have to worry about losing our salvation. If we are truly saved, then we can count on the promise of Scripture that God finishes what he starts.
Third, this verse shows us that we cannot be perfect (without sin) in this life (“will bring it to completion”). It’s rare, but occasionally you may talk with someone who believes in Christian perfectionism – the idea that someone can live without sin in this life. This verse, along with several others in Philippians (Phil 1:25; 3:12-14, 20-21) destroys this idea.

Typically, we think of salvation as a one-time event. But biblically, we have been saved, we are being saved, and one day we will be saved. This verse teaches all three:

First, God began a work in you. That is justification, a one-time event when we were saved. In justification, God, through Christ has worked for us – we are justified.
Second, God is working in us to make us more like Christ. This is called sanctification. Sanctification occurs from the point in time where you were converted, or justified, to the time that you die. All through your life, God is working in you and through you.
And when Jesus comes back, He will bring the work of sanctification to an end. He will complete His work and we will get our new bodies. This is called glorification.

Here is a graphic illustrating this:

Kent Hughes, a longtime pastor, said it this way:

“As I reflect on my fifty plus years in Christ it is indeed God who has kept me. It is not my grip on God that has made the difference, but his grip on me. I am not confident in my goodness. I am not confident in my character. I am not confident in my history. I am not confident in my “reverend” persona. I am not confident in my perseverance.” (Kent Hughes)

John MacArthur has famously said, “If you could lose your salvation, you would.”

I can’t help but read verse 6 and have joy. I am convinced that if we mediate what God has done in our lives and what He continues to do in our lives that we will have joy.

And finally, may we know the joy of affection toward other believers.

Know the joy of affection toward other believers (7-8)

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Clearly, Paul loved this church. He says that he holds them in his heart. That is, the Christians at Philippi have a special place in Paul’s heart.

Paul loved this church the way that grandparents love their grandchildren. He was proud of them and the work that God was doing both in them and through them. He goes on. He writes:

“…for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”

Paul is referring to the common bond that he shares with the Philippians. They are partakers with him of grace. They are united in fellowship because of the gospel.

The glue that holds the church together should be the gospel. It’s not the color of our skin, our social status, our income level, or our political beliefs or that we’re all Cowboys and like to ride horses.

This means that you should have more in common with a Chinese Christian than your neighbor across the street that hates God but votes the same way that you do.

The gospel must be the central focus in our church!

The reason we gather each week is because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross. We gather to celebrate the work of Christ, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow into Christlikeness. If something besides the gospel becomes our central focus, then we should no longer call ourselves a church!

Paul wanted to thank the Philippians for supporting him through prayer and the financial gift they had sent to him while he was in prison. In the ancient world, imprisonment was a source of great shame, and the Philippians had encouraged Paul with a financial gift as he preached and defended the gospel.

8 – “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Paul yearned to see the people he loved. His source of affection for them was the love of Christ. I hope you feel the same way about your fellow church members as well as other Christians that you know.

Paul couldn’t just Facetime these believers to check in. It would be many months before he would see them again. Fortunately for us, we are able to see each other almost every week.

I wonder though, do you yearn to see your brothers and sisters each week? Do you miss the fellowship of other believers when you are apart?

If you don’t love your brothers and sisters in Christ, then you need to check your heart.

When the gospel is central in our relationships with other believers, we will know the joy of affection toward them.

Conclusion

This morning, I hope that you can have the joy that Paul had. Even in difficult circumstances, Paul had great joy because of Christ and the community of fellow believers.

Do you have the joy that comes from knowing Christ as Lord and Savior?

Do you know the joy of prayer?

Do you know the joy of gospel partnerships?

Do you know the joy of God’s work within you?

Do you know the joy of affection towards other believers?

If you know Christ, then you have access to all these sources of joy. Take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ. Do not look at your circumstances. Look around and see God’s hand at work in your own life and in the lives of others.

Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and our greatest source of joy.

References[+]

References
↑1	Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians, 23
↑2	Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, 19

Tag: Pauline Epistles (Page 2 of 3)

The Humiliation and Exaltation of Jesus – Philippians 2:5-11

Gospel Unity – Philippians 2:1-4

Living Worthy of the Gospel – Philippians 1:27-30

To Live is Christ – Philippians 1:18b-26

A Gospel Focus Leads to Joy – Philippians 1:12-18a

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians – Philippians 1:9-11

Finding Joy in Christ and Community – Philippians 1:3-8

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