Philippians 1:27-30 - Worthy of the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Beginning of the service: I want to start off and see if we all memorized our verse from last week. If you weren’t here then I’d really like you to memorize this with us.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Let’s repeat this together.
It is with this in mind that we continue worshiping the Lord.
Introduction:
Worthy of the Gospel. There is only One who is worthy of the Gospel. There is only One from whom the Gospel originated - the God-man Jesus Christ.
We see how worthy He is in Revelation 5
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The Lion has conquered - so He can open the scroll and its seven seals.
Jesus Christ is more than worthy.
Christ is worthy of all honor and glory and power. He is above all.
He has conquered death and the grave. Death has been defeated and eternal life is freely given to those who repent of their sins and place their trust in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - namely Jesus Christ.
With this view of Jesus Christ in mind, turn and read with me in Philippians chapter 1 verses 27-30:
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Prayer
How do we live our lives worthy of the Gospel? As we see how great Jesus Christ is and understand how weak we are - how could we ever live a life worthy of the Gospel? Today we are going to hit three main points that Paul gives us that help us strive to live a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ. The first is:
I. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Standing Firm (27)
I. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Standing Firm (27)
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Paul starts this verse out with the word only. This transitional word is also a word of emphasis. He is letting us know that what he is about to say is of utmost importance.
The next phrase is actually one Greek word. The Greek word is politeuomai (po-lee-tab-a-me). We see it translated here in the ESV as ‘let your manner of life be.’ The NASB translates this ‘conduct yourselves in a manner.’ These are both pretty good translations of this. Sadly, the KJV seems to miss the big picture by translating it ‘let your conversation be.’ The KJV focuses in on only one part of the Christian walk - conversation - instead of the entire manner or conduct of living.
If we go back to Greek literature during this time period we can see that this Greek word, politeuomai (po-lee-tab-a-me), is actually rooted in the Greek word for city - polis. The word carried with it overtones of citizenship. The people of Philippi prided themselves in their Roman citizenship. As we discussed before, they were one of the few territories outside of the Roman municipality that enjoyed complete Roman citizenship. The Philippians, not unlike those in Rome, were very community-conscious. They willingly identified and submitted to the larger governmental body. They prided themselves in their nationality and citizenship.
Paul seems to take the theme of this Roman culture and apply it to a heavenly citizenship. If they were so dedicated to their earthly citizenship, then how much more should they be dedicated to their heavenly citizenship?
Paul encourages them to live in a manner of life…worthy of the Gospel of Christ.
Can he set any higher calling than what he just set? This is such a tough command.
In just a moment Paul will get into the practical ways that one can live in such a way - in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Yet before that he says:
So whether I come and see you or am absent. Paul is some 800 miles away from the Philippian believers when writing this letter. He wants them to remain steadfast and consistent no matter where he personally is. Their walk with Christ cannot entirely depend on him. They must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and seek Him on their own.
So many times, people vicariously worship the Lord through leaders. Megachurch after megachurch has disbanded and broken away because of the moral failings or even death of a leader. The church was built around one man and that one man was not the Person of Jesus Christ. We should respect our God-given leaders but we should not be anchored to them. We must be anchored to Christ.
Paul wanted to be sure that their faith did not rest in him. He wanted them to be consistent followers of Christ no matter where he was. He understood the heart of the Psalmist as shown in Psalm 118:8:
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Looking back at the end of verse 27 we find how we are to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. It all starts with standing firm. The Greek word standing firm is stēkō (stay-co) and means to be steadfast or immoveable. It means to stand one’s ground despite danger or opposition. We see this term used in military situations where a soldier must defend his position no matter what the cost. He must never compromise. He stands guard no matter if it costs him his life.
Paul goes on to discuss the offensive and the defensive aspects of standing firm. The offensive side is to stand for God while the defensive side is stand against Satan.
In verse 27 we see Paul spell out the offensive side of standing firm in three different ways.
Standing Firm (Offensive)
1) United
2) Striving
3) Faithful
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
1) United
This carries with the idea of being united with one common purpose (one spirit and with one mind). All of us should have the same goal and the same mind and that is the mind of Christ and the goal of glorifying Him. Believers should experience unity and interdependence in the body of the church.
Strife has no place in our church. The church should be known by its unity and love for one another. In fact we see Jesus spell this out clearly:
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The church should be known by the love they have for one another.
2) Striving
This is a word that in the Greek had to do with contending. It was often used in athletics. Nowhere is this seen today in more clarity than the game of football. Even if you aren’t a big football fan - you must admit that there is strong contention going on. There is physicality and planning among the team. And they all share a common goal on offense. They want to get the ball over the goal line. They want to score a touchdown.
In the same way, this Greek word carries the understanding that all believers are on the same team and we are all contending with the same enemy. We are to strive together against the enemy. We must all be on the same team and anchored to Christ.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
3) Faithful
Finally we get to the final phrase at the end of verse 27 and it ends with the faith of the Gospel. Sometimes in life, people may be united around something that isn’t the Gospel. They may be contending together in a productive way that isn’t Gospel-centered. Paul wants the Philippian believers and us today to know that it isn’t enough to be united and striving for a cause that isn’t the Gospel. We must be rallied around the most important thing. We must be rallied around the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is important in every church. In today’s church landscape many churches have things that they are about. Some are all about service. Some are all about theology. Some are all about being relevant. Some are all about getting involved in the local community. Some are all about feeding the hungry. Some are all about work projects. Some are all about hospitality and customer service.
All of these things aren’t necessarily evil things. In fact, some are very good if taken in the right place. Yet, we must be faithful to our calling. We must be faithful to the Great Commission. We must be faithful to the Gospel. Our church must always be all about the Gospel. Everything else needs to fall in line with what truly matters - and that is Jesus Christ and the good news that His sacrificial and atoning death provides for all people.
That anyone who repents, or turns away from their sins, and believes in Jesus Christ - the perfect Son of God - who died on the cross some 2,000 years ago and rose from the dead three days later and took on the punishment that all of us deserved - that they may be saved from an eternity in Hell and instead enjoy the Presence of Christ forever in heaven! That is worth uniting over. That is worth contending or striving for!
Scripture References: Psalm 118:8, John 13:35
II. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Subduing Fear (28)
II. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Subduing Fear (28)
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
The first part of verse 28 is a 4th way that we can live a life worthy of the Gospel. Subduing fear.
Standing Firm (Defensive)
1) Subduing Fear
Not frightened. Or not intimidated. This word was literally used in regards to animals or horses that would get suddenly scared and take off. An easily frightened horse was especially dangerous when it was frightened because it would throw its rider off!
Believers are to subdue fear. Remember who Paul is taking to here. He is talking to Philippian believers in the first century. These believers did have some reasons to fear. There were those who strongly opposed the Gospel and would beat, or imprison, or evil kill those who belonged to Christ. They also faced less intimidating but still significant threats from family, friends and the rest of their community who may persecute them or disown them.
What about us today? Do we face fears that may arise as we follow Christ? I think that we may downplay the cultural aversion to Christianity in America. We have been rocked to sleep by the history of our nation and the openness to the Gospel in the past. However, today we face a very strong and subversive anti-Christian sentiment. It has grown so steadily that we may not have even noticed it.
Apart from an overarching anti-Christian movement in our culture, there are pockets of our culture that are aggressively anti-Christian. Look at our universities. You don’t have to look very far to find countless accounts of science majors being shunned or not given the same opportunities as others because they don’t buy into the religious faith of evolution. Others are being improperly and unfairly graded in their English classes because they write papers that are pro-Biblical values on traditional marriage and sexuality. Even Christian college groups aren’t immune to such persecution. Some colleges have sought to require Christian groups to place non-Christians in its leadership as a move to avoid so-called discrimination. Thankfully, the previous administration made a ruling that protected Christian groups in 2020 but this is being challenged this year already.
We are sometimes comforted by news that shouldn’t be comforting. According to PEW research - in 1990, 85% of Americans identified as being Christian while in 2020 this number was down to 65%. Sadly this number is still grossly inflated. The most up to date research shows that likely less than 10% but definitely less than 15% are truly born again Christians with Biblical beliefs. Most of those who identify as Christian only identify that way because they came from a Christian family. They are unable to articulate most of the pillars of Christian theology. Many even hold to Universalism and believe that there are many ways to God - therein calling Jesus a liar in John 14:6.
With this in mind, we must stand strong and subdue fear. We are outnumbered my friends. Sadly, even most of those who claim to be our allies are actually controlled by the enemy of human souls - namely Satan. We are in a battle. And before you get ready to arm yourself against the enemy - understand that the enemy is not unbelievers or even those who are false believers.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We fight an invisible battle. We fight a battle that requires the power of Christ. Only through Christ can we stand firm and not fear. In Paul’s letter to his beloved Timothy he said:
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
How does Paul encourage Timothy to not be fearful or intimidated? By focusing on the Lord and the power that comes from Him. The Holy Spirit that indwells us is 100% God and is with us wherever we go. As we rely on the power of God, we show a sign of our salvation. This word sign means to present and establish the validity of something.
As we stand firm in both the offensive and defensive ways we have mentioned, we establish the validity of our salvation. It doesn’t earn our salvation but it raises the flag of Jesus Christ and exalts and glorifies our King of Kings. It shows the world that we are victors in Christ. And it also shows the coming destruction of evil.
Brothers and sisters, stand firm in the power of Christ united together as one body of Christ and subdue any fear that comes your way. And finally...
Scripture References: John 14:6, Eph 6:12, 2 Timothy 1:7
III. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Suffering Faithfully (29-30)
III. You Can Live a life worthy of the Gospel…By Suffering Faithfully (29-30)
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
I find it very interesting that right after Paul has encouraged us to stand firm and subdue fear that he encourages us to suffer faithfully.
In our culture today, most of us avoid suffering at all costs. We even can’t stand it when we “suffer” a bit because the temperature isn’t what we’d like it!
But Paul gives a different take on suffering. He presents suffering as a privilege. As R. Melick wrote in his commentary on Philippians:
It is one thing to accept suffering and resign oneself to it. It is another to realize the privileges that come through it.
- R. Melick
This word granted actually is formed from the root word for the noun meaning grace (charis). Grace is free and unmerited favor from God. How is suffering free and unmerited favor from God? Let’s see what Christ has to say about that:
29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
There is abundant blessing for the believer who is persecuted for the sake of Christ both on this side of eternity but even moreso in the life to come!
True believers are engaged in the same conflict that Paul had. This same conflict or same struggle is what we mentioned in our second point - it is the struggle against the enemy of human souls. It is the struggle against Satan and all evil in our world. We preach the Gospel to the lost and work through the power of Christ to stand against the enemy’s strongholds.
Praise God the strongholds of the enemy have no power over the power of Jesus Christ.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
We must focus on the true battle in front of us. Our battle is not inherently political, or systems based, or the human opposition we face. Our battle is spiritual. It starts in our own minds and hearts. That is why we see Paul end this passage in 2 Corinthians with we take every thought captive to obey Christ. The battle starts in our own heart and mind. We must fully submit to our Commander - Jesus Christ - and His Word that He has given us. Only then will we have the sword of the Spirit as seen in the armor of God (Eph 6:10-20).
Once we have submitted to our Commander and have submitted to His Word, then we can engage in the battle before us. Only then can we suffer faithfully as we battle by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture References: Mark 10:29-30, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Ephesians 6:10-20
Conclusion
I realize how hard it is to stand firm in the midst of an evil generation. I realize the fear that can rise up in us as we see all of the changes that our culture is going through. And I realize the suffering that many throughout our world and even in our nation are going through for the sake of Christ. Ultimately, I realize how hard it is to live a life worthy of the Gospel.
But, the Christian life is not one that is supposed to be easy. Jesus actually said this about following Him:
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Brothers and sisters - take up your cross. Embrace suffering for the sake of Christ as a means of grace in your life. Stand firm in the power of Christ.
When your boss asks you to do something unethical...subdue the fear of losing your job and stand firm in Christ.
When you family asks you to participate in something that is unholy...say no and stand firm.
When your coworkers are conversing about unholy matters...stand firm and subdue the fear of missing out.
When you aren’t invited to certain holiday parties because of your religious stances...stand firm and embrace the suffering for the sake of Christ.
When you are verbally slandered and rejected from groups because of your faith...stand firm and subdue fear and embrace suffering for the sake of Christ.
As we come to a close, lets focus on these 5 commands as believers:
Preach the Gospel. Exalt Christ. Stand Firm. Subdue Fear. Suffer Faithfully.
Let us Pray.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please let me know.
Have a blessed week.