Sermon Tone Analysis

If you have a Bible, turn to Philippians 2. We will be in verses 1-4 this evening and in a lot of ways, it is a continuation of what we talked about last week as we highlighted how we are to live lives that are worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Last week we talked about the how of living a worthy life and tonight we can talk about the why of living a worthy life.

What we are going to see tonight is really the stepping stones or building blocks of the Christian life.

What Paul is going to do is link together a series of four phrases that culminate in the one shared purpose of all believers.

As Paul gets to this shared purpose, he then goes onto teach what is probably the greatest lesson on humility in all of Scripture and we will highlight that more next week.

What we are going to see is Paul really almost bringing everyone back down to earth because in many ways, he exalts the believer and he wants the believer to see who they are in Christ but as soon he does that, he almost slams on the breaks as if to say, “Now hold on, don’t get a big head about all this.

Yes you are the people of God but you have not been saved to boast in yourself.”

Let’s go ahead and read Philippians 2:1-4 and we will read it in the CSB translation because I think it helps to better emphasize the stepping stones that we mentioned earlier.

Paul writes, “If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others."

To give you an outline of where we will be going tonight, I have four main headings: the stepping stones of the Christian life, the purpose of Christian living, the removal of our boasting, and the needs and interests of others.

Let’s pray and then we will start to unravel what Paul is teaching.

The Stepping Stones of the Christian Life (Ver.

1).

Paul begins verse 1 almost with a series of rhetorical questions.

What are rhetorical questions?

They are questions where the answers are relatively obvious right?

They are questions that are given to drive home a point.

Let’s break down these four statements that Paul makes.

they all start with the word if but the word if could also be accurately translated as because.

It is like Paul is saying, “because this is the case...”

If/Because there is any encouragement in Christ

Paul starts with the obvious and most important.

Paul begins with Christ and it should be very obvious that there is encouragement in Christ.

Obviously there is much encouragement in who Jesus is and what He has done.

Think of the encouragement that we receive from Christ.

The Son of God took on flesh, came to earth, was killed on a cross because of your sin and my sin, rose from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He is interceding on behalf of His people!

Why did Christ endure the cross?

For His glory and so that many would be brought to Him.

Is there encouragement in Christ?

Is water wet?

Even in our darkest days, Christ is King and walking alongside us!

God Himself has promised to Christians that we will never be abandoned.

God says that He will never leave us and never forsake us.

Think of what David says in Psalm 139:7-12

To the unbeliever, this sounds unbearable but for the believer, this is one of the most beautiful truths that we will be able to find in Scripture.

God never, ever leaves His people.

Charles Spurgeon said, “What is guaranteed in this promise?

Beloved, herein doth God give to his people everything.

“I will never leave thee.”

Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us.

Is he mighty?

He will show himself strong on the behalf of them that trust him.

Is he love?

Then with everlasting lovingkindness will he have mercy upon us.

Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on our side.

Moreover, whatsoever God hath, whether it be in the lowest hades or in the highest heaven, whatever can be contained in infinity or can be held within the circumference of eternity, whatever, in fine, can be in him who filleth all things, and yet is greater than all things, shall be with his people for ever, since “He hath said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

We have all had a rough few years, some of us have had a rougher time than others, but think of the joy in knowing that Christ is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever!

He remains our steadfast hope, He remains our all in all, He remains Lord and Savior, He remains God of all creation, and He continues to be for us and not against us!

Can you find any encouragement in Christ?

It would be impossible not to!

So, Paul builds upon this reality.

For every Christian, our Christian lives must begin on the Chief Cornerstone Jesus Christ.

Everything we do builds upon Him and the relationship we have with Him.

Take Him out and you are left with nothing of any value.

There is never a moment where a Christian cannot find encouragement in Christ.

Let’s look at Paul’s second statement

If/Because there is consolation in love

Not only is there encouragement in Christ, there is consolation of love that comes from that encouragement.

Keep in mind that each of the four statements builds upon the statement that came before it.

Consolation is being used as a synonym for encouragement.

When Paul says consolation of love, he is referring to that which comforts a trembling and broken heart.

We need to know that there is a God who loves us.

When I was a teenager I remember doing something and getting in a lot of trouble with my parents and I remember that feeling of, “I don’t know if my parents will love me like they used to” and I told them that was how I felt.

But my stupid choice didn’t change the love they had for me.

I got in trouble because they loved me.

They disciplined me because I really needed it.

If my parents love is consistent and comforting, all the more is God’s love!

Understand, God is not waiting for you to meet some standard in order to love you.

What does Paul say in Ephesians 1:4-5?

Ephesians 1:4–5 (ESV)

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Christians have been loved by God perfectly from before the foundation of the world was placed.

God’s love for you cannot change.

It can never lessen, it can never be made more perfect, it can never be misplaced or removed.

God loved you before you loved Him and He does not just love some future version of you that does not exist yet.

You and I need the love of God.

Imagine if God was all justice, all holiness, all powerful but no love.

Would we be able to find much encouragement in that?

Maybe but I think we would struggle in a lot of ways.

Paul just mentioned the encouragement that comes in Christ and Christ’s person and work brings a lot of elements to our attention.

We see the holiness of God, the kingship of Christ, the wrath that God has towards sin and sinner and if we see that only and neglect the comfort of God’s love, then we cannot fully embrace the reality of what it means to find encouragement in Christ.

The Christian is one who should find themselves surrounded by the comfort of love: it comes from God, it comes from Christ, it comes from the Church and all we do is an expression of the love that God has shown us and this goes straight into Paul’s third statement.

If/Because there is fellowship with the Spirit

What does the Holy Spirit do to one that has been born again?

Does He bring him into his own little pocket where he lives alone, out of touch with everything else? No, he is brought into the Body of Christ, the People of God, the Church of Jesus Christ.

He is brought into fellowship and this fellowship is unlike anything that he could possibly have before.

He is brought into a new family, a new relationship, a new partnership.

But not only does the Christian have fellowship with the People of God, he has fellowship with God Himself!

Steven Lawson said, “The Christian always has the active participation of the Spirit in them, bringing the encouragement of Jesus Christ to the depths of their soul.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be another comforter to bring to believers the supernatural peace of Christ that only he can give.”

All of this culminates into Paul’s final “if” statement

If/Because there is affection and mercy

We see the affection of Christ.

We see the extent of His mercy and when all of that is taken into consideration, the people of God are empowered to do the work of the Gospel.

We have encouragement from Christ, love and comfort pouring out from God the Father, we have fellowship with God and are brought into a new family that is being sanctified in the image of Christ and all we can do is think, “What affection!

What love has been shown to me!

What a great magnitude of mercy that God has shown to me, a sinner that deserves absolutely none of these tremendous blessings!”

All four of these realities are the stepping stones of the Christian life.