“One Church, under Christ,
with Unity and Courage for All”
Philippians 1:27-30
Introduction: The primary
election just passed, and we are going to have a contentious battle during the
coming months for the general election. It is usually hard, but it seems right
now, our country is more divided than ever, fed by the very partisan media. In
the midst of all this division, the church should stand out as an example, as a
beacon of hope to the world. Are we
willing to let our commitment to Christ and the gospel take priority over our
political persuasion? We may not agree about everything – we won’t agree about
everything! But the most important questions of life have eternal significance,
and I know we can agree on the greatest problem the world faces, and the only
answer. The problem is sin, the answer is Jesus.
God’s plan for
bringing the Good News of the Gospel to the world is the church, unified and
focused on our mission. In three contexts Paul teaches about spiritual gifts
(Rom 12; I Cor 12; Eph 4). I won’t take time to turn to those today – you can
look them up. In all three, we see a pattern: The unity of the body –> The diversity
of spiritual gifts –> work to equip the church, to bring it to maturity, so
that the mission is carried out with greatest effect. In at least one of those
churches, division was a significant issue. Paul said to the Corinthians “…there
are divisions among you…” (I Cor 1:11 ).
Even the church in Philippi needed to be on guard against divisions or this admonitions
in this context would not have been necessary [see 4:2,3].
One of the challenges
the fathers of our country faced was convincing the colonies to stand together
against England. The phrase “United we stand, divided we fall” was not original
to them, but it was used to rally the colonies to stand together. One of the
challenges that constantly arise in churches is that too often we allow little
things to divide us – sometimes between individuals – sometimes factions in the
church. We’ll see in this passage that unity in the church is a testimony to
the world, it shows the worth of the Gospel.
The Maine*
Idea: Let your manner of life as
kingdom citizens show the worth of the Gospel, standing firm and striving
fearlessly in unity.
I. Our Tribe:
We should live as Kingdom citizens,
showing by our life the worth of the Gospel of Christ! (1:27 a). “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (OK, I am stretching the alliteration with this one, but I needed
another “T”).
Paul begins
underscoring the importance of the admonition he is about to give, he begins
with the word “only.” Only do this, this one thing, this will be the kind of
faithful Christian living that will please God, magnify Jesus, and also bring
joy to Paul’s heart: Conduct worthy of the Gospel: “Only worthily of the Gospel of Christ live your life as a citizen…”
This idea of the conduct of a citizen
would have resonated with the Philippians. Philippi was a Roman colony, so they
had the rights of citizens. Paul used his rights as a Roman citizen on occasion
as should we. But he had another Passport, another kind of citizenship in mind
in this letter.
People have different
ideas about citizenship. Many Americans,
if you ask them their nationality, will look back and tell you where their
ancestors came from (I’m Irish, Russian, etc…).
Brazilians look at their birthplace, even if their parents where born in
Tokyo and only speak Japanese, if they were born in Brazil, they are Brazilian.
Yes, Philippi the privileges of being a Roman colony, its inhabitants enjoyed
Roman citizenship. But Paul uses the verb here to anticipate what he will
affirm in 3:20 … believers
in Christ have a dual citizenship. We look ahead to the place that has been
prepared for us: Our real home is heaven,
and ultimately, the New Heaven and the New Earth! Listen to what he says there…
20 But our citizenship is in
heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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… (Philippians 3:20-21).
We have two Passports! I am glad to be an American. We have a
great history and in many ways are the envy of the world. Everyone wants to
come here! I salute the flag and cherish
our freedom, but first and foremost I am a Christian, a citizen of Heaven. That
should make a difference in how we live.
D. James Kennedy told a story about Alexander the Great meeting a
young boy who had fled from a battle.
The boy was to be executed for deserting the battle
line. Alexander the Great saw how young he was and he asked
him what had happened during the battle. As he listened, he
felt compassion and decided to give the boy a pardon. He then asked
him his name. The boy replied “Alexander.” Alexander the
Great became troubled and asked again - ” What is your name?”
The boy replied “Alexander, sir.” Alexander reportedly
became very angry and shouted at the boy “Change your conduct or change
your name!”
By the grace of God we have been identified with the name of
Jesus. Paul is calling his readers (and
us!) to live worthy of that name. How? What is it that specifically sets
us apart? Here he points to the unity of the body. Politics might divide, there
might be social issues that we are struggling with, but we are one in Christ.
That is the Maine* Idea: Let your manner of life as kingdom citizens
show the worth of the Gospel, standing firm and striving fearlessly in unity.
II. Our Team: Our shared
faith and common mission should motivate us to strive together for the Truth
(27b-28a).
“…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.”
Paul says to his
brothers and sisters in Philippi, that He prays for them to live
Gospel-centered lives that bring glory to Christ, “so that whether I come to
see you or am absent…” – however his situation is resolved, by life or by
death, by freedom or continued chains, whether he comes to them or remains
absent, the news of their faithful living as Kingdom citizens would come to
him. What would that look like?
“…one spirit, with
one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything
by your opponents.” Verse 27 started by saying, “Only do this one thing,
let your life as citizens be worthy of the Gospel of Christ!” (my
paraphrase). Now he gets to the “meat” of what that will look like, and maybe
he gives us a clue as to an area in which the Philippians were struggling: UNITY.
That is certainly how the church
started, right? After Pentecost, thousands were coming to faith, and though
those who had crucified Jesus were still a threat, we read in Acts 2:46-47,
“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking
bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous
hearts, 47 praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day
those who were being saved…”
Soon they would face trials, but they were united. Did you know
that Jesus prayed specifically for you in the Bible? He prayed for you and for
all of us, for the church, in John 17:20-21…
20 "I do not ask for these
only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just
as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that
the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Jesus prayed for us to be “one” – and notice the end, or the
result of that prayer: “…so that the world may believe that you have sent
me…” I am going to get personal for a minute. We won’t always agree with
each other about situations we face in life, in our public life or in the
church. But because we’re brothers and sisters, because we carry the same
family name, we must be gracious to each other, patient, guided by love. We’ve
been under some pressure lately with what we have been facing as a nation, and
even as a community and as a local church. Let’s not forget who we are. Let’s
remember what Jesus prayed for us: “…that they may all be one, just
as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so
that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
The verb here in
Philippians 1:27 translated “strive together” gives the image of a team,
each one doing his part as we strive toward the goal. Team work is God’s design for the church. The
Brazilian team is almost always very competitive in the World Cup of Soccer.
They have some of the most talented players in the world. They have won five
times I think, but their biggest struggle with a team full of stars is learning
to play together! Look around… God has
brought together this motley crew! And He loves us, every one of us, more than
we can possibly imagine. How can we not love one another? Our love for one
another is a testimony to the world – it is a “sign to them” of our salvation. Remember
Psalm 133, though the images seem a little strange to us, this Psalm is a
beautiful picture of the blessedness evidenced by unity in the community of
faith). That is the Maine* Idea: Let your manner of life as a kingdom
citizen show the worth of the Gospel, standing firm and striving fearlessly in
unity.
III. Our Testimony: Our
commitment to each other and to the Gospel is a “sign” to the world (28b).
“This is a clear sign to them of
their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”
What is Paul talking
about here? He says “This is a clear sign to them…” He is talking
about them living a gospel-centered life, in unity with the brethren, marked by
love, and yet facing opposition from the world. The New Testament spends a lot
of effort in warning believers that they will face persecution. Even as Jesus
looked resolutely toward Jerusalem as he journeyed there for that final
Passover (Luke 9:50) He began preparing his disciples for what would soon
happen. He would be rejected and put to death. And in that upper room the final
week He told them outright, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (Jn
16:33). The Gospel brings division, because fallen humans are in rebellion
against God, they are in darkness, and men love darkness rather than light. How
people respond to the Christian message exposes their heart. Standing together
in faith, in the midst of persecution, without being paralyzed by fear. The
opposition of the world, and even more so the persecution of Christians by
unbelievers, is a “clear sign,” or “public evidence” that they are on the road
to destruction.
The other half of
that sentence is saying that the unity of believers of which Paul is speaking,
their faithfulness even when things get hard, is a “clear sign,” a public
testimony, a witness, that they, the believers, are on the narrow road that
leads to life. What is the most obvious sign that we belong to Jesus? The Lord
himself said, “By this men will know that we are His disciples, if we love
one another.” Believers hear the Master’s voice and follow Him, whatever
the cost. So far, there has been a relatively small cost for American
Christians. That is not the case everywhere, right? Go to persecution.com, the
website of “Voice of the Martyrs,” and read about what is happening in other
parts of the world. You won’t hear those things in the media. We’ve had it
pretty easy, but things seem to be changing. Let’s pray for those in authority,
let’s use the right to vote, let’s be a voice for righteousness. Above all,
remember that we are Citizens of Heaven – that is our most precious Passport! Let your manner of life as king-dom citizens show
the worth of the Gospel, standing firm and striving fearlessly in unity.
IV. Our Triumph: As we serve
Christ in this fallen world He grants us faith, and also that we might share in
his suffering (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.
Paul starts by
talking of a gift, a Divine Grant. “It has been granted onto you not
only to believe…” The first implication, the assumption of the main
point about suffering that is coming, is that faith is a gift of God. It has
been granted to you to believe. This is the normal sense that Paul uses
the word. This isn’t the mere intellectual assent that James describes when he said
“You believe that God is one, you do well. The devil also believes, and
trembles.” The “believing” Paul describes here is a gift from God, it is
the faith that saves, the belief that God’s Word is true and that Jesus is who
he said he was, and trusting that He did for us what we could not do for
ourselves. It implies entrusting ourselves
to him as the Savior and Lord or our lives…
Jesus said in the Good Shepherd discourse in John 10, “My sheep hear
my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…” In that context to “hear” implies hearing
with faith, believing what Jesus says, recognizing Him as the Shepherd of our
souls. Eph 2:8 says “By grace you
have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God…” Here Paul reminds the Philippians that it was granted to them to
believe, that is, God opened their hearts to hear the word and receive it. We
actually can read about that in the life of Lydia, in Acts 16:14, “The Lord
opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” It was granted to her to
believe. That is true for each of us who know Christ. “By grace you have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
And so, with the hymn writer we have to say, “Nothing in my hands I bring,
simply to His cross I cling!” But not only that. Not only is faith a
gift of God, but so is suffering! What?!
A Divine Grant: Not
only to believe, but also “…to suffer for His sake…”! We are here as witnesses – we are to tell the
world that Jesus is the way, the only way to life and forgiveness. That means
we also have to tell them the bad news, that they are sinners, by birth and by
choice, separated from God, objects of wrath. If we do that, be assured, “in
the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33a). Jesus said don’t be
surprised if the world hates you, it hated Him first! How we respond to the
trials of life in this world, is a testimony to the power of the Gospel. God
can use it to grow our faith, and our longing for home. Recall the words of
Cyprian written in a letter to his friend Donatus…
“It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have
discovered in the midst of it a quiet and good people who have learned the
great secret of life. They have found a joy and wisdom which is a thousand
times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they
care not. They are masters of their souls.
The have overcome the world.
These people, Donatus, are Christians… and I am one of them.”
The church has survived through periods of persecution – and even
thrived. Though we still have relative freedom to live and to proclaim the
message, that is not true every-where.
Even here the enemy is working against us, the battle is real – and if
we don’t stand together we are susceptible to his attacks.
What is God
saying to me in this passage? I hope the Maine* Idea has been clear enough: Let your manner of
life as kingdom citizens show the worth of the Gospel, standing firm and
striving fearlessly in unity. Remember what Jesus has done for us, not only
what he endured, but the sure salvation that is ours through faith in Him! May our lives shout loud and clear on this
peninsula and beyond: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners! May we
hold forth the word of life, to those in our sphere of influence. May our lives
show the worth of the Gospel.
What would
God have me to do in response to this passage? We are a family. We are
family of sinners saved by grace. The King of the Universe is our Father, and
he has given us a mission in this world. Let’s faithfully hold forth the Truth
to all who will hear. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment