Sermon Tone Analysis

*Philippians XIV: Who Do You Imitate?*

*Philippians 3:17-4:1*

*/February 17, 2008/*

 

*Opening prayer*

 

·         Dave Bishop.

·         Marc’s grandparents: Don & Vi.

·         Speak to us through your word, that it might not simply be information, but that you speak to us where we are.

*Active or passive reader?*

Normally, I begin my sermons with a *history* *lesson* to give you some background to the passage.

It also satiates my *professor* *personality*.

·         But my *biggest* *passion* as a “professor,” is *equipping* students to *carefully* and *accurately* study and understand the Bible.

So instead of a history lesson, you are getting an *exegesis* *lesson*.

As I said in an earlier sermon, *exegesis* is the study of *how* to *study* the Bible.

·         The goal of exegesis is to find the *clear* *meaning* to the *original* *audience*.

·         The goal of hermeneutics is to *apply* that meaning within *our* *context*.

This morning I want to teach you a little *exegetical* *technique* that *I* find very *helpful*.

The *reason* I want to teach it to you is I am going to use it to help us understand *today’s* *passage*.

Q   Have you ever spent time reading the Bible but realized you *can’t* *remember* what you *just* read?

 

·         It said something about Jesus, I think.

That happens to me all the time.

The reason is that I did not *absorb* or *understand* what I read – it just *washed* over me.

The *solution* is *engaging* what we read, *interacting* with it.

Reading the Bible is not like *watching* TV, where you just sit and absorb.

It is far more like a *conversation*.

It means:

 

·         Asking *questions*: *Why* did the author say it?

*What* did it *mean*?

·         Look for *application*: What does this passage tell me about *God*, about *myself*, and about how I *should* *live*?

The more effectively we *engage* the Bible, the better we will *understand* it, and the more it will become a *part* of our *life*, which is the *real* *goal*.

*Graphical outline*

 

So this *tool* that I want to teach you will help you *actively* *engage* the Bible.

It is very *helpful*, but fairly *simple*.

It consists of making a *graphical* *outline* of the passage.

This technique is especially helpful for following the writer’s *line* of *reasoning*, so it is great for Paul’s writings, because he does a lot of back and forth.

I am going to start with a *shorter* *passage* to describe the idea, and then we will use it with *today’s* *passage*.

I chose what seems to be a very appropriate *post*-*Valentine* passage:

 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

*/Ephesians 5:25-27 NASB/*

 

·         That’s a pretty long sentence!

Notice that I am using *NASB* for this.

The NIV is a great, *readable* translation, but sometimes loses some *detail* for the sake of readability, so I use NASB.

 

1.

*C**opy* and *paste* the passage into my word processor.

You can use a Bible program, or else go to Crosswalk.com.

 

2.

Divide it up into each phrase, which is typically where *commas* and *periods* are.

 

3.

Look for connecting words showing how each phrase *relate**s* to the next, typically at the *beginning* of the phrase.

4.

Finally, indent passages show how they are related:

 

·         If phrase *supports* or *explains* the previous phrase, it is *indented*, usually words like “*so* *that*” “*because*” or “for.”

·         If the phrases are *parallel*, then they are *not* *indented*, shown by words such as “*and*” or “*or*.”

Now we can put it all together and read this passage, not as a bunch of and’s and that’s, but seeing Paul’s *point*:

 

Husbands, love your wives,

*/just as/* Christ also loved the church

*/and/* gave Himself up for her,

*/so/* */that/* He might sanctify her,

*/having/* cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

*/that/* He might present to Himself the church in all her glory,

*/having/* no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;

*/but/* that she would be holy and blameless.

Next time you study a passage, especially one of the *epistles*, I really encourage you to *try* this out.

It can be a huge help.

*Still striving *

 

Now let’s turn to today’s passage.

We are continuing our series on Philippians; we are now in Philippians 3:17-4:1.

Picking up where we left off last week, Paul continues to tell the Philippians how to *strive* and *grow* in *righteousness*, never content to stay the same, but always growing.

 

·         This will be in NASB, but we will read from NIV for the rest of the sermon.

Brethren, join in following my example,

*/and/* observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

*/For/* many walk (of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 

*/whose/* end is destruction,

*/whose/* god is their appetite,

and */whose/* glory is in their shame,

*/who/* set their minds on earthly things.

*/For/* our citizenship is in heaven,

*/from/* which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 

*/who/* will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory,

*/by/* the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

*/Therefore/*, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

*/Philippians 3:17 - 4:1 NASB/*

 

 

*A good act to follow*

 

Paul begins by *pleading* with the readers to follow Paul’s *example* and the example of those *like* him.

These aren’t *perfect* *examples*, because in last week’s passage, Paul is *quite* *clear* that he is *not* *perfect* and that he has not arrived, but Paul says that we should follow his example of always striving ahead.

·         But it’s not a question of *if* we’ll follow someone’s example.

We are *imitative* creatures, which makes having kids so much fun, but so embarrassing.

It’s really funny when someone else’s kid swears in public, but horrifying when it’s yours.

The question is *who* we will *imitate*.

Paul says there are plenty of *bad* *examples* to follow.

As we saw in the diagram this entire passage *contrasts* to two possible examples:

 

1.

The *enemies* of the *cross* in verse 18-19.

2. The *citizens* of *heaven* in verse 20-21.

*Warn with tears*

 

It’s obvious which example Paul wants us to follow.

He warned the Philippians frequently and with tears to avoid the enemies of the cross.

·         This is the *only* *time* we read of Paul *crying*, which makes us wonder if these enemies had *once* *been* *allies* of the cross.

·         Or *perhaps* it *demonstrates* just how desperate Paul is for them to keep safe.

An *enemy* of the *cross* is more than a person who doesn’t believe in Jesus, they actively *oppose* and *work* *against* Christ, and have the *power* to *pull* *us* away from Christ.

Given the bigger context of warnings against the *false* *teachers*, the “*enemies* of the cross” probably includes the *Judaizers* who wanted Christians to follow *legalistic* *Jewish* laws.

Additionally, there are also *godless* *enemies*, which see in how Paul *describes* the enemies of the cross.

·         *Legalism* and *godlessness* is Paul’s *axis* of *evil*.

*A clear description *

 

*/Their destiny is destruction/*: The word for *destiny* is “*telos*,” which means end *goal* or *purpose*.

This isn’t a good crowd to hang with – they are headed for trouble, to H-E-double hockey sticks.