Focus Factor
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Open with prayer.
We’re in chapter 4! Some of you are breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “Finally!” Since early September we’ve been looking at this letter of the Apostle Paul that we refer to as the book of Philippians.
This chapter begins Paul’s wrapping up of his subject matter and so he begins sort of this compilation of several ideas that he gives in short bursts. Paul has just completed is entreaty that we be about imitating him and others like him that live as an example of what it is to follow Christ.
In vs. 1 we read, “Therefore”, and “whenever you see Therefore, you must ask yourself what is it there for?”
He’s warned us against those that walk now as enemies to the cross of Christ and let us know what their end will be - destruction. He’s described those people and what they follow - their appetites, with their minds set on earthly things.
And he’s contrasted that with where we - if we’re following Christ - are focused. “Our citizenship is in heaven” and he points us to the return of Christ, “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 to subject all things to himself.”
And then the conclusion,
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Let’s read our text for today:
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
So now we begin these short bursts of ideas which are not uncommon to Paul in his letters. It’s like he has several things he wants to say before he wraps up the letter but time and space are now limited because of everything else he has said. There are three in our passage:
So now we begin these short bursts of ideas which are not uncommon to Paul in his letters. It’s like he has several things he wants to say before he wraps up the letter but time and space are now limited because of everything else he has said. There are
Verses 2-3
Verses 4-7
Verses 8-9
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Paul begins with a theme to many of his letters, and one of the themes in Philippians, pleading for unity in the Philippian church. Only this time he specifically calls out two women by name!
Paul begins with a theme to many of his letters, and one of the themes in Philippians, pleading for unity in the Philippian church. Only this time he specifically calls out two women by name!
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
This is an odd tactic since these letters were not only read to the entire congregation, but then were passed along to other churches as well. So to do so demonstrates that Paul viewed their disagreement as unusually significant.
Paul begins with a theme to many of his letters, and one of the themes in Philippians, pleading for unity in the Philippian church. Only this time he specifically calls out two women by name!
Notice that he gives praise for their service in the gospel, and names others that no doubt the congregation would know as prominent leaders within their cause in this young church. But, he’s also pointing out that their disagreement was having an impact on the church and the Gospel. So he asks one of the unnamed recipients of the letter to mediate and help them understand their need to focus on the gospel rather than their quarrel.
The second of these short burst ideas is actually a collection of thoughts and we read them in vs. 4-7.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Verses 4-7 contain 4 commands for us:
“rejoice”
“Let your reasonableness be known”
“do not be anxious”
“present your requests”
Now these seem to be short positive themes for us to apply to our lives, but on closer examination and looking into the background of the words we see that the word that is translated “reasonableness” or in some translations, “gentleness” was often used to indicate an attitude of kindness where the normal expectation might be retaliation.
The word for “be anxious” can refer to being unduly concerned about anything. This word is often used within the contexts of persecution. Both Matthew and Luke use the word in their warning for the disciples to not be concerned about what they will say before the local councils because the spirit will speak for them.
Even the term “guard” is a figure that points to areas of conflict.
So what do we make of this?
Persecution: The Philippians were suffering under opposition from their pagan neighbors.
All of these commands by Paul could be taken as “Despite your persecution...
“Rejoice!”
“Let your reasonableness be seen”
“Do NOT be anxious...”
“turn it over to God.”
This understanding gives that little word “and” in verse 7 new light. This is the result.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
AND -
And what?
The PEACE of God
What about it?
It surpasses all understanding. It’s bigger than you can imagine. It is an overwhelming sense of contentment. It is serentity.
What will it do?
It will GUARD your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
No matter what’s going on outside, you are guarded in Christ.
That term guard is speaking of the conflict that they are in with their culture, but it is also saying they are protected. Protected from that outside influence if they are doing these things: rejoicing, demonstrating their reasonableness, not being anxious, letting their requests be made known to God...
AND...
AND...
Not But - it’s not cancelling out all of those things, it is in addition to all those things.
The next paragraph begins with “Finally,” and is a group of virtues,
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Phil 4:8-virtues that could be used from any positive list - Christian or otherwise. In other words this list is not necessarily distinctively Christian. Paul, however, gives a special emphasis to the breadth of these qualities.
These virtues could be used from any positive list - Christian or otherwise. In other words this list is not necessarily distinctively Christian. Paul, however, gives a special emphasis to the breadth of these qualities.
These virtues could be used from any positive list - Christian or otherwise. In other words this list is not necessarily distinctively Christian. Paul, however, gives a special emphasis to the breadth of these qualities.
Where Paul is known for dropping words that apply to everything - one thing that can make his letters difficult to translate. Here he emphasizes a word, hosa.
Whatever - not in the sense of a teenager.
It’s like “IF ANYTHING”
Listen to the list again:
Whatever is true
Whatever is honorable
Whatever is just
Whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely
Whatever is commendable
If there is any excellence,
If there is anything worthy of praise
THINK about these things.
Contrast that with his list of the fruit of the spirit:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
There was nothing preventing Paul from simply saying:
Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable; if there is any excellence or praiseworthy thing, think about it.
But now, Paul writes:
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Do you see how it focuses your thoughts. Paul is saying to focus on the good, no matter what. Rejoice in the Lord, Always. Again, I say rejoice..
And finally he concludes with following his example.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I think this is incredibly powerful. Each of us should strive to be able to say the same thing. Imagine if each of us were so focused on Christ that if people would just follow our example they would be following Christ.
This gives me great pause.
Have you ever heard people say, “I don’t overtly share the Gospel with people, I let them see it through the way I live.”
Here’s a question, what would they conclude?
The list we get out of verse 8 was not likely a “Christian” only list of virtues.
What would the Philippians have learned from Paul?
What would they have received from Paul?
What would they have heard from Paul?
Think of all the things that Paul taught. Not only in his writings, they’ve watched him, they’ve seen how he conducts himself in an argument, they’ve lived among him.
What have they received from him? Think of the care he has extended. How he has sent others to him. How he has ministered to them in their needs.
What have they heard from him? This is the one that shoots that “I let my faith shine through my actions” statement. Paul is constantly talking about why he has hope, in whom he puts his trust. What it is that Jesus did on the cross.”
Why don’t we have peace?
Ask yourself these questions:
Where is my focus?
Where is my trust?
Do my words and my actions bear witness to this?
When you’re feeling attacked or oppressed or stressed or whatever the word is today, where is your focus? Is it on the attack? the oppression? the source of the stress?
OR is it on the Lord?
Where is your trust?
When things are not going according to plan, are you busy cursing the fact they are not going YOUR way, or are you trusting that God is leading you?
Jesus simply said, “Follow me.” Paul says, imitate me.
If you really want to lead people to Jesus you need to really follow Him.
For to many of us we are half-heartedly following Jesus.
How can we expect to lead people to Jesus if that’s not the direction we’re going in our own lives?
Individually, as a family, as a church, we MUST take seriously the call of Jesus on our lives. It’s not about happy thoughts - though thinking on Jesus is a very happy thought.
Think on Jesus
Be like Jesus
IF you can’t be like Jesus, find someone who is following Him and follow their example.