Sermon Tone Analysis

*Philippians VI: Heavenly Citizens*

*Philippians 1:27-30*

*/December 2, 2007/*

 

 

 

Let me say how much I have *enjoyed* the *interaction* on the church’s *blog*.

I pastor a very *intelligent* church!

·         If I had been here longer I would try to take credit!

If you haven’t *visited* our blog or *posted* any comments, I invite you to see what you have been missing.

It’s www.tgcconline.com.

It’s been a *spirited* discussion, but *respectful* as well.

·         I guess it’s is little easier to be polite when you know you are going to be sitting by the person on Sunday!

I think you are doing a good job of being *honest* and *thoughtful* in your opinions and *respectful* in *disagreements*.

*A hostile world*

 

As you know if you read the blog, I basically asked how should we, as Christians *respond* to the up-coming movie, “The *Golden* *Compass*,” based on book was written by an *outspoken* *atheist*, who is *on* *record* as saying that his books are about *killing* *God*.

Q: How should we *respond* to such *blatant* *attacks* on our faith, especially *in* *light* of what Paul says to us in *Philippians*?

Let’s turn to our passage now, Philippians 1:27-30, page 831 in the pew Bibles.

Today’s sermon is about how to live as *citizens* of *heaven* and *represent* the *Gospel* in a world that is becoming *increasingly* *hostile* to us and our *beliefs*.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

/Philippians 1:27-30 NIV  /

 

 

*A history lesson*

 

We’ll *get* *back* to that question about “The *Golden* *Compass*”, but first we have to have a *history* *lesson*.

·         Let me hear you all groan.

Philippi was located in modern *Greece*, across the sea from Turkey.

In 35g BC, it was *fortified* by King *Philip* II.

Philip then named it after himself, which is a perk of being king.

·         Philip is best known for his son, *Alexander* the *Great*.

Now fast forward 300 years to *42 BC*.

*Julius* *Caesar* is the *emperor* of Rome, which has *conquered* most the known world.

He is *assassinated* by Brutus, among others, “Et tu, Brute?”

 

*Brutus* and his team *take* *off* and were pursued by Octavian and Mark Anthony.

The big *showdown* occurs in the fields outside of Philippi.

Brutus is *defeated*, and Octavian becomes the *new* *emperor*, and changes his name to Augustus, the guy who ordered the *census* that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

Kind of like *today*, when a war ended, there was always the *challenge* of taking care of the *veterans*.

Unlike today, there was a real *danger* of the army *refusing* to *disband* and turning on its leaders if they *weren’t* *happy* with the arrangements.

For this reason, *Augustus* gave the soldiers *land* in *Philippi*.

This was a *great* *retirement* plan for them and kept them a *safe* *distance* from Rome.

* *

* *

*A Latin coin in greece*

 

After this, Philippi minted a bronze *coins* to *honor* of these soldiers.

These coins would have still *been* in *circulation* in Paul’s day.

It technically possible that *Paul* *used* this coin.

I want to *show* one to you today because it’s got something very interesting about it.

·         I am going to *pass* this *around*.

But to make sure it’s *returned* to me, I won’t *stop* *preaching* until I get it back.

·         You can make this *easy* or *hard*.

On the *front* of coin is the Roman goddess *Vicotria* (victory) with the abbreviations *VIC* (victory) and *AVG* (Augustus), commemorating Augustus’ victory there.

On the *back* is the army’s *standards*, and the abbreviations *COHOR* (cohort – a military unit), *PREA* (the Praetorians, the emperor’s elite force), and *PHIL* (Philippi).

What makes this coin so *interesting* is that, even though it was minted in *Greece*, it’s not in *Greek*.

The other coins from that area were, but this is in *Latin*, the language of *Rome*.

*Rome away from Rome*

 

The Philippians *weren’t* *Greeks*, they were *Romans*, living in the *middle* of *Greece*.

Augustus gave the city the *highest* *honor* that could be given to a city outside of Rome: He declared it a *Roman* *colony*, which meant that it was *literally* considered to be *Roman* *soil*.

The people of Philippi did everything they could to be Roman, from *architecture*, to *legal* *code*.

They spoke in *Latin*, they *dressed* like Romans, *acted* like Romans.

They *were* Romans.

·         Even though they lived in the *middle* of Greece, they considered themselves *Romans* *first*, Greeks a distant second.

*Good citizens*

 

This explains Paul’s *highly* *unusual* choice of words in v. 27:

 

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

/Philippians 1:27a NIV/

 

Most of Paul’s letters make a statement *like* this.

His letters can be divided into *two* sections, *theology* and *application* – this is who *you* *are*, so this is how you *should* *live*.

·         Almost all of Paul commands boil down to *one* *idea*: “You *are* a *child* of *God*, now *act* like it.”

This command itself is not unusual.

What makes it unusual is *how* he says it.

Usually he says “*Walk* *worthily*.”

But “*conduct* *yourself*” is a rare verb, this is the *only* *time* Paul uses it.

·         It means specifically “discharge your *duties* as a *citizen*.”

Paul was talking to *Roman* *citizens* who were very *proud* of their citizenship.

They would *do* *nothing* to *dishonor* Rome.

To them Paul says: You know how you are a *citizen* of Rome in the middle of Greece, and you *act* like *Romans*?

In the *same* *way*, you are *citizens* of *heaven* in the middle of the *world*.

·         *Act* like it!

*Behave* like *citizens* of the *heaven*!

*Strangers in a strange land*

 

I believe this is a *common* *mistake* we as Christians, in *America*, make: We forget the *foundational* *truth* that *this* isn’t our *home*.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

/1 Peter 2:11-12 NIV /

 

We are *aliens*; we are *strangers* in a strange land.

This is not our home.

Whenever we *forget* or *minimize* this fact, we *minimize* just how *radical* the *Gospel* is:

 

·         The world says that we are *basically* *good*; the gospel says we are we are *sinful* and *self*-*centered* to the core.

·         The world says that *all* *paths* lead to *God*; the Gospel says *Jesus* is the *only* way.

·         The world says try to be *good* and *get* *along*, the Gospel demands nothing less that *total* *obedience* to Christ.

It values *getting*, we value *giving*.

It values *living* for the *moment*, we value *eternity*.

It values being *served*, we value *serving*.

It values *pride*, we value *humility*.

(A new term to Greeks)

It values being *right*, we value *forgiveness*.

It values *freedom* to *sin*, we value *freedom* to *obey*.

·         Even when the world does *good* *things*, it does it for *it’s* *own* *benefit*, not to *glorify* *God*.

At every point *we* are at *odds* with this *world*.

It places *man* at the *center* of the universe, and we place *God* at the *center*.

*A Christian nation?*

When ever we *forget* that we are *aliens* here, we will make one of *two* *mistakes*:

 

1.

We will compromise and act like the world around us.

2.  We will expect the world to act like Christians.