Philippians #10 Do
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I’ve thoroughly enjoyed preaching these eleven weeks this summer.
Thank you for the opportunity and the encouragement so many of you have reached out to me, sent me messages or posted on FB how God used his Word in your lives.
That was always the most encouraging thing to hear after I preached, that you heard something that will help you move closer to God that week.
Pastor Chris returns this coming Sunday, Aug 20, where we have our huge baptism celebration.
Your handout shows the updated theme.
How should our church live worthy of the gospel?
How should our church live worthy of the gospel?
How should our church live worthy of the gospel?
On the back of your insert this week, you have the theme of all ten of the sermons from ’ve tried to color coordinate each week with the corresponding part of the overall theme.
in one mind and in one spirit, parter side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
in one mind and in one spirit, parter side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
in one mind and in one spirit, parter {WITH JOY} side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
in one mind and in one spirit, parter {WITH JOY} side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
1. Receive: Receive gospel centered grace and peace
We covered basic background of the book, that this is a letter Paul wrote from Prison in Rome to a church in modern Greece that he had visited a few times before with his friend, Timothy. Each part of the book is a small vignette that points to the central poem.
2. Partner: 1:3-11 Confidently partner together as a church
I showed some doctors to choose from for a heart operation, to help us remember that we have confidence in someone if they have the right credentials, if we trust who they are. Paul was confident in God because he knew God and trusted him explicitly.
we spent some time on the word Koinonia, which is this partnership, sharing and fellowship with eachother and with Christ.
3. Advance: 1:12-18 Jesus is worthy of all our devotion
I told the story of a few Christians who faced extreme pursecution and even death, but did so willingly because, they said, Jesus is worthy of all our devotion.
4. Share: 1:27-2:4 Gospel living models fearless humble unity.
4. Share: 1:27-2:4 Gospel living models fearless humble unity.
v:1:27 is where we get most of the wording for our theme.
We talked about how acting like a Christian is more than simply dressing up, just like being an good American citizen is more than just dressing up in flags. It takes fearless and humble men and women to put their differences aside and unite together with and take care of eachother.
Where the wording of our theme comes from, that all Christians should live in a way where we work together with other Christians and look out for eachother.
5. Imitate: 2:5-11 Imitate Jesus to be full
I showed some pictures of some Pintrest fails, where some people made some very sorry imitations, and we looked at Paul’s encouragement to mimic the attitude of Christ.
This is the central poem of the book, describing Christ’s matchless humility and submission to the point of death on a cross, and then to be highly exalted above all things. His humility is the model for us to find fullness and satisfaction in God.
6. Work Out: 2:12-18 The place that God inhabits SHINES with his glory.
I set a jar with a flashlight here, saying that we are to be like this jar, that when light comes in, we reflect that light to the world around us. We looked at the command to work out our salvation, and that he works in us to want to and to do what is good. And when God inhabits us, we reflect his glory through our actions.
7. Honor: Honor by imitating
I asked you who your heros were, batman, wonderwoman, superman, and said, what about these people make them heros, and makes them admirable? 2:19-30 Timothy and Epaphroditus were set up as two examples of honorable Christians who demonstrated a life worthy of the gospel by sacrificing even their lives to spread the gospel of Christ to others.
8. Press on: Press on to Know Christ
I played the Hallelujah chorus and stopped abruptly before the end, to help us remember we’re not finished yet. We’re a work in progress and need to be anticipating our ending. Paul encourages us to never give up, no matter what we face, and to focus on the eternal purpose of our life. Not just to be good people, but to know Christ and live with him forever.
9. Think: Cure Anxiety by Thinking about the strategies of our enemies and the nearness of God
We told the story of Peter walking on water, and how he lost his focus on Christ and began to sink. When we feel ourselves sinking into anxiety and worry, it is because we’ve lost our focus on Christ.
At the end of each sermon, we reviewed a singular theme.
You remember it.
How can our church live worhty of the Gospel?
In one mind and in one Spirit, partner side-by-side for the faith of the gospel.
But just about anyone who has studied the book of Philippians would be upset with me if I didn’t include a very important idea in this theme.
We’ve had a singular theme throughout our study of Philippians this summer, and for the last week I want to add two words. It would be a tragedy to go through the book of Philippians without emphasizing something that some even consider the main point of the book. Infact, it’s used 14 times in the short book: the principle of joy.
It would be a tragedy to go through the book of Philippians without emphasizing what some even consider the primary theme of the book. Infact, it appears 14 times in this short book: the principle of joy.
So let’s look at the updated theme for this last message on Philippians.
How should our church live worthy of the gospel?
in one mind and in one spirit, parter {WITH JOY} side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
in one mind and in one spirit, parter {WITH JOY} side-by-side for the faith of the Gospel.
How exactly do we go through life with joy and contentment?
What exactly are
Joy is more than a feeling of pleasure, than feeling happy, joy is an activity, hwere we vocalize our inner peace.
a settled state of mind characterized by peace - rooted in faith -
in a keen awareness of and trust in the living Lord of the church
Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 21). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
Joy is an understanding of existence that encompasses both elation and depression, that can accept with submission events that bring delight or dismay, because joy allows one to see beyond any particular event to the sovereign Lord who stands above all events and ultimately has control over them. Joy, to be sure, “includes within itself readiness for martyrdom” (Lohmeyer, 16), but equally the opportunity to go on living and serving
That brings us to the very end of our series, #10.
Have you ever watched an interview with a celebrity, or a successful person, and they are asked a question like this:
How did you guys pull it off today?
What did you do to get where you are today?
What is the key to your success?
The other is by ten of the top 100 richest people in the world have discovered a formula for making investments that works almost every time.
What is your secret for looking fifteen years younger?
What is your secret for looking fifteen years younger?
Or the barrage of ads that promise to make you happier, healthier, wealthier and sexier if you just buy this...
There is something in us that wants to discover the secret of a better life.
If there was one thing we could do, or buy, or use to make us happy, we would want it.
Paul’s last main section of the book, Paul says he’s learned the secret of a joyful contentment.
To go through your life, with all it’s ups and downs and to be joyfully content.
The secret of joyful contentment is good theology
The secret of joyful contentment is good theology
Do: The secret of joyful contentment is good theology
10. Do: The secret of joyful contentment is good theology
Just before I read , you may get a little confused in the wording, so let me walk through what Paul is about to say.
I’m joyful that you are so concerned about me, and have been concerned about me even though you weren’t able to express that concern. Even though now you’ve sent this gift to me, I didn’t truly need it, because I’ve learned the secret that whether I have little or much, I am content. I am strengthened to endure all things through Christ.
You were the only church in Macedonia that truly partnered with me by supporting me again and again. I didn’t pursue those gifts, but I am pursuing the spread of the gospel as a result of your gifts. I have recieved your gifts and have need of nothing. Your gifts to me were truly an offering to God, and he will always supply your needs according to his eternal riches in heaven.
Now this passage contains one of the most quoted passages in the Bible, you may recognize it as we read v13.
4:10-23
The secret of joyful contentment is good theology, specifically, believing two primary things.
God is sovereign over all things.
God is good.
or God is great and God is good
Remember last week we studied the cure for anxiety, to think about the nearness of God. This is the otherside of that coin. If you are not anxious, you are someone who is joyfully facing all the circumstances of your life.
What exactly are
But this theology isn’t simply something you hear and acknowledge, and instantly changes everything about your life. It’s something that’s learned and applied bit by bit.
Joy is more than a feeling of pleasure, than feeling happy, joy is an activity, hwere we vocalize our inner peace.
Think about applying theology like learning beautiful handwriting, or maybe caligraphy.
everyone enters at different places and excels at different rates.
a settled state of mind characterized by peace - rooted in faith -
in a keen awareness of and trust in the living Lord of the church
And no matter how good you are, writing neatly and beautifully takes skill, hard work, and patience.
Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 21). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
Everyone starting out has to learn the proper technique, the best choice of pens, and ink.
Those who are experts may make it look effortless, but it always requires attention and focus.
Joy is an understanding of existence that encompasses both elation and depression, that can accept with submission events that bring delight or dismay, because joy allows one to see beyond any particular event to the sovereign Lord who stands above all events and ultimately has control over them. Joy, to be sure, “includes within itself readiness for martyrdom” (Lohmeyer, 16), but equally the opportunity to go on living and serving
My daughter has recently graduated from her training wheels and now into a little bigger bike,
so allow me to compare applying theology to learning how to ride a bike.
It can be very difficult at the beginning to keep your balance, but the more experience you develop the easier it is to ride in different scenarios.
It can be very difficult at the beginning to keep your balance, but the more experience you develop the easier it is to ride in different scenarios.
Last year my family took a vacation where we planned to follow a short bike trail in Wisconsin. So we put our two kids in the bike trailer and started off.
It was the perfect day for a ride. Bright sun, but not too hot. And there weren’t too many people on the trail.
Riding a bike is easy enough, but when you throw another 50lbs of luggage on there, it gets a bit harder.
When we looked at the map, and decided to go to lunch at the nearest small town a little distance away. After about 45 minutes of biking, we began to get tired and pulled out the map again. We hadn’t even made it half way.
We decided to bear down and push through it. By the time we got to the town, our legs were burning, we were drenched with sweat and we were questioning our logic for ever choosing to come on this bike ride in the first place. The problem was,
we had to get back.
You can imagine how relieved we felt to finally see our van after biking for more than 4 hours straight.
Now we both knew how to ride bikes, but we hadn’t ever taken an extended ride like that.
why was it such a bad choice?
We were facing a new challenge, that we’d never experienced before, we overestimated our stamina, and underestimated the strength and skill required to accomplish a 25 mile bike ride on an unpaved trail, with two kids.
This is like applying good theology.
We believe and accept the gospel, so we think we know everything we need to about God.
We believe that God created us to be perfect, but we rebelled against him, earning the penalty of death. Jesus, who is God, became human to live the perfect life we could not live, so that when he died, he could die to take our penalty of death on himself. And when we look to Jesus to take away our sin and desire to be close to God, God forgives us and we become his children.
When we accept the gospel, it’s like getting a bike with training wheels. We jump on and can start pedaling through the Christian life.
Then as our theology develops, we begin understanding the principles like the
sovereignty of God, and the goodness of God, and the authority of Scripture and we take off the training wheels.
Then we learn about justification, and adoption, and sanctification, glorification, and Biblical theology and we upgrade to a bigger bike
Then we learn about the doctrines of grace, and the work of the Spirit, the doctrine of sin, and the doctrines of the church, and we begin adding gears to our bike.
Now think about all the trials of life like an unpaved trail with lots of hills.
taking It takes us a little while to learn what God is like, and so once we have the basics down, the hard work comes in overcoming unforseen circumstances
If you are a new believer, looking to Christ and having this joyful contentment will be as difficult as a toddler trying to take a 25 mile bike ride with their training wheels.
But the more we learn and deepen our theology and how it affects our lives, the more we are able to shift gears when a hill comes. When trials and trouble come into our life, we begin to see God’s great plan more clearly in our lives and have joy.
Look at how Paul explains this
v11
I have ‘learned’ - it wasn’t instantaneous. Paul had to go through trials, to learn how to overcome trials.
You have to get on a bike to learn how to ride. You can anticipate a few scraped knees and elbows.
Think about driving a car. You can read everything there is to read about driving a car. You can memorize all the traffic laws and best practices, but until you get behind the wheel and turn the key, you haven’t learned HOW to drive.
The best way to learn how to ride a bike or drive a car is by doing it (often with someone to teach you).
v12-
here’s one of the most quoted verses
v13
I can do all things through Christ
We take this in context, this obviously doesn’t mean I can defy the laws of gravity through Christ, or I can hold my breath for three hours through Christ who strengthens me.
No
Paul says, I can endure the most awful circumstances and the very best circumstances with joyful contentment because of the knowledge I have OF Christ and relationship I have WITH Christ.
That’s why we are saying, ‘Good’ theology. This isn’t just knowing the truths about God and the bible, but it’s believing them and applying them personally to any and every area of our lives.
You can know a ton of theology and not apply any of it personally. Knowing a lot about God doesn’t make you a good person, or even a better Christian than those sitting around you.
You need to believe that theology and learn how it applies to every area of your life.
How does the big story of the Bible affect how you view the neighbor who doesn’t take care of his lawn?
How does your view of God’s forgiveness to you affect that friend that you’re holding a grudge against?
How does your understanding of God’s love change how you discipline your teenager?
We all need to keep learning more about God and how it should affect our lives.
Let’s talk about joy for a minute.
How exactly do we go through life with joy and contentment?
What exactly are
Joy is more than a feeling of pleasure, or a happy feeling,
We should think about joy like an activity, where we vocalize our inner peace. That’s exactly what rejoicing is.
a settled state of mind characterized by peace - rooted in faith -
in a keen awareness of and trust in the living Lord of the church
Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 21). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
Joy isn’t based on our circumstances. It endures during birthday parties and through funerals. It survives during the bright sunny summer days and through the long dreary winters.
Joy sees through the particular event to the Creator of all things who is sovereignly in control of all things.
And in this context, we know Paul is saying these things in the very face of death. He knew he could be put to death for his faith in Christ, and he says, I’m content. I’m rejoicing.
I may live, I may die. But I know deep down that I have the only thing that really matters, to know Christ.
Paul is intent on expressing genuine gratitude, but clarifying that he really doesn’t need anything because of his relationship with Christ.
Paul believed two big things about God
1. God is sovereign, which means he has the power and authority to control everything in this universe
this pulpit, the blood through your veins, the grass dews in the morning because of the sovereignty of God
2. God is good - he’s not vindictive or manipulative. He desires a relationship with us, and he takes care of his children and provides for us. That he TRULY loves us.
Joy is an understanding of existence that encompasses both elation and depression, that can accept with submission events that bring delight or dismay, because joy allows one to see beyond any particular event to the sovereign Lord who stands above all events and ultimately has control over them. Joy, to be sure, “includes within itself readiness for martyrdom” (Lohmeyer, 16), but equally the opportunity to go on living and serving
When he sent his son to die for us, it was an expression of his genuine love, not simply pity for us.
If those two things are absolutely true, it means that we can trust him. That when he said that we are his children, we can believe it.
If those two things are absolutely true, it means that we can trust him.
That when he said that we are his children, we can believe it.
When he says that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from his love, we can count on it
When he says that he will supply all our needs, we can base our lives on it.
He will supply all our needs.
one can be snatched out
So what do we need?
We think we know what our needs are.
but We can’t even go to the grocery store without forgetting something.
We think happiness is found in control, but true happiness is found through submission to Christ.
We can sometimes barely walk into the next room without forgetting why we went there in the first place.
How many times have you opened the refrigerator and closed the door without removing anything?
We loose our keys, our glasses, our phones, and a million other things, and we think we have what it takes to make ourselves happy?
You would have to be God, to have the knowledge of the future and the power to control all things to make life always work out for our happiness.
Our flesh tries all the time to be god.
We think happiness is found in control, but true happiness is found through submission to Christ.
We think contentment is getting the next new thing.
Isn’t that what advertizing tells us?
Every commercial and billboard and coupon and magazine is filled with a description of what you really need.
Most of these things you didn’t even know existed before you realized you needed them.
In fact, there are things you don’t even want that you find out, ‘you need.’
And our insatiable apatite for the latest and greatest, the newest and fastest and quietest, so we can keep up with the Joneses, drives us into deeper debt, and depression and unhappiness and discontentment because none of it satisfies the deepest longing of our hearts.
No iphone will keep you happy forever. It may distract you for about eleven months, until they release another one.
No car, or job, or marriage, or family, or trophy will bring lasting joy to your heart.
We must realize that we are not wired to be satisfied with stuff.
We are wired to be fulfilled with a relationship with our Creator.
Who gives us peace and contentment, so we can say no to a more expensive vacation and yes to meeting the financial need of a friend.
We think that we know what we need. But we would need to have all wisdom, and anticipate every circumstance to provide what we need.
We can eat at home instead of eating out to send $20 to a mission.
We can turn off the TV or put down the book and pray for the widows in our church.
v19 Need
We can take be generous with our time and money we have, and take care of the needs of others as we saw at the beginning of chapter 2.
Because we realize, like Paul did, that the secret of contentment is NEVER found in having things at all.
But it is in knowing Christ.
And that relationship frees you to overcome the intoxication of needing stuff and resting in peace and joy that you have enough. And that what you do have is given by the sovereign and good hand of your loving Lord.
Thanksgiving breeds contentment.
We have everything we need.
v19
We have everything we need.
You don’t realize you have everything you need without good theology.
But you won’t realize it, without good theology.
So let’s work together as a church, to grow as Christians. To know everything we can about God and the Bible.
There are so many ways you can personally do this.
Read the bible. Read it privately and read it to your family. We have several resources to recommend to you in your personal worship and family worship time with God. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Read the Bible, pray and sing.
Buy commentaries, or study bibles, to help you dig into the deep parts of the scripture.
It’s not uncommon for people to come to church for years and years and to remain with their spiritual training wheels on because they never dig deeper into the Word of God. All we know about God shouldn’t be limited to sunday mornings.
Come to church. This worship service each week is a baseline that Christians should be a part of. Pastor Chris is returning next week to resume his series on 1 Corinthians, and then preaching on Amos before Christmas.
Soak up the Word. Grab at least one thing from the message each week that you can take home and work on.
You need the church and the church needs you.
We have several opportunities outside this service to help you grow in your Christian life.
For instance, this September,
We have two small groups that meet on Sunday morning to study the Bible, one at 9 and one at 10:30. Everyone is welcome no matter your age or background.
We have ladies Bible studies and a mens bible study.
We also have opportunities to teach the littles, which is always a good way to learn the Bible, by teaching through a curriculum about it.
We also have access to an online video archive called RighNow Media of thousands of great resources that will teach you more about the Bible, and how to practically apply it. You can watch it on your computer or your smart phone.
So make a goal, for yourself and your family, make it small and attainable, to learn more about the Bible this week and this coming fall.
Remember, joyful contentment is not dependent on what you have or don’t have. It’s not dependent on your situation.
But it IS dependent on your theology.
You have to believe what the Bible says about God and apply it to your life.
And some of us know it, but we end up taking these steep hills in our life in ninth or tenth gear, and we feel like we simply can’t make it up.
Instead, let’s focus on Christ and his goodness.
The times of hunger and times of material need will still be tough, but getting through them will be a lot easier in the first gear of good theology.
All this brings our series to a close.
That our lives are wrapped up in the gospel. It is the only thing worth living for, because Jesus is worthy of all our devotion.
So how can our church live worthy of the gospel?
In one mind, and in one Spirit,
Partner WITH JOY side-by-side
for the faith of the gospel.
Learn everything you can
come to our small groups etc
taking It takes us a little while to learn what God is like, and so once we have the basics down, the hard work comes in overcoming unforseen circumstances
Which it is NOT dependent on your circumstances.
true contentment is not mopey contentment.
I cant afford a new iphone, but I’m happy with my old piece of junk
Life in Christ, is a life of Joy
God supplies when we give
He supplies our need when we supply the needs of others.
Only when we are truly content can we give abundantly
Link back to 2:4 seeking the interests of others
thank you ‘sort of’
ever gotten a gift that was bad?
v18 the gift was acceptable to God - which gifts were acceptable - those given in the spirit of true generosity
v19 greet every single saint, no one is more important than the others.
He gives a simple answer, that sounds great, but as you would expect, the difficulty comes in applying that secret in a meaningful way in your life.
_______
macarthur
contentment is a virtue and a command
most people dont experience it, many christians
the more you have, do you become less content?
if you are getting the feeling that things are out of control…you’re not content
CONTENTMENT comes from the sovereignty of God: he’s in charge
confidence in providence
satisfaction with little
culture is propelled by need, happiness
TV pushes you to need everything, the shows are there to get you to the commercials
i need things that i dont even want
so we all need to be rich? prosperity Gospel
independence of circumstances
indifferent
steels our contentment is bad circumstances, victimized by them
could you sell christianity on the experience of paul