How do we live our lives worthy of the gospel of Christ? By standing together, striving together, and suffering together, in spite of the opposition we will face when we boldly proclaim God’s truth.
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Conduct Worthy Of The Gospel
Philippians 1:27 – 2:2
The first chapter of Philippians has been largely autobiographical and personal thus far. Paul has told the Philippians of how he prays for them constantly and thanks God for them whenever He remembers them. He has told them that he has them in his heart, and he longs for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. He then went on to tell them his own perspectives on three important areas of life – suffering, living, and dying. Paul’s perspective on his suffering was that he rejoiced in it because he could see that God was using it for the progress of the gospel. His perspective on living was that life should be lived to exalt Christ and serve His church. His perspective on dying was that it was gain, and that it was to depart and be with Christ.
Well, having said all of that, Paul turns from telling them about his own perspectives to challenging them to live out their Christian lives as he was doing. It is important to note that Paul is not urging them to live out their Christian lives as isolated individuals. All through this section there is a communal flavor. This is brought out in verse 27 where Paul says, “striving together”.
So, the question is, how do the Philippians live lives worthy of the gospel? And how do they do it together?
Don’t miss that little word “only”. “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” What does “only” mean in this sentence. I believe he means something like “above all” or “only one thing concerns me” or “the most important thing is” or “above all else.” In other words, what Paul is about to say is crucial and of extreme importance.
Then notice the word “gospel” here. Paul repeats it twice in this verse. In fact, Paul has mentioned the gospel in 1:5, 7, 12, and 16. The gospel is the good news concerning the saving work of Jesus Christ. It includes the historical facts of His death, burial and resurrection. It includes the truth of His substitutionary atoning work which has averted the wrath of God and brought forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust Christ. The gospel is that which is worthy. It is of inestimable value. And God calls all Christians to live lives worthy of that worthy gospel.
The phrase “conduct yourselves” actually means “conduct yourselves as citizens.” You see, Philippi was a Roman colony, and the people of Philippi were citizens of Rome. In fact, Philippi was a miniature Rome. The people who lived in Roman colonies had almost a fanatic loyalty to Rome. They fully embraced the Roman language, dress, titles, customs, and dress. They refused to allow any infiltration of local influence at all. And they were proud of this. So, when Paul wrote that they should conduct themselves as citizens, they knew all about that. However, Paul was not talking about conducting themselves as Roman citizens. He was talking about conducting themselves as citizens of heaven. We know that, because in the next chapter, 3:20, he writes, “For our citizenship is in heaven…” So the idea here is that the Philippians need to live out their Christian lives as citizens of heaven in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Their language, dress, and daily actions needed to reflect the values of heaven. And friends, we are no different today. Everything about us should have the smell of heaven upon it.
So, the big question is, how do we do that? How do we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel? And how do we do it as a community together? That’s where we are going in this message.
What I see in this passage is that we do that by: Standing Together, Striving Together, and Suffering Together.
1. Standing Together
The reason why I say standing “together” is because Paul says the way we stand firm is in “one spirit, with one mind”. You can’t stand with the rest of the church in one spirit, with one mind, if you are doing it by yourself. The church is standing firm together.
Standing Firm. This phrase gives us a picture of an army on the defensive. Picture a Roman army, standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side, with their shields up, and their spears out. Or picture the scene in Braveheart where the soldiers cloister together with their shields up when the enemy shoot a shower of arrows landing all around them. That’s the picture. The word for “standing firm” was used of a soldier who defended his position no matter what.
In the movie, Gettysburg, the Confederates were trying to take Little Round Top. They kept on storming that hill again and again, and the Union soldiers at the top led by Joshua Chamberlain kept pushing them back. If the Confederates drove the Union soldiers off of Little Round Top, it is likely that they could have swept across and end up defeating the Union army. Today the United States might be 2 different nations – the North and the South! But Joshua Chamberlain and his soldiers, stood firm, even when they ran out of ammunition. Rather than turning around and running, when they ran out of ammunition, they fixed bayonets and ran down the hill screaming at the startled Confederate army, driving them off the ridge and holding their position. That’s a great picture of what it means for the church to stand firm. We must refuse to give ground to the enemy of our souls. But how do we do it?
In one spirit, with one mind. In other words, they stand firm in unity. They are not being pulled in 17 different directions, each person doing what is right in their own mind. They are all of the same mind and of the same spirit. What is Paul talking about?
2:1-2. “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion…” Here Paul mentions five beautiful resources that God has given to His church: encouragement, consolation, fellowship, affection, and compassion. When he says “If”, he is not supposing doubt about this. It is not as if there may or may not be these rich resources. A better paraphrase might be, “Since…” Therefore, because we have all of these rich resources at our disposal through the gospel, utilize them! If we depend on these divine and spiritual resources that are ours in the body of Christ, what will it look like? 2:2, “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” The results of depending on the rich spiritual resources we have in Christ is spiritual unity. Paul mentions being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. I think 2:2 is an unpacking and an elaboration of 1:27.
So, when Paul mentions “one spirit” and “one mind” in 1:27, I think he means “intent on one purpose.” Well, what is that one purpose they were to be united on, and intent about? I believe it is what he says next – “striving together for the faith of the gospel.” That was their purpose. That was their mission and objective.
So the bottom line then, is that the church must stand together. We must stand firm against the advances of Satan, and His emissaries. When we are attacked by those who stand for the new sexual morality in America, we must stand our ground. We must not give an inch. We must take a stand for God’s truth. When we say that a joining of two men or two women together is not a marriage, we will be attacked. When we say that God made us male and female, and to try to change your gender you are rebelling against God’s creation mandate, we will be attacked. We will be threatened and intimidated. The world will do everything it can to make us withdraw from the truth and to get us to shut up. If John the Baptist had just shut up, he would never have been beheaded. If the church will just shut up, the world might just ignore us and we will escape from so many troubles. But, will we do so at the peril of being unfaithful to God and His truth.
2. Striving Together
If “standing firm” reminds us of soldiers in battle, “striving together” reminds us of athletes in a fierce competition. The Greek word for “striving together” is sunathleo. The prefix “sun” means “with” or “together”. The verb “athleo” means to strive as in an athletic competition. In fact the word “athleo” is the root from which we get our words “athlete” or “athletics.” So, when you read “striving together”, think of the 11 men on the field in the Super Bowl, seeking to advance toward the goal line. Think of the runners in a relay race, striving to win the Olympics competition. Think of the 8 rowers on the boat striving toward the finish line. That’s the idea.
In “standing firm” we see soldiers in a defensive position, refusing to give ground. In “striving together” we see athletes in an offensive position, seeking to gain ground and win the competition.
For the faith of the gospel. So, exactly what is the “faith of the gospel.” Paul may have meant “the faith which is in the gospel.” However, I think he probably meant “the faith, which is the gospel.” He refers to “the faith” which is a specific objective faith. If that is what Paul meant, it would be how he used it in Galatians 1:23, “but only, they kept hearing, ‘He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” There “the faith” refers to the Christian faith, the body of truth which is found in the Christian religion. Again, Jude 3 speaks of “contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” So, Paul is saying that he wants the whole church to struggle and strive for the truth of the gospel. He wants them to proclaim the gospel, defend the gospel and confirm the gospel. In other words, the reason the church exists is for the gospel.
Our one purpose, our mission, here at The Bridge, is to strive to strive to defend, confirm, and proclaim the gospel so that all people will hear it, believe it, and be saved by it.
Now, I don’t want you to miss this. Paul is calling on the whole church to do its part to strive for the faith of the gospel. Paul wasn’t just calling upon the evangelists. He wasn’t even just calling on the overseers and deacons. He was calling on every member of the church to strive together like a football team, advancing down the field toward the goal line.
Now, our unity in striving together for the faith of the gospel does not mean uniformity. It does not mean that if one brother believes God has called him to street preaching, that every member of the church must preach on the streets. God may call someone to build relationships with their neighbors or co-workers and share the gospel with them. Others may go out into the community and knock on doors, offering prayer and asking if they can share the good news with them. Others may hand out tracts. Others may post gospel messages on social media. The point is that all of us should be doing something to advance the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
What are you doing? Are you adorning the gospel by living a holy life? Are you defending the gospel when it is attacked in school or at the workplace? Are you proclaiming the gospel to others? We are called to strive “together”. Let’s get involved with one another in striving to advance the gospel here in the Sacramento valley!
3. Suffering Together
1:28-30, “in no way alarmed by your opponents – which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
Opponents – Suffer – Conflict. Not only must we stand together against our enemies, and strive together for the faith of the gospel, but we must also suffer together.
In no way alarmed by your opponents. If we are active in striving to advance the gospel, we will have opponents. There will be people who will be angry because we speak of sin and repentance and judgment and hell. They will be offended because we will speak the truth about the sins of our American culture which must be repented of in order to be saved. And these opponents will seek to intimidate and scare us. We know that because Paul says, “in no way alarmed.” The Greek word for “alarmed” was used of a startled horse reared in fright. Other translations translate it as “frightened.” Our opponents could easily frighten us by their threats or intimidations. But Paul says that we should not be alarmed or frightened by them.
Which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. My friends, your fearless commitment to the gospel, even when you are being opposed, is a sign that you are saved. And their opposition to you is a sign that they are lost and going to destruction. They need a sign. And guess what – you’re it! Your fearlessness when the world opposes you is a sign you are saved and they are damned. And, that too from God. Our fearless commitment to the gospel before our enemies is something that God has done! That didn’t originate from you or me. It came from God.
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. This sign that God has given to you and to the world, came from God, because God gave two gifts in order to build the sign. God gave suffering and faith. That’s the meaning of “granted.” Why these two gifts. Well, in order to create a big sign of fearlessness, you have to have something to be afraid of. That’s where the gift of suffering comes in. Then you need faith, so that you are not afraid of it. And, what does this sign communicate? It says “you are saved, and they can’t win.”
Experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. In other words, don’t think that what you are going through is some strange thing. I have gone through it before you, and I’m experiencing it even now. As I sit in this prison cell, chained to a guard, I am suffering, but I’m not afraid. God has given me the gift of suffering, and also the gift of faith, and with that I am bearing a bold testimony to the preciousness of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he could lose his life, but he also knew if that were true he would depart and be with Christ, which was very much better. So, he could face anything without fear. Now Paul calls on them to follow him in this battle, and to stand shoulder to shoulder, struggling, striving, and fighting to advance the gospel in the earth.
Conclusion
So, folks, what does that mean for us here at The Bridge? How do we obey the apostle’s exhortations here in 2021.
- Stand Together! The gospel is so glorious that we should unite around it. Let’s make a firm resolve this morning that we will not capitulate to the changing morals of the world. Let’s face it. The moral norms of the US, have been changing at lightning speed over the last few years. We are hundreds of miles away morally from where we were just one generation ago. So, when the world tells us we must believe in the new morality that is being propagated, and must not criticize it in any way, we must stand firm. We must not back down. Our standard for truth is not the changing morals of this present world. It is the unchanging bedrock of truth that we find the Holy Scriptures. So, come what may, let’s call a spade a spade. Let’s declare what God says is beautiful and praiseworthy and lovely and honorable. And let’s not shrink from declaring what God declares is hateful and ugly and abominable and to be shunned. We need a moral backbone of steel in these perilous times. If we learn anything from history, we learn that over time groups of Christians have began to compromise, until they no longer even resemble the group that started out. Many mainline denominations started out great, full of evangelistic zeal, and committed to Biblical truth. But very slowly they began to drift, until today, they have denied essential Christian doctrine like the virgin birth, the miracles of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the penal substitution of Christ on the cross. Many have embraced the new morality, and are ordaining women pastors, and gay pastors. May God help us to stand for Him and His truth, and not back down.
- Strive Together! The gospel is so glorious that we should strive to advance it. Folks, what is the primary mission that God has given His church? I don’t think it is difficult to discern. All we have to do is look at the last chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the first chapter of Acts, and read the message that Jesus left ringing in their ears.
Mt.28:19 “make disciples of all the nations”
Mk. 16:15 “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”
Lk. 24:47 “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations”
Jn. 20:23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
I believe the primary mission of the church is clear. We are to advance the gospel in all the earth. We are to defend it, with the ministry of apologetics. We are to confirm it, by beautiful and holy lives that reach out in love both to the saints and to lost and hurting people. We are to proclaim it through evangelism locally and support world missions everywhere around the world. Let’s make a firm resolve this morning that we will redouble our efforts to strive together to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Suffer Together! The gospel is so glorious that we should be willing to suffer for it. When we are standing firm together against the lies and deceptions of the world, and are striving together to advance this gospel in the world, no doubt we will face many opponents. There are many who hate the truth of God and will do anything they can to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. At this point, they have a very wealthy and powerful platform to push their moral agenda. Anyone who dares to speak an opposing word will suffer persecution. The question is, will we be willing to suffer together for Christ’s sake?! And make no mistake, that is why believers will suffer – for Christ’s sake. Paul said one of the gifts God gives is to suffer for His sake. So, let’s make a firm resolve this morning, that come what may, we will suffer rather than bow down to the gods of this world. Remember that your God is a jealous God. He will not tolerate idols. If we embrace the sinful values of our present world, we worship at the shrine of false gods.
Stand Together! Strive Together! Suffer Together! Let’s pray.
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