Not About Me
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Continuing on in our journey through Philippians.
This is truly a letter that can be characterized by the Joy that Paul has.
We finished last week with this statement about Christ being preached and Paul concluded with these words.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice,
Philippians 1:18
Why will he rejoice? Let’s continue reading our passage for this morning.
for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
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, 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. 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, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
A Reason for Joy
A Reason for Joy
In verse 19 - Paul knows
Paul has confidence
Paul trusts
that through the prayers of the Philippians and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that his current circumstances will turn out for his deliverance.
What form that deliverance will take is unclear as he says in verse 20.
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
This verse sounds very much like his statement to the church in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Paul does not want to be ashamed. In the Romans passage in context it almost feels as if he is trying to convince himself that he is not ashamed. Much like we might do. We might try and summon the courage to speak out for Christ in the midst of a difficult situation. Do we say something? Or don’t we?
Phil 1:20
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
As we said before Paul is unsure of what the deliverance will be - and he gives for us two extremes. life or death - but it’s all for Christ’s glory.
Christ will be honored
to live is Christ
fruitful labor
your progress and joy in the faith
you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.
It’s All About Christ
It’s All About Christ
We’ve been recognizing for Paul that his life is sold out for Christ. It is not about him, it is all about bringing glory to Jesus the only one worthy of glory. This verse then becomes the central verse to this chapter:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
For me to live is Christ.
Paul seems to be in an actual dilemma about which is better. He concludes that death would be better by far because it would mean to be with Christ, totally and completely. But he recognizes that Christ has put him here for something. There is a purpose for him to continue to be here on earth.
Everything that Paul might have put before Christ in the past, he now considers rubbish
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
The word that is translated as rubbish there, can literally be translated as “dung,” or “excrement”, or in as one man said, “Cow Pies.”
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
These kinds of Statements are common in Paul’s letters:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul has died with Christ, he and Christ are buried together and so he with Christ will rise again in the resurrection.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Exhortation
Exhortation
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,
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,
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.
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,
engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
In his closing words in our chapter we are exhorted to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. That is to say one that is markedly different from those who don’t have the good news! Paul says to the Philippians that whether he comes to them or not, may they live their life in such a way that others are going to see Christ in them.
In his closing words in our chapter we are exhorted to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. That is to say one that is markedly different from those who don’t have the good news! Paul says to the Philippians that whether he comes to them or not, may they live
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.
When our faith is strong and we have a clear sense of where we’re going - we too can walk with nothing to fear, and this is a clear sign to those who are lacking such hope in their future.
Notice that word “but”. I admit I puzzled over it for a bit and then realized it is a marker of emphasis of the difference between those who are being destroyed and those who have Christ as their hope.
He reminds us that that hope, our salvation is from God not from ourselves.
The good news continues...
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,
Ah Yes, belief in him, but suffering?
I don’t want that.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Not what I wanted, but…okay.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.
But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
If we’re going to follow Christ, we can’t just follow him when it’s good things happen to us, we have to follow when we are persecuted for it as well. Otherwise we’re not following Christ, but the rewards of this world. Our hope is not of this world, but it is of the future.
Takeaways
Takeaways
We have hope that is not of this world
Our present and our future is in Christ.
It’s not about you; it’s all about Jesus.