Philippians: Learning How to LIVE a Life of Loss
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Over the last few weeks, we have begun to explore Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. We have learned that Paul thought that the church needs to live a life that exhibits our belief that God is always in control. We learned that Paul believes, even when things are at their worst, that we need to give thanks for all things and live as a servant to all. This week we will explore what he truly means by living a life that exemplifies what it means to learn to live a life of loss.
In order for us to fully consider what it means to live a life of loss, we need to put a few things into perspective. We need to remember where Paul is as he is writing this letter…he is in prison in Rome for his faith. He has been put into jail for teaching what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ. We believe that he has made his final trip to Rome and that he is writing to encourage the church to continue doing what they have started but to also be encouraged that no matter what happened or happens to him next, Paul has not given up on his faith and neither should they...
Being a Disciple Often Means Enduring Hardship...
Being a Disciple Often Means Enduring Hardship...
In this portion of the letter, Paul truly is trying to convince the Philippians that no matter what, they need to keep their faith strong. What he uses as an example is himself. And the reason he uses himself can be made quite clear when we realize how much he has been through in his life. Remember, Paul started off life as a pretty wealthy merchant. He was a tent and sail maker. He has himself set up pretty well. Then he became a Pharisee and while there was not a whole lot of money in that business, he did make a name for himself as one of the most ruthless of religious zealots who persecuted Christ followers. After his conversion, life became something more...
Here are the things that I think we need to hang onto for our lives today...Paul’s example while he was planting the church in Philippi is instructive for us in two very distinct ways. First, there is frequently a connection between fruitful ministry and difficult days. Second, the world is watching as followers of Jesus endure tough times. How Paul responded (and by extension how we respond) becomes a means of evangelism. Our actions authenticate our message…hear that again, our message and the way we act, authenticate what we say. So, at the very heart of what Paul is saying is this…if we say something then our actions darn well better follow. The other piece is that in order for our ministry to really show forth the blessings of God, we are going to struggle through many difficult situations because remember, this too, our reward is not here, it is in the next place that we go after living our lives here. That is often hard for us to hear because we so want things to be a bowl full of cherries…but if you take Jesus’ life as an example, his was definitely anything but the bowl of pits…but I am getting ahead of myself.
The cost of discipleship is constant
The cost of discipleship is constant
Let’s go back for a moment to this idea that things are not always going to be easy and I want to give us an example of something that Christ spoke to his disciples when they were grumbling about who was the greatest and who would be the best in heaven…here’s what he said:
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
At the very heart of this statement is this idea that no matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey, God has a purpose and plan for our lives. That purpose and plan are hardly ever what we think it should be, just reflect on my call story sometime.
I am hoping that none of you have never been thrown in jail for your testimony of Christ or that you have never been beaten because you were a follower of Jesus. But difficult days come in many forms. There are plenty of believers who have suffered the loss of family relationships because of their belief. There are plenty of believers who have been passed over for promotions at work because they put their faith first and their work second. There are plenty of believers who make choices involving in personal loss in order to remain faithful to God. Perhaps you have faced something along these lines, or, if you have not faced difficult days let me encourage you as Paul and Barnabas encouraged the first church they planted: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” The question is not whether we will face hardship or suffering. That’s a certainty. The only questions are when and how will we face the trouble…this is not to say that we will struggle through everything but rather to say that life is not about the best of everything.
The cost of discipleship often includes persecution
The cost of discipleship often includes persecution
Paul knows just a little something about being persecuted and about persecuting others for their faith. If you have ever been bullied in your life, you too know just a little something about persecution. Paul, as I mentioned before, has been in the shoes of one who cause pain and suffering to others because of what they believed and now he is suffering just as those he persecuted. I think he knows just a little bit about what those he harassed in his past. Jesus said something about this too…here is what he said...
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
In essence, Jesus is telling his disciples and by extension, us, that we are going to face discrimination, bullying, torture (physical, psychological, and spiritual), torment and the like because we believe in him and what he came to do. Let’s pause here for a moment and truly consider what it is that God is calling us to do here…we are to accept persecution because Jesus was persecuted. Now, I don’t know about you but this goes against everything that I hope would come out of my faith. But I think Paul, in this portion of the letter to the Philippians is giving us the reasons why we should accept it but also to stand firm in the face of those who would persecute us. To be an example, in other words, for those who are not strong enough to fight.
Here’s what I mean…when you were a child and people picked on one of your friends. Did you stand idly by and allow it to happen? For some of us, we might have but in the end, we were the ones who offered a shoulder and support to our friends. Though for others, it might have been the case where you stood up for a friend that was being abused. Those of us who stood up are the kinds of people that others looked to as an example of how to stand in the face of adversity. What I am trying to get at here is that each of us has our own way of standing up against those who would hold us back. Some of us do it quietly and in the background but others stand up and make just as much noise as those who would hold you down. With me?
The cost of discipleship includes willingness to suffer and die for Jesus Christ’s sake
The cost of discipleship includes willingness to suffer and die for Jesus Christ’s sake
As much as we do not want to admit it, sometimes we must stand down those who come against us. This is the point that I think Paul is making here. He understands what it means to stand in the face of those who would hold us back and down. He understands that it is hard to get up enough nerve to push back against the powers that be at the time. But it is all what we must do if we want to survive and thrive. For me, I have a hard time listening to certain individuals speak because I know inevitably the person is going to say, “If you believe enough and if you pray enough, you can have everything you ever wanted in this life.” And all I have to say to that is phhhht…baloney! Listen to what Jesus has to say in response to this type of preaching...
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
The point is this…life is hard. Jesus never promised an easy life. Paul, in this section of the letter to the Philippians is reiterating what Jesus has already said. The truly good news of their life and ours is that Jesus will be with us through whatever we face, in good times or in bad times. If we say that we do not face challenges then I think we are lying to ourselves and to others…it is really bad theology to think that if we try hard enough and believe hard enough that God will only allow good things to happen to us…the problem is that if we allow ourselves to believe these things, unfortunately, this leads to feelings of guilt if things are not going well, or conversely, causes us to ignore feelings of guilt, feelings that could lead us to repentance and life! Paul is warning his friends in Philippi that they should be on guard against bad theology, the theology of dogs. At its core, “dog theology” says that you can impress God and others with your religious behavior. As I said last week and the week before, I know just as many folks who do not attend church who do good things as I do folks who attend church on a weekly basis. It is not about doing the good so others can see it, it is about doing the good because it is what we believe to be the right thing to do…our actions following our beliefs. When we walk the walk of the talk we talk, others do take notice and will follow because they see that we are doing what we say we do...
Marching into the future...
Marching into the future...
Paul ends this portion of the letter with some very powerful words that I think we can all take into our hearts for our own future...
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
As we march into our future, let us each hold onto these words from Paul as the ultimate encouragement for the challenges we face and will face in the name of being Christian...
Let us pray…God, when we forget to whom we belong, when we forget to what we have been called, and when we become discouraged by the challenges that seem insurmountable…remind us, like Paul to the Philippians, we are yours and yours alone and our reward is not here but in what is to come, and then help us to strengthen our will and our hearts so that we can press on toward the ultimate goal, Amen.