Sermon Tone Analysis

Live Series

Today we are going to begin a series on living.

Specifically, a look on how we should live.

Over the next several weeks I want to look at what that means.

How then should we live.

That is a title of a book written by Francis Schaeffer.

It isn’t a bad question.

How should we live.

Over the past few weeks I have come across in my own mind some ideas that kind of stuck with me.

There is a book I read a while back about being a pastor in the 21st Century.

There are a couple of things he points out that are kind thought provoking.

One of them is that we know who we are.

Why are you there?

What is the purpose of my being here.

The thing we need to think about there is t to remember I am here to be a pastor.

To tell people about Jesus.

He says to know your address.

And there are others that I don’t need to share because you see the point about how my thoughts have been provoked if you will.

As I have been reading Philippians over the past few months a lot of things have seemingly jumped out at me.

Please take your bible and turn to Philippians 3.

Review

Over the past few weeks we have been looking here at this chapter.

We saw how Paul looks at the past and sees all the thing he saw as valuable as garbage compared to the truth of knowing Jesus.

We looked at the idea of righteousness being a way we look at our personal value.

How Paul encourages us to look to Christ for our righteousness.

When we find our righteousness and value in him- it is not at all dependent on what we do, only what He did.

So it cant change.

Through Christ we have been given the chance to know Him- to experience the power of his resurrection, to participate in his suffering- to rise up with him in the presence of God from our own death.

Paul talks about not obtaining it yet- he has not been raised from the dead- but he looks forward to it.

And now beginning in verse 15 he begins to encourage us.

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.

And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.

Their mind is set on earthly things.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven.

And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Perfection?

As many of us who are mature, perfect, complete.

As many of us who know Christ.

As many of us who are trying to understand this whole righteousness idea.

It is a process, we are growing.

He goes on to write, if you think differently God will make it clear to you.

Some translators even write – God will show you why you are wrong.

Why?

Because Paul is using irony again.

No one is complete, no one has obtained perfection, it is an ongoing process.

I am convinced that God is progressive in his revelation to us.

He tells us a little at a time what we need to know.

I think it is for a couple reasons.

We need to process it for one.

Sometimes we are not ready for it.

It takes a while for things to sink in.

This is why grace is so hard for us.

Think about a child for a moment.

If I were to ask Scarlett a 1 year old today what two plus two is, she is just going to look at me like I lost my mind.

She has to grow up before she can understand.

Not only does she have to grow up she has to be taught.

So we realize we are growing.

But since we are growing, I want to focus on one verse this morning.

It is where this entire series of sermons comes from.

Verse 16.

I really like the way the New English Translation puts this Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained.

Let us live up to the standard we have already attained.

Live up to.

Up to what?

The standard.

Mature; Complete; Perfect About What?

Paul has been writing about perfection.

Completion and maturity.

Maturity about what?

Knowing Christ!

Knowing who Jesus is, knowing he has imparted his righteousness upon us.

Knowing because of that who we are.

In Christ who we are has taken on new meaning entirely.

Knowing Christ

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How did that happen?

Look back at chapter 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

When you believed

Even more look at 1 john 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

Not just see!

See is such a wimpy translation.

It isn’t just see I told you so.

It is am imperative or a command.

It is more of a LOOK!

This is important!

Look at what Kind of Love the father has shown us.

We are called children of God! Don’t you get it that is who we are.

We are Children of God!!

We need to live like who we are!

In order to live like who we are we need to know who we are.

Because we know Christ we have some things Scripture tells us.

Because we KNOW Christ