Sermon Tone Analysis

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

[1]

Some lessons are learned through reading; those feel great.

However, the lessons that are most life-changing are often learned through painful mistakes and brutal moments in valleys so low that you aren’t sure if you’ll ever climb out.

In a blog entry, Shaun King speaks of some painful lessons he learned when starting a church.

[2] In that blog, he presents a thought-provoking look at some truths he learned—truths, may I say, with which I find myself in substantial agreement.

The truths he lists as having learned are as follows:

1.Start a thing as close to the way you dream it being down the road as you can.

2.People L.O.V.E. to hear about radical change.

3.Few disciples of Jesus Christ actually exist in the world.

Undoubtedly, his statements, especially the latter, appear provocative, even confrontational.

However, the list exposes truths that should be self-evident.

All projects tend toward chaos as time passes.

This is nothing less than an application of the Second Law of Thermodynamics in the life of a church project.

Theologically, people grow weary with righteousness unless new energy is constantly supplied by the Spirit of God.

It is now over six decades ago that a new movement of churches burst on the scene in the United States.

Growing out of the Fundamentalist Movement of first half of that century, these churches were dynamic and the pastors committed to preaching and practising the Word of God.

On one occasion a leader from within the movement was interviewed by a reporter who sought to address the unprecedented impact this dynamic group was having on church life.

The reporter asked, “Dr.

Smith, what is the future of your group?”

Without hesitation, Noel Smith replied, “Apostasy.”

All church movements tend toward apostasy; and with time the people will tire of pursuing the Lord.

Though people delight to hear the aspirations of the visionary, they really don’t want to change.

Change demands adaptability; change usually means that we are not really in control.

If the Spirit of God is directing a movement, we must find where He is working and offer ourselves to Him, rather than thinking that we are able to seize control of the work that He is directing.

Change sounds pretty, but it looks ugly.

Change is seldom accomplished by those who speak most loudly of their willingness to change.

It sounds judgemental, perhaps even arrogant for anyone to say that few disciples of Jesus Christ exist in the world.

However, finding an individual who has died to self that Christ might live in her is daunting.

You will undoubtedly recall one particular time when the Master cautioned those who wished to be disciples, “Enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [MATTHEW 7:13, 14].

This stern warning anticipated an expanded teaching Jesus delivered on another occasion.

“Someone said to [Jesus], ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’

And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door.

For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us,” then he will answer you, “I do not know where you come from.”

Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.”

But he will say, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil!”

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.

And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last’” [LUKE 13:23-30].

Following the Master is demanding, it is difficult; walking in the Faith is no place for wimps or wusses.

The idea that one can go to church when the occasion feels right, listen to a brief, pleasant non-controversial discussion about how nice people can be nicer still and be pleasing in the sight of God is nothing less than folly-wide-the-mark.

Can it actually be that many, perhaps even most, evangelical churches have bought into precisely this sort of error?

When the attendance count is more important than the names of disciples pursuing righteousness, it is difficult to avoid the thought that the churches have bought into a lie.

It would appear that many, if not most, of the supposed churches of this day are more intent on avoiding censure by the world than they are on pleasing Him whom they call “Lord.”

The Apostle to the Gentiles was deeply concerned that those to whom he was writing should follow those who were pursuing righteousness that comes from God.

This is apparent from each of his letters, and especially from the statement found in our text for this present study.

*KEEPING OUR EYES ON THOSE WHO WALK ACCORDING TO THE APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE* — “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” [PHILIPPIANS 3:17].

What specific action was the Apostle calling the Philippian Christians to imitate? “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” [PHILIPPIANS 3:7-14].

Take careful note of the points Paul makes!

1.

He counted all human attainment as loss for the sake of Christ.

2. He ignored persecution and hardship.

3.

He strove to know the Risen Christ and the power of His resurrection.

4.

He was willing to share in Christ’s sufferings.

5.

He endeavoured to become like Him in His death.

6.

He forgot the past so he could strain forward.

7.

He pressed on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.

By these criteria, can we say that we are imitating the Apostle to the Gentiles?

Are we able to name churches that we know are imitating him?

In this immediate area, can you name a congregation that is endeavouring to meet these criteria?

Very early in the history of the Faith there were churches that had been infiltrated by ungodly people who disgraced the Name of Christ the Lord.

One need by recall Jude’s exposure of some of the problems facing the churches when he wrote.

“Certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” [JUDE 4].

Again, John writes exposing an individual that was harmful to at least one congregation.

“I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us.

And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church” [3 JOHN 9, 10].

We previously studied Paul’s condemnation of two individuals who opposed the work of God in Ephesus.

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.

By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” [1 TIMOTHY 1:18-20].

The seven churches addressed by the Risen Lord through His servant John had among them some congregations that were censured quite strongly—the congregation in Thyatira was condemned because they tolerated a wicked prophetess, the church in Sardis was warned because they were soiling their garments; but no congregation was more severely condemned than was the Laodicean assembly.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.

Would that you were either cold or hot!

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” [REVELATION 3:14-22].

Despite these notable failures, the earliest churches were usually commended for fidelity to the Son of God.

As one example, think of Paul’s commendation of the Thessalonian saints.

“We know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” [1 THESSALONIANS 1:4-10].

Paul also commended the congregation in Philippi for their commitment to the Faith of Christ the Lord.