Sermon Tone Analysis

Philippians 1:27-30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

Life in Two Worlds

 

"A Christian lives in two worlds at one and the same time--the world of the flesh and the world of the spirit.

It is possible to do both.

There are certain dangerous gases, which from their weight fall to the lower part of the place where they are, making it destructive for a dog to enter, but safe for a man who holds his head erect.

A Christian, as living in the world of flesh, is constantly passing through these.

Let him keep his head erect in the spiritual world, and he is safe.

He does this so long as the Son of God is the fountain where he draws his inspiration, his motives, encouragement, and strength."

/-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon/

 

Introduction

 

As we have looked at the first chapter of Philippians there has been one central theme.

Christians have joy in life when Jesus has first place.

For Paul Jesus Christ */was/* his life.

He proclaimed this message tirelessly.

Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

Firstly he */interceded/* for the Philippians /fellowship in the Gospel/.

He thanked God for them and prayed for them continually.

Secondly he */informed/* them about the /furtherance of the Gospel/.

He wanted them to know how God had used His circumstances to advance the Gospel into new territory.

Today we will see how Paul */instructed/*  them concerning the /faith of the Gospel/.

He commanded them how to live for Jesus Christ.

Believers need to conduct themselves as:

 

I.

Heaven's Citizens

II.

Heaven's Soldiers 

 

I.

Heaven's Citizens/ - Conduct/

 

*Philippians 1:27* /Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,/

 

Firstly Paul commands believers to conduct themselves worthy of the Gospel.

The word */conduct/* politeuomai is related to our word politics.

It means */to behave or conduct yourself like a citizen./*

This would have caught the Philippians attention right away.

Philippi was a Roman colony and its citizens were actually Roman citizens.

In this verse Paul commands believers to conduct themselves /as citizens of heaven./

Paul speaks about this again in chapter 3 contrasting the citizens of heaven from the citizens of earth.

*Philippians 3:18-21*

/ /

/For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

*How should heavens citizens conduct themselves?*/

In both chapter 1 and chapter 3 Paul emphasizes /holiness/.

/a.

Consistent Purity /

/ /

Indifference Is Impossible

 

It appears that Themistocles, when a boy, was full of spirit and fire, quick of apprehension, naturally inclined to bold attempts, and likely to make a great statesman.

His hours of leisure and vacation he spent not--like other boys--in idleness and play, but he was always inventing and composing declamations, the subjects of which were either impeachments or defenses of some of his schoolmates, so that his teacher would often say, "Boy, you will be nothing common or indifferent.

You will either be a blessing or a curse to the community."

So remember, you who profess to be followers of the Lord Jesus, that to you indifference is impossible!

You must bless the church and the world by your /holiness/, or you will curse them both by your /hypocrisy/ and /inconsistency/.

In the visible church it is most true that "no man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself."

/-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon/,

/ /

Believers are to conduct themselves in a */worthy/* manner.

The word */worthy/* means */equal value to,/* */after a godly sort, suitably/*.

Since we are to be worthy of the Gospel, the emphasis is on purity and holiness.

The Gospel is God's good news of how /sinners/ can become /saints/ through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel calls men to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

The word /repent/ means to turn from sin to God.

It commands us to live holy lives for Him.

Holiness, however is not gained by withdrawing from the world.

To fulfill Christ's command to make disciples of the nations requires us to live amongst them.

Christ said /blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God/ and *Ephesians 4:1* tells us/ to walk worthy of our calling/.

/Be ye holy for I am holy says the Lord.

/When people know that you are a Christian, they are watching you every day.

They are watching to see if you have a consistent witness, a life marked by purity.

*2 Corinthians 3:2* brings this out.

/You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; /This poem summarizes it well.

/You are writing a Gospel, A chapter every day,/

/By the deeds that you do, and the words that you say.

/

/Men read what you write, Whether faithful or true:/

/Just what is the Gospel, According to you?  /

 

Application

 

/Are you living worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

Are you conducting yourself like a citizen of heaven or a citizen of earth?

What is your heart set on, things above where the Savior is or the lusts of this world?

A good way to evaluate that question is to ask what do I spend my time on?

Do I pursue things of an earthly nature or things of an eternal nature?

How do I spend my money?

All on myself or for the kingdom of God? How do I use my possessions?

Do I open my home to others and share what God has given to me, or do I keep it to myself?

Are you using your gifts and abilities for the Lord or yourself?

Is your life marked by purity or do you look like the pagan world around you? /Christians are wrong if they think that they can separate the Gospel from their conduct.

The two must agree.

Jesus Christ was full of grace and truth.

God calls us to conduct ourselves as heavenly citizens./

Are You?

Does your life hinder what you say?/

II.

Heaven's Soldiers /- Conflict/

/ /

/a.

Cooperation And Unity./

 

*Philippians 1:27* /Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,/

 

Unity through Prayer

 

Two neighbors, a cooper and a farmer, were spending the evening together.

Both were professors of religion, but of different denominations.

Their conversation was first on topics relating to practical religion, but after a time it diverged to the points of difference between the two denominations to which they belonged.

It first became a discussion, and then a dispute.

The cooper was the first to perceive its unprofitable and injurious tendency, and remarked, "We are springing apart from each other.

Let us pray."

They kneeled down and prayed together, after which they spent the remainder of the evening lovingly together, conversing on the things of the kingdom in which they both felt an equal interest.