Philippians 1:27-30 "Christian Responsibilities"

Amy and I enjoy taking in a concert whenever we get the chance to do so. We especially like it when that concert is fairly cheap and close by. While we were living in Mississippi we had the good fortune to live not too far from the largest rodeo held in the state of Mississippi and one of the largest in the world. Every year, the rodeo came to town and it brought with it some of the biggest and best names in country music. We heard Charlie Daniels, Lady Antebellum, and many other famous country artists over the years. One of our first years to attend we saw a singer by the name of Dierks Bentley. If you’re a country music fan you have probably heard of him. We saw him sing his hit song, “My Last Name”. Now this is a song about the proud heritage that his last name carries for him. He talks about defending his last name against a bully during his childhood. He references the presence of this name on some dog tags that his grandfather wore during the war. He talks about how that name above all else is what has been passed down through the generations in his family. The final two verses read, “Daddy always told me, far back as I recall, son you're part of something, you represent us all. So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came, it's my last name. So darlin’ if you're wonderin’, why I've got you here tonight, I wanna be your husband, I want you to be my wife. Ain't got much to give you, but what I've got means, everything, it's my last name.” The song ends with this man’s proposal to his girlfriend where he tells her that of all the gifts that he could give her, his last name is the most precious thing in this world to him and what an honor it would be for her to take it as her own.
And the lyrics to this song are very indicative of how many of us feel about our name. No matter who we are or what we do, we represent our family and we represent that last name. I can still remember my grandmother lecturing me when I was a little boy. After I got into trouble, which was quite frequent, she would go on-and-on about how it affected her. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but it seemed important to her so I knew I needed to act sorry for what I had done. As I got older, and began to study my family history a little more, I began to take pride in my last name and in all of the last names of my family. I began to see us as a unified bunch. We were a family, and family is stronger than any other bond I can think of.
Well, that’s exactly what the Apostle Paul is telling us here. He’s telling us that as part of a family we have a great responsibility. But you see, in this family there aren’t different last names that have come about as a result of marriage. There aren’t two sides of the family. No, in this family, there is one side, with one last name; and that last name is Christian. You see, we are all part of the Christian family if we claim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Verse 27 tells us, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Now I have to tell you that there is a feel and a sense to this verse in the original Greek that we don’t quite get in our modern English translations. You see the phrase that we have translated for us as “let your manner of life be worthy” is actually only one word in the Greek text. It is a word taken from the Greek word for city. This word that we have in the Greek text carries with it the idea of what it means to be part of a community. It’s possible to live in a city or a state without being engaged, but when you are part of a community, then there is a sense of unity and togetherness that comes with it. And that is the exact sense that Paul wants us to have when it comes to our being Christians. He wants us know that we are part of the Church universal; we are part of the body of Christ. The Church is the body and Jesus Christ is the head.
Just like being part of any family carries with it certain expectations, being part of the Church and the body of Christ carries with it even greater expectations. A phrase that I saw over and over again as I studied this text is, “Privilege implies responsibilities.” The greater the privilege the greater the responsibility. The level of responsibility required for being a Christian is greater than the level required by your dad when he gave you the speech before the first time you got to drive with no one else in the car. The privilege of being a Christian carries with it the greatest of responsibilities. And lucky for us, Paul never just throws something out there and leaves us confused. He always takes care to explain exactly how we are to go about achieving the goals that we are to strive for. And that’s exactly what he does for us in the rest of our text today. Now, as we discussed Wednesday morning at the men’s Bible study, there are many things that we could put into this category, but in our text today Paul lays out 3 specific responsibilities that we have as part of this privilege of bearing the name Christian. We must stand firm in one spirit, strive for the advancement of the gospel, and stand up for our faith.
The first responsibility, standing firm in one spirit and one mind, is something that we are both really good at, but we’re also terrible at this at the same time. You see, we are good at taking a stand. We are good at standing up for what we believe in and for our faith. Why, I bet there isn’t a one of you in this room who hasn’t lost friends because of your stance when it comes to your faith. I know I have. Some of you may even be in a situation where you have lost family members because of your faith. Every one of us in this room, I pray, knows that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We know exactly what he has accomplished for us out of his own free will. Unfortunately, many in today’s world don’t see things that way. They see the Bible as a list of rules that must be obeyed and they see it as a book of judgment on their particular lifestyle. Well, the Bible is our guide for life, but it isn’t all about that, it’s about Jesus Christ and what God has done to save a fallen people. Some out there have decided that if we are going to hold God’s Word in such high regard then they will not associate with us. That’s just something that we have to come to terms with and take a stand.
So we know good-and-well that we can stand, the problem comes in doing it in one spirit and one mind. We have a hard time with this. We seem to stubble “keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” as Paul says in Ephesians 4:3. You see, Christians are not to divide along doctrinal or sociological lines. They are to be one. We evangelical churches, sadly, are not known so much for our standing united. We are known for dividing, giving ourselves denominations and guidelines and things of that nature. Now, I want to stop and say that I love being a part of the EPC. I truly hold that the Presbyterian form of government is biblical and of all the Presbyterian churches I believe that the EPC is the closest of all to resembling what the Church ought to look like. Do I think it’s perfect? Absolutely not. Do I think that we are better than other denomination in a sense that we are holier than they are? Absolutely not. Very rarely, if ever, will you see me stand in this pulpit and preach doctrines and principles that are denominational and not biblical. I have just as much love for my new friend Father Craig down the street at St. Matthews as I do for my brother Rev. Bill Crawford at First EPC in Thibodaux. We are all laboring for Christ. Just as we saw Paul say a few weeks ago, it isn’t about keeping score, it’s about proclaiming the gospel regardless of who is doing so or what their motives might be. So we need to stand side-by-side as Christians in our stand for the gospel; period.
The second responsibility that we have as Christians is to strive for the advancement of the gospel. This, in-as-much-as Paul meant it, is something that we struggle greatly with in practice. Every Christian wants everyone else to become a Christian. I don’t think anyone would argue the validity of that statement. The problem comes in how to accomplish that task. In other words, what is the best way to evangelize? You have those who stand on street corners and yell out the good news, you have those who are in your face about the gospel, you have some who want to sit back and wait to be asked, and you even have some who choose to try and berate you and make you feel so bad about who you are that you have no choice but to turn to Christ; what is the best way? Well, I wish I had an answer for you, I really do. All I can tell you is that my approach has always been that you have to earn the right to witness to someone. Now sure, someone whom we don’t really know can see or hear us and we can witness to them that way, but I’m talking about something more. To be able to openly enter into a conversation with someone about the gospel is a privilege that needs to be earned.
Regardless of preferred evangelism methods, Paul’s remarks here are not about what evangelistic methods we practice, but how we practice them. We must be aggressive; we must always be ready to jump into action. We must be prepared at all times to share the good news of the gospel with all those who we come in contact with. This doesn’t mean that we beat people over the head with a “gospel-stick” so-to-speak, but that we take every chance that we have to share the love of Christ with them. That when we find ourselves in those moments where I know that personally I have stayed quiet when I should have spoken up, that the Holy Spirit will come and give us the courage and the strength to open our mouths and let God speak through us. Maybe you know the types of moments that I’m talking about. Maybe you have had your fair share of them too.
The third and final responsibility that Paul gives us here is to stand up. Now, much in the same way that we are to stand firm in our faith, we are pretty good at taking a stand. But when we talk about standing up for our faith in this sense there is something more that goes with it. Look at the words of Paul here, “Not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” Friends, the Christian life is tough. Make no mistake about it, many times it isn’t easy. In fact, many times it’s quite the opposite of easy. We mentioned briefly the fact that most, if not all, of us have broken relationships between close friends and family because of our faith in Christ and their lack thereof. 2 Timothy 3:12 reads, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” In John’s gospel account the disciple writes, “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light.” These are just some of the passages that promise trials, tribulations, and persecutions. We’ve talked in one of the men’s Sunday school classes that we don’t know if any of us in this country truly understand what persecution is like, but we all know that it’s still very real. Although, persecution may not be something commonly experienced, all of us have faced problems and trials as a result of the actions of those who do not know Christ.
Yeah, there isn’t much doubt about the fact that the Christian life is hard. And there really isn’t much doubt that it’s supposed to be. But take comfort. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus himself said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we looked back at a short part of our text for the day we read, “a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” Now that’s not to say that we are saved by our being persecuted. No, as I’ve said before and you will hear me say over-and-over, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Have faith. As I was reminded during a conversation this week, “God is not going to give you any more than you can handle.” When we are at our weakest, when we allow Christ to take over all that we are; at that point we are actually at our strongest. We must weather the storms of life anchored to our rock, our refuge, our Savior.
So as we stand firm in one faith, striving for the advancement of the gospel, and standing up for our faith, we must keep in mind what a privilege we have. Privilege implies responsibility. I pray that all of us will take our responsibilities to our God and our brothers and sisters in Christ seriously. I pray that we treat the name Christian as our most precious gift. I pray that we will do all we can to preserve that name above all others. And if you are going through trials and find yourself doubting or thinking that you don’t have the ability to fulfill these responsibilities, then I pray that God would give you strength, and that He would send His Holy Spirit to come and speak to your heart so that there may be no doubt in the mind of any who hear His name what a privilege it is to count ourselves part of His body. Glory be to God. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 1:21-26 "Paul's Dilemma"

Well, as if you needed any reminding from me, it’s Mardi Gras season. You may not be aware of this fact, but I am a Mardi Gras veteran. From years, Amy and I have gone down from Mississippi when we lived there and stayed with some dear friends in New Orleans to enjoy the festivities. The wife of the couple that we stayed with is a life-long NOLA resident and has taken every chance that she has had to educate both Amy and myself on all things Mardi Gras and New Orleans. I remember having a conversation one day about how many people there were that were regular attendees of Mardi Gras balls, parades, and even krewe members that didn’t know what the origins or reasons behind Mardi Gras even were. Well, ultimately, it has to do with Jesus Christ. I know, strange given what public perception is to the Carnival season, but it’s true. Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday in French, is the day prior to Ash Wednesday, a day in which many Christians begin the season of Lent. All of this is done leading up the Easter Sunday, the day in which we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. So, our text this morning, that deals with death, the enemy conquered by Christ at his resurrection, is in many ways a very fitting text for us today as we have begun the Mardi Gras season in our community this weekend.
So many times we hear philosophers or poets speak so eloquently and romantically about death that it makes it seem like such a welcomed released. In fact, the Greeks, in Paul’s time when he was writing this letter, often viewed death as a relief from the hardships of life, and so they thought about death as comforting because it brought an end to the turmoil of this life. Perhaps the most famous quote about death from philosophy comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet when he says, “To be, or not to be—that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. To die, to sleep—no more, and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.” Continuing on he asks, “To die, to sleep—perchance to dream. Aye, there’s the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.”
Now I’m not a philosopher, so I have had to research this week what exactly Hamlet meant when proposing these questions. The general consensus among those who study Shakespeare is that Hamlet is asking, “What if death is worse than life? What if there are things waiting for us in death that are just as hard or harder than life? And so he’s wrestling with the question, do I want to live or do I want to die? And the Apostle Paul is wrestling with the same question, but in an entirely different framework. Today, I want us to look at Paul’s dilemma and why the Apostle had such trouble deciding which fate was more preferred by him at this point.
We’ve been talking over the last month about how much Paul is on fire for Christ. We’ve talked about how his primary focus in life is the proclamation of God’s Word and nothing else matters. All of this culminated with last week’s message that Christ is everything. So, having that in mind, Paul is now faced with a dilemma. “To die is gain, but if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.” In other words, Paul knows that death is something that is good. He knows that death is the only way to enter into the presence of Christ. He’s not worried about the things of this life. He isn’t tied to anything in this world that would make his entry into heaven bitter in any way. But it isn’t as if he really wants to die, but that he wants to be with Christ. Unfortunately, death is the only way to accomplish being with Christ. So his problem becomes choosing between these two options. On the one hand, to live allows him to continue in his fruitful ministry of spreading the Gospel. And on the other, his death would bring him into the presence of Christ. So his option aren’t really life vs. death, but Christ vs. Christ. Paul wants his Roman imprisonment to end, but does he want it to be by release or escape, or does he want it to be by execution?
Verses 23 and 24 show us the internal struggle that is taking place within the Apostle. “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” So to boil this down to the simplest form, Paul is saying, “To die is the best thing for me, but for me to live is the best thing for you.” Now, knowing what we have seen of the Apostle Paul thus far in our study of Philippians, do we really need to read the final two verses of our text for today to know what he chooses. Immediately after realizing that it is necessary for the spread of the Gospel for Paul to live, Paul doesn’t give it a second thought.
At this point we point out the selflessness of Paul, but the Apostle Paul is just reflecting his Savior here, isn’t he? Was it better for Jesus to stay in glory with angels worshiping Him and singing to Him, “Holy, holy, holy!” day and night in the halls of heaven, or to come to earth in our poor flesh and our poor blood to live and die in a fallen world, to be rejected by His own people, to be executed by the religious leaders of His day, to be dead and buried? No, it would have been better for Jesus to stay in the halls of glory, but it was needful for us that He come, and so in His love, He came. And in His love, the Father sent. And so the Apostle Paul is just drawing the same conclusion: “It’s better for me to depart, but it’s better for you that I stay; therefore, I know what God’s going to do in this circumstance. I’ll be seeing you again.” Paul is following in the footsteps of his Savior.
So we have seen what Paul believes, and the dilemma that he now faces because of his very strong belief. And before we look at Paul’s resolution to this dilemma I want to ask a quick question. Do we share the same belief as Paul? That belief being the text that I read both last week and today; that to live is Christ and to die is gain. I think that all of us would say that we do without a doubt, but the problem comes in our implementing this notion into our lives. How greatly would we be benefited if we would allow the words of that verse to penetrate every aspect of our being. Paul was convinced of it, and it changed the way that he looked at life, and death too for that matter. As he faced the prospect of being sentenced to death and executed by the Romans, or the prospect of going back and doing missions work, he could say, “It’s better for me to depart. I would love to be with Christ right now, but it’s better for you that I stay.” And therefore he did not look at life as miserable and fruitless, but as joyful and fruitful; and he could still anticipate death as being full of an even greater joy.
Remember this, the reason that Paul is sharing this struggle with the Philippians is for the increase of their joy. They were troubled by the fact that he was in prison; they were troubled by the fact that he was incapable of doing the mission work that he so much wanted to do; they were troubled by the fact that he was facing the prospect of death. And so he wrote to them to comfort them and to give them joy, and he reiterates that in verse 25. Notice why he says it would be good for him to stay and serve and come to them again, “I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.” The Apostle Paul knows that it is good for him to remain, because in remaining he can serve the growth, the progress, and the joy of the Philippian Christians, and indeed of all who trust in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul sees his ministry as a joy-giving ministry.
So, having talked about this text fairly in depth, there are so many things that we could take from this passage, but I want us to remember this one thing above all else. The gospel gives us a joy that allows us to be selfless and to seek the joys of others. Paul, more than anyone, was aware of this truth. You see, he used to be a Pharisee named Saul prior to his conversion. He had thought that he could glorify God my persecuting, imprisoning, and killing Jews who followed this person named Jesus. After he was converted while on his way to Damascus, he underwent a radical transformation. Despite the fact that he had always been a religious man, he had been misguided. He went from being one who served himself to being one who was a joyful worshiper of the one true God. He was now filled with the desire that others might enjoy the same joy that God had given him by the gospel. He had experienced the very truth that he speaks of now to the Philippians.
The world that we live in today longs for joy. The people of this world want joy. They want fulfillment. Whether they are religious or not, whether they are Christian or not, they want joy. But so many of them seek that joy and fulfillment at the expense of others. They fit the old cliché of “looking out for number one.” In doing so, they have placed themselves and their own joy at the very center of their lives. And the gospel message has some very specific words for those living like this, and it isn’t “forget about joy; be good and do good to others.” No, that’s not the gospel message. The gospel is actually that God has done something for us in His Son that we could not do ourselves, for ourselves, or for others. That something that He has done in His Son has given to us the joy for which God created us, and so we are freed from seeking our own personal joy to be concerned about the joy of others because we have been given the greatest joy that we could ever have. We have fellowship with the living God through Jesus Christ, through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have joy. The gospel has given us a joy that allows us to be selfless, but it also causes us to long for others to have this same joy.
In our text here, Paul, in his saying that he will pray for his remaining with the Philippians despite the fact that the best thing for him is to leave and be with Christ, isn’t renouncing joy. In fact, he is proclaiming that he has found joy, the joy that is beyond anything that he could achieve. He has been given the joy of Christ; the same one who told his disciples, “I have come to give you life, and life abundant.” Christ promised his disciples and promises us that in this world we can experience comfort and joy even while we are going through trials and tribulations. Paul knows this better than anyone; and having received that joy by grace from God through Christ in His death on the cross, now he is set free to seek the joy of others.
It would be very easy for us to misunderstand and simply take the message away from this that Paul was selfless and that we ought to be too. Well, that’s true, but it isn’t the heart of this message today. If that were the gospel message, then we would all be in trouble; because none of us are completely selfless. But the gospel is. My father-in-law is the most selfless man that I personally know. He continuously and constantly gives up almost everything that he WANTS for the sake of his family and friends. But even he has a little selfishness that exists within him. He cannot even come close to entering into the same conversation as someone who was selfless for all of us. Someone who gave us a greater joy than we could ever have found in our own seeking. Someone who has set us free from our selfishness to enjoy the selfless pursuit of the joy of others in Christ Jesus. It’s news that liberated Paul from worrying about his current situation, and it’s a news that liberates us from everything and anything that we are facing in our own lives today.
Paul’s thoughts are beautifully summed up for us in the words of the Christian song “In Christ Alone”: In Christ alone my hope is found’ He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What height of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when striving cease! My comforter, my all in all, Here in the love of Christ I stand.” And the 4th stanza of this wonderful song: “No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me; From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand; ‘Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!”
If you are a Christian, if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I pray that you would be so captivated and so gripped by the power of Paul’s mindset and his words here in Philippians 1. I pray that you will continue to rest upon the joy of Christ. I pray that it will affect every fiber of your being and change you so that you more and more each and every day reflect Christ in your daily life. If you are not a believer or you find yourself doubting, it is my hope and prayer that you would come to know through trusting in Jesus Christ this gospel joy that only Christ can offer. Glory be to God. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Philippians 1:21 "Christ is the Gospel"

To give you some insight into just how I go about selecting the text for each Sunday, I want to tell you about the struggle that I went through internally this week. You see, I practice what is called lectio continua preaching. It is where I carefully and systematically walk through books or at least sections of books of the Bible. It really makes things easier on me because I know what’s coming up next. It makes it easier on the worship team because they can look ahead and see what the tone or theme of the upcoming message might be. It really is the easiest way to go about preaching in my opinion, plus it helps each of you come to a better understanding of Scripture by looking at one thing at a time instead of jumping all over the place. The only thing I really have to decide each week is where I am going to make the division in the text. In other words, where’s my stopping point. Most of the time it is pretty clear where I want to end the text. Sometimes, there is a decision to make as to whether I separate something into two sermons or do I preach it as one. Then there’s this week’s text; verse 21 of chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. A short concise verse that is able to stand on its own. It also would fit quite nicely with the verses that follow, the verses that we will look at next Sunday. It could even have gone with the text from last week. You see, there have been thousands of sermons and papers written on this one little verse. Its power and truth condensed into 12 words in English and only 9 words in the original Greek text. This text, standing alone by itself, is the Christian message.

We live in a world that tries to make religion into a science. As a matter of fact, many major universities try and place religion into one of two categories: philosophy or science. Even those schools who don’t practice such a policy have some history of doing so. They place it in the category of science, or they place it in the category of philosophy. Well, you see, religion may be able to be placed into one of these two categories, but the Gospel cannot. Some of you may be scratching your heads and saying that these two words, religion and Gospel, are in fact the same thing. I’m here today to tell you that they indeed are not the same thing. If you want to tell me that Christianity and the Gospel are the same thing, then I might be more on board with that, but I can’t acknowledge religion and the Gospel as being equal. You see, religion is a set of beliefs and rituals that accompany the worship of some higher power(s); while the Gospel is something so much more. John Stott, in his Christian classic Basic Christianity wrote, “The person and work of Christ are the foundation rock upon which the [Gospel] is built…Take Christ from Christianity, and you disembowel it; there is practically nothing left. Christ is the center of Christianity; all else is circumference.”

You would be surprised how many people miss this aspect of Christianity. We get so caught up in the pageantry of the worship service that many times we forget what’s actually at the heart of it. We worry about having the right clothes, what is the pastor wearing, do I look alright, am I doing everything right, am I saying the right words, am I praying as long as she is, and the list goes on and on and on. There are many people out there, people who firmly look to the Bible as the word of God, people who whole-heartedly know Jesus to be the Son, the second person of the Trinity who came and died for our sins, who are missing the mark. Unfortunately, many Christians out there stop at first contact. By this I mean that they know who God is and that’s as far as it goes. Some may go a little further and try and exemplify Christian character and morals, only worrying what’s on the surface for others to see. Still, there are others who may have the ceremonies down. They may be able to recite the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles Creed, or even a few verses from Scripture, but they have never taken any of these words to heart. As important as all of these works are, without the Holy Spirit to illumine these words for us, they are just words. They have no meaning. This would cause them to fit quite nicely into that philosophy or science department at some major colleges and universities.

The point that Paul is trying to make here in this text is not something that we find only here. This verse is very similar to Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life that I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” And an interesting note about these two verses is that they come from different times in Paul’s ministry. Galatians being, perhaps, Paul’s earliest letter while Philippians is one of his final epistles. There are at least 13 or 15 years between these two letters. Think about how amazing that is that his view never changed in that timeframe. In fact, it only became stronger. Think about how much our mindset and our opinions about things change over the course of 15 or so years, but not Paul’s. I tell you it’s easy for someone like myself, who is just beginning in pastoral ministry, to “have” all the answers. After all, I have been to seminary and studied Scripture intensely for some years and have learned from some of the brightest Christian minds of our time. Now think about a man who has been in ministry for 15 years or more. He’s had to comfort grieving families, he’s had to grieve himself over his own family situations, he’s had to adjust his views because of his own personal experience. This isn’t true for pastors alone, this is true for all of us in our own daily lives. Many times our experiences can cause us to lose sight of what’s important. Our experiences can cause us to see shades of grey on things that used to be black-and-white. And sometimes that’s a good thing, but other times it isn’t. When it’s good it’s wisdom, when it’s bad then it’s stubbornness. But Paul doesn’t have any of this going on, throughout his ministry he stays fixed upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. No matter what his experiences have done to him, his primary focus is Christ.

When we say that Christianity is Christ, what we are actually saying is that Christianity is faith in Jesus Christ. Our salvation, our entering into heaven and being brought to glory, is not dependent upon our works here on earth. Our salvation is through our being justified through faith alone in Christ alone. In other words, our sins are pardoned not because of our work, but because of our faith in Christ’s work Are you trusting in Christ for your salvation? Or are you trusting in your character, your works, your remembering of Christian creeds and doctrine. Or do you find yourself having faith in relics, phrases, or even the sacraments. None of these things will save you. Many of them are good and useful, but not one of them will save you. They have no value in reconciling you to God. You must let God strip them away like worn out clothing. Christianity is faith in Christ, and in Christ alone.

So we must have faith in Christ, we must also have fellowship with Him as well. A.W. Tozer once wrote, “The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of his Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can.” Also, look at the words of 1 John 1:3, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” We must get to know Jesus Christ. You see, that’s one of the beautiful things about the Christian faith that no religion can claim, our God is a personal God. He is a relational God. He wants to have a relationship with us. It isn’t just a servant and master relationship, but a caring and loving one. It’s sad how many Christians go through life with mere facts. They know facts about the Christian faith, they trust Jesus Christ for their salvation, but there is no joy. There is nothing that gives them comfort or joy in their trials and their tribulations.

James Boice points out the biblical example of Mary and Martha. Two sisters, who were both friends of Jesus, and both were dedicated followers of Christ. When their brother Lazarus died, Martha even acknowledged that Jesus had the power to heal him. “Lord…If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21). But when Jesus was in their house, it was Mary who sat attentively like a small child listening to her father tell a story. Martha, however, trying to be a faithful servant, would not sit down and listen to Jesus for there was work to be done. Jesus then tells her, “Martha, Martha…you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42).

So we have faith in Christ, we fellowship with Christ, and we follow him. No one in this room would doubt the reality of the statement that God is in control. This is the Christian doctrine of the sovereignty of God. No one in here for one instant doubts the power of God. In fact, most of us in this room, myself included, have actually blamed God for something that He didn’t do. We have been like Martha whom we referenced earlier and said, “God, if only you had done something different, then this wouldn’t have happened.” This may be true. Maybe God could have done something different, but God didn’t cause something bad to happen in your life. God doesn’t want to see us hurt. As we said a few weeks ago, God doesn’t like to see us hurt even though he uses our suffering for something good. It pains God to see us endure pain and suffering even when it helps us to gain wisdom.

Throughout the gospel accounts, Jesus’ simplest command was the words, “follow me.” It was the call given to his disciples. It was the call given to the rich young ruler. It was the call given to all the crowds that came to hear him preach. It’s the same command for us today. The problem for us is that we can’t truly follow him until we forsake all those things that keep us from him. Peter and Andrew left their nets. James and John left their father. Matthew left his money. We must leave our sin, our own sinful aspirations, and our own concepts of ourselves. But this isn’t just a one-time thing, it is something that must be done continuously along our Christian walk. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the disciples followed him everywhere. They followed him to weddings, festivals, through crowds, and in front of enemies. Everywhere he went they followed behind him. Christ’s final steps, his last steps on this earth, they led to the cross. They led up a steep ascent on a mountain just outside of Jerusalem and stopped at the foot of the cross. What must have seemed to the disciples like 3 years of labor washed away, was actually Christ providing access for all believers to come into God’s presence. Christ’s ascension is his final journey, and one day we all shall follow in the footsteps of our master as we enter our eternal home.

So you see, this verse; these 12 words, mean everything to us. These words are what separate us as children of God from what the world considers as a religious group. The Gospel is Jesus Christ. Religion is something that we have created, that man has done. When we go out into the world and spread the gospel, we must point others to Christ and to the cross. We must also continuously point ourselves back to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Apart from him we have nothing else. “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 1:15-20 "You Can't Stop the Gospel"

For the last couple of weeks we have been systematically walking our way through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We have heard Paul speak to the church there with compassion, joy, and love. We looked last week at Paul’s encouragement of Christians who are enduring suffering. We were reminded of the fact that God uses Christian suffering to accomplish His will. Paul’s optimism in his imprisonment at Rome is something that I don’t know that any of us completely understand. The only answer that we can come up with is that Paul’s resting on the promises and sovereignty of God is second to none. We saw that Paul’s ultimate goal was the advance of the gospel. So we come to our text today, a text that reminds us in many ways of that which we looked at last Sunday. In fact, this text actually builds upon the principles from last week. Perhaps I should have squeezed last Sunday and this Sunday together, but I don’t think anyone really wants to sit where you are for that long. I mean, the pews are comfortable, but maybe not 45 minute sermon comfortable.
So, immediately after Paul has finished talking about Christian suffering being a good thing, he answers a question that the Philippians had to be asking at this point. The Philippians are wondering what their attitude ought to be to the people that are continuing to spread the gospel while Paul is chained up. I mean, after all, the Philippians are big supporters of Paul. They’ve been sending him money. In fact, in chapter four we’ll find out that Paul’s almost embarrassed by the fact that these relatively poor Philippians are sending him such generous gifts so that he can devote himself fully to the gospel. He’s their missionary. He’s their church planter. He’s their evangelist. They’re sending money to him. What should they think about these other people that are out there preaching the gospel while he’s chained up? They are saying to Paul, “Well, Paul, we’ve supported you, and now that you’re chained up there are other people out preaching the gospel…some of them are stepping up. They’re saying, ‘Paul’s in prison; we better get out there and share the gospel.’ But others of them, Paul, they’re your enemies. They’re envious of you. They don’t like you. They want to build their name. They want to have more converts than you. They want to be more famous than you. They want to be more influential than you. They want to get more credit than you. What are we supposed to think about them?”
And the Apostle Paul responds in this extraordinary way: “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.” So the Apostle Paul says ‘Look, some of these folks are out there because they know that I’m in prison. They love me, they love the gospel, they love Christ, and so they say “Lord, Paul’s in prison. We better step up. We better go out and share the gospel.” They’re doing it out of love, they’re doing it out of right motives. Others, however, may be thinking something like this, “Paul’s in prison, and when he hears that we’re out preaching the gospel and winning converts and gaining fame through our faithful proclamation, he’ll be discouraged because we’re winning the converts.’’ And the Apostle Paul says to the Philippians “Uh-uh. As long as Christ is being truly proclaimed, I don’t care who does it or who gets the credit for it, because the point is the promotion of the gospel.” And so he says to the Philippians “I am not discouraged when Christ is truly preached, even if it’s out of envy, even if it’s out of competition, even if it’s designed to discourage me. As long as the gospel is preached truly…” [He’s not saying, by the way, he doesn’t mind it when false gospels are taught. Not at all! He does mind it when false gospels are taught.] He’s talking about the true gospel being proclaimed, but by people with wrong motives. You know, their motive is to get at him; their motive is to discourage him; their motive is to get more converts than he gets, so that they get more credit and it discourages him in his state of imprisonment. But what they’re saying is true. You know preachers can preach the truth and not have hearts right with God. And the Apostle Paul says “Look, Philippians. Here’s the big concern. The big concern is the promotion of Christ, the promotion of the gospel, the progress of the gospel; and I’m not discouraged when Christ is truly preached. In fact, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, in this I rejoice.” Why? Because as far as Paul is concerned it’s not about him, it’s about Christ. It’s not about Paul being first, Paul gaining fame. It’s about Christ. I must admit to you that I struggle with this. I see pastors on TV and I immediately dismiss them. Now sure, there are those who we see that are preaching a false gospel, but not all of them. There are some who have decided that the gospel needs to be proclaimed over the airwaves and have taken up this task. I get upset and say that these pastors ought to go get a “real church” whatever that may mean and stop just doing this for the camera. How much I need to have the mindset of the Apostle Paul in these situations.
So we have seen last week that Paul is saying that Christian suffering is many times a good thing. We have seen this Sunday that even those who proclaim God’s word for selfish reasons are still accomplishing God will. Ultimately, Paul is telling us that God’s will will be done no matter what. He tells the Philippians how he can stay so joyful, so optimistic in such troubled times. He says, “Here’s my anchor.” “For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Wow. What a statement by Paul. Or to put it another way we might could say his response is, “You know, whether I’m released or not, I know I’m not going to be put to shame, because my goal is that whether I live or die, Christ is exalted. Here’s my hope,” the Apostle Paul is saying “Here is my hope, and nobody can take this hope from me. Here’s my hope: that Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death.” With these words Paul is pointing us to the cross. Jesus’ great instrument of shame is also Jesus’ great instrument of victory. And if that is the case for Jesus, so also it is the case for all those who trust in Him, and so the Apostle Paul is saying this, “There is no shame that I can endure in this world that can ultimately shame me, as long as Christ is exalted in me, because that’s what I’m about. I’m about glorifying and enjoying God through Jesus Christ forever; and whatever shame I bear here will not ultimately be my shame, as long as Christ is exalted in me. So whether I live in prison or die at the hand of a Roman executioner, if Christ is exalted I will not be put to shame, because I am here to live for the glory of God.”
Now taking last week’s look at Christian suffering and this week’s look at such spiritual optimism, we can say that there are 3 very important things here to keep in mind. One, Paul makes it clear that Christians know that the word of God can’t be imprisoned. You know the Philippians are concerned that Paul being imprisoned is going to hinder the spread of the gospel, and Paul makes it emphatically clear here—“No, no, no! My imprisonment is not going to stop the gospel, because you can imprison the messengers of the word of God, but you can’t imprison the word of God.” Friends, you’ve got to have that confidence in this world. You’ve got to have that confidence in this world, that the word of God cannot be imprisoned.
Secondly, Paul makes it clear here that Christians rejoice when the gospel is being preached. The Philippians don’t quite know how to react to the progress of the gospel amongst these other preachers while Paul was in prison, some who love Paul and some who don’t. And Paul says to them, “Look, when the gospel goes forth, I’m happy!” I, your pastor, want us to love every doctrine in our Confession of Faith. I want us to understand it more and more and appreciate it more and more every day, every week, every year. I want us to live it out in joy and in gladness as we bear witness to the truth. I want us to have conviction about the doctrines that we believe. But when we see God using faithful servants who may be different from us, may believe a little bit differently from us, but who share with us a true understanding of the gospel, when we see that gospel going forth through their ministries, our response should be to rejoice! Even if they’re growing faster than we are, even if they’re gaining more converts than we are, we should rejoice! Because the point is not us or them, it’s the proclamation of Christ, it’s the spread of the gospel, and it’s the building of the kingdom. We ought to love the kingdom so much that we rejoice when we see the gospel proclaimed, even when it’s not us, even when it’s not our tribe, we ought to rejoice when Christ is proclaimed.
Thirdly, Christians long for Christ to be exalted, whether this is in our life or in our death. It’s the thing that we’re about. This is why our response to our circumstances is so important, because if our response is “Why me?” what does that say? Who is at the center of our worldview and universe? Me. But if our response is “How is Christ going to be exalted in this?” then who’s at the center of our universe and our worldview? Christ. That’s how it was for the Apostle Paul. Friends, I know…I know that this is a message for so many here today, in a variety of circumstances. Paul has a word for us about God’s providence—to trust in God’s providence. He has a word for us about the desire of our hearts in seeing the gospel proclaimed, and he has a word for us in understanding the purpose of our lives. What is our purpose? To exalt Christ, whether in life or in death. Or, in the words of The Westminster Shorter Catechism, to glorify and enjoy God forever. That’s what we’re here for. In every circumstance we have the privilege and opportunity to exalt Christ. May He help us to do so.

Philippians 1:12-14 "Suffering: It's a Good Thing"

This Sunday, we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Last Sunday, we looked at the love that the Apostle had for the church there and how he had great confidence, affection, and expectations for them. He was overjoyed at the fact that they had taken up the task of proclaiming the gospel. Towards the end of our text for last week, Paul even began to tell them some ways that they were to go about proclaiming the gospel. So, after Paul has finished with his thanksgiving prayer and his encouraging of the Christians there in their proclaiming of the gospel, he moves on to tell them some of what has happened in his own efforts to advance the gospel.
To understand completely the words of the Apostle as they are found here in Philippians, and really any Pauline letter for that matter, we must have an understanding of who Paul is and what he has endured. We read here in our text, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” So, our first question naturally comes to us in our asking, “What has happened to Paul?” Well, let’s go back to the beginning, with his conversion, which took place somewhere between 33 and 36 AD. Shortly thereafter he was nearly killed in Damascus. Only three years after becoming a Christian Paul traveled to Jerusalem in order to spread the gospel. From 46-48 Paul embarked on his 1st missionary journey. He went from Antioch to Cyprus to Southern Asia Minor and back to Antioch. From 49-52 he undertook his 2nd missionary journey. During this 2nd journey, Paul made his first visit to Philippi, and was imprisoned there with Silas. He escaped this situation when an earthquake hit and allowed one of the prison walls to collapse. This is the story of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, who upon witnessing these events, immediately devoted his life to following the teachings of Jesus. Paul’s 3rd and final missionary journey began only one year after returning from his 2nd journey. In 60 AD he made a trip to Rome. On this trip to Rome is where Paul was imprisoned once again, and it is here, many have suggested, that Paul writes his letter to the Philippians that we are looking at today. It is also where he wrote his second letter to Timothy, as well as many other letters. In all, Paul’s travels after his conversion total up to be an estimated 14,000 miles. Remind you that this is on foot. This would be the equivalent of us stepping out the doors of the church and walking from the front steps of the church all the way to the Superdome in New Orleans and back almost 123 times. Some of you are saying, “Yeah but he spent so of the time on a boat.” I don’t know if you have ever been out on a sailboat, or even a boat with no power, but the effect that the waves on have on you after some time is not very pleasurable. He didn’t have a nice Mastercraft 300 horsepower to cut through the caps and swells out in the open water. So you see even Paul’s time on a boat was not a break from the hardships of travel.
Now add in the fact that Paul’s travels often took him to some less than desirable locations. Very few times when Paul arrived at places where a church was already established did he find it to be peaceful. It was never a time of relaxation. Usually there was some conflict within the church that Paul himself had to address. So, after traveling all the way to see these churches, instead of rest, that was when the real work started. There is also the “thorn in the flesh” mentioned in 2 Cor. 12, which is most likely a physical disability Paul gained during his ministry. Add to that the continuous persecution, beatings, and aforementioned imprisonments along the way and you start to get the picture. Paul managed to squeeze all of this into about a 30 year period.
So we take in all of this information about the hardships that Paul endured and where we expect to find bitterness and resentment. Where we expect to see at the least a sense of the all-to-familiar “that’s not fair” or “I deserve better” attitude, we find something drastically different. Paul says that what has happened to him, all of the trials and pain has actually been a good thing. They have all advanced the gospel. And this is the first thing that we are to keep in mind from today’s text, is that things are not always what we imagine, but there is good in them. In other words, there is a good that can and does come from Christian suffering. I’m sure that when Paul felt called to go on his missionary journeys, he wasn’t envisioning prison stents and beatings, but was thinking only about proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. You know, the profession or calling of ministry is quite diverse. You have some, like myself, who are called to minister in your average, every day, run-of-the-mill Bible-believing churches. You have others who are called to minister in mega-churches. Churches that are so large that the ministers there are almost more CEO’s of the gospel than anything else. And then you have missionaries; men and women who voluntarily put themselves in some less than desirable places and situations. Some of whom would make outstanding pastors. They could make for themselves and their families great livings preaching here in the US, but that isn’t their calling. They work hard just to afford the basic needs in a foreign country. They have no time for themselves, but are constantly tending to the needs of others. And they love it, they yearn for it. Their want to proclaim the Word is all they need to keep going. How much better would we be, would the Church be, would the world be, if we all had the heart of missionaries and all that drove us was the gospel. Maybe our view of our own Christian suffering would be much more like that of Paul’s, instead of the “that’s not fair” or “I deserve better” attitudes.
As we continue on in our text we find Paul’s words, “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” Here, Paul is showing us the impact that we can have on someone without our even knowing it. We can be a witness for and to those around us. My Bible, which is an ESV translation, uses the phrase imperial guard, some of yours may use the term praetorium. Still others may translate it as the King James does with the term “palace”. Well, what Paul is referring to here is the praetorian guard, or the official bodyguards of the emperor, which took care of the imperial prisoners. So picture now, Paul is imprisoned; chained to a Roman guard. The only time he isn’t chained to someone is when they are switching duties or when they were transporting him. Instead of Paul seeing this as a burden, he views it as an opportunity to witness to those who are forced to be in contact with him. Paul doesn’t view it as he who must be tied to the guards, but it is they who must be tied to him. This presents him with a wonderful opportunity to evangelize. He doesn’t complain, he doesn’t gripe. We don’t even really know if he ever prayed for God to free him. We know that he wanted to visit other Christians outside of prison, but for the most part, Paul was content to stay in prison and witness to those around him. He knew that God had placed those people around him for a reason and he was going to proclaim the gospel to them all.
Think about our own lives. How in our modern society so often we have been chained down. Whether it is by a world that uses the media to keep us from proclaiming the gospel or by a superior at work who is more concerned with not facing any lawsuits than he is staying true to his Christian beliefs, how often we feel confined in our faith. Think about someone who is stuck at home because of an illness either to themselves or to a family member. Think about someone who just isn’t at the point in their life where they can afford to spent vast amounts of time away from home. Yesterday, Amy and I along with many family and friends celebrated Ashby’s birthday. We had our little girl 3 years ago today. As you can imagine, our social outings have become less and less frequent, especially when you add in that Thomas was born only 21 months later. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t given an opportunity to witness to those around us. True, we may not be out there speaking with as many people as we used to, which in turn presents us few opportunities to share the gospel with those around us. But what we can do is show those around us what it looks like to have a Christian marriage and raise children in a Christian home. As I surveyed the room yesterday trying to be the social host, I noticed that there were so many people in that room that we wouldn’t have had the close relationship that we currently enjoy if not for our children. You see, no matter what your situation, even if it isn’t what you would prefer; God provides opportunities for us to witness to others. In all that we do, we are to glorify God regardless of the situation.
Now, let’s look at Paul’s final words here: “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” This is simple. Paul’s not there, so someone has to step up. Someone has to carry the load so to speak. We spoke about this in the women’s Bible study on Monday night. When Paul first converted to Christianity, when he first became a Christian, there was a lull in the persecution of Gentiles. The reason for this being that Paul was the primary persecutor. He was one of the main figures leading the charge to persecute Gentiles. Take him out of the equation and there is going to be some drop-off. We said that it was like what the technology giant Apple is going through. With the recent loss of Steve Jobs there is going to be some drop in the output that the company has been known for. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t brilliant and capable men and women who will do great things at the company, but it will take some time for them to step into those leadership roles. In the end, there will be more people doing great things at Apple and the company may even be better for it. This church has known that same feeling. Nearly 2 years without a pastor; many of you have had to step into leadership roles that quite simply you weren’t too thrilled to assume. Many of you have lead studies, taught classes, and volunteered your time and your energy because there simply wasn’t someone in place. And the result is a stronger body. Just as the Christians during Paul’s time could not sit back and rely upon him being the only one to spread the gospel anymore, this church could not and would not sit and let many of the programs and activities of this church become absent. I mentioned to you last time that I saw a lot of First Presbyterian in the Philippian church, or the Philippian church in First Presbyterian however you may want to phrase it. Because of the pastoral absence that this church family has weathered over the past few years, this congregation is strong for it. This congregation is filled with workers. It is filled with those who want to see nothing more than God’s Word proclaimed to the farthest corners of the world. It is just one more way in which I know that God has worked to prepare us for the great things that are to come in the life of this church.
So, as my dad would ask of any sermon that he hears, “so what?” How does this text help me today? I know that it is about suffering, but what can I take and use in my life today. Well, I would say that you haven’t been listening if you are asking this question. But, if you don’t remember anything else from today then remember this: God uses Christian suffering to accomplish His will. Take comfort in the fact that if you are going through a period of suffering that God IS using you. He hasn’t forgotten you. In fact, you are closer to Him than ever. Whether God uses your suffering to place you where He wants you to be, uses you as a witness for someone around you, or uses your suffering as a time for growth; God IS using you. Know that without a doubt, God uses Christian suffering.

Philippians 1:1-11 "Welcome"

I think that it’s fitting that we look at Paul’s introduction to perhaps his favorite congregation on our first Sunday together. You see, the church at Philippi held a special place in Paul’s hearts. This was the first church that the Apostle Paul founded in Macedonia. They were also sensitive to his financial needs during his missionary journeys. This particular congregation had supported Paul at a time when no other congregation did. With this letter, Paul is primarily writing the church at Philippi to thank them for a gift that they had sent to him. While doing so, he also takes an opportunity to show the Christians there that true joy comes from Christ alone. In other words, only in Christ are real unity and joy possible. Paul doesn’t have to address the problem of whether or not circumcision is necessary for salvation or correct opinions within the church as to how we are justified. He doesn’t even have to try and heal division within the church like he has to in other letters. He is simply thanking them for their continued support and pointing them to Christ and the cross. And I think that this book and this text for us today has particular significance. This is a special Sunday in the life of this church. It isn’t special because you have someone in the pulpit now. It isn’t special because the search committee has done their work. It is special because God has done and is doing His work. God has called us together. And I know that there are great things that will happen because of this. I know that God will use us in a mighty way. I know that many of you are going to think that I am crazy for saying this since we haven’t gotten to know each other very much up to this point, but I see a lot of Philippi in First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA.
After the first few verses where Paul states his authorship of this letter, he moves on to a prayer of thanksgiving for the church there. I have to tell you that many of the words that I read from the prayer are some of the same things that I have felt about this church over the past few months. You see, Paul’s prayer begins with thanks. He is thankful to God for the spirit that exists within the church at Philippi. In fact, every time he prays, he prays for the people there. I can relate; I don’t know that I have uttered one prayer over the past several months that did not include this church. In fact, Amy and I began to pray for one family in this church every day as our way of getting to know y’all a little faster. We figured that there is no better way to begin know someone that to lift them up in prayer. But I think, like the Apostle Paul, what I am most excited about is the fellowship in the gospel. You see, Paul was delighted that the Philippians had taken up the task of laboring for the gospel just as he had. True, they didn’t go on back-breaking trips, endure numerous near death experiences, and stents in prison, but they had taken the task of proclaiming the gospel to heart. And that’s where we are today. For the last 5 years I have labored in central Mississippi, while you have labored in South Louisiana, but in God’s providence, He has brought us together. He has called us to labor alongside and with one another in South Louisiana. What an exciting journey this is going to be.
Paul is so sure that God is using the church in Philippi in a strong way. We can tell that from his words in verse 6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” This verse, Philippians 1:6 is perhaps one of the most encouraging verses in all of Scripture for those laboring in the fields. This verse is one of the strongest affirmations of the Christian doctrine of perseverance; or if there are any strong Calvinists or Westminster Confession of Faith buffs out there, the Perseverance of the Saints. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone by no mentioning John Calvin or the WCF when given the chance. But the Christian doctrine of perseverance tells us that God will not forsake us. Once He has claimed us as His own we will never fall completely from our state of grace. There may be times when our faith is weak. There may be times when we just don’t feel close to God. We have all experienced times in our faith that fit this description, but God has promised that he will give us strength to endure to the end. There may come a time when we feel burned out. There may come a time when we feel like we just can’t keep going. But I am here to tell you, God will give us the strength that we need to carry on.
And if we read further, we find even more affirmation. “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace.” When the Apostle says “this way” he is referring to this confidence that he just spoke of in verse 6. Paul not only prayed for the Christians at Philippi, but he was also confident for them all. He knew that God was at work in them and would certainly accomplish His purposes in their lives. I know that God has done, is doing, and will do a mighty work through this church family. It is something that has dominated my conversations with others when they have asked about this church. It takes about 3 ½ to 4 hours to get from the Jackson, MS area to Houma. I think that the entire time that Amy and I were in the car after we came and visited in November was spent talking about the tremendous potential that we saw in this church. As I have talked to various members of this church family in preparation of my coming here to be with you, it has become so apparent that God has a hand in this church and that He is using her to fulfill His plans.
Being here, standing in this pulpit for the first time, I don’t know if I can tell all of you how excited I am. I can promise you that there is no one more excited in this sanctuary than I am right now. I have prayed for over a year that God would lead me to a church. Not just any church, but a church where He wanted me to be. It has been an up-and-down year. There have been many nights where Amy and I sat and were near tears wondering when God was going to make His will known to us. Opportunities came up, but I never felt God’s call. I yearned for that congregation where He was going to lead me. I didn’t even know them yet, but I yearned for them with all of my affection. Then, one day, God made it clear to me that he was calling me to be your pastor. That He was calling me to lead the people of First Presbyterian Church in Houma, Louisiana. And you see it wasn’t a sense of, “Yeah, that’s a nice church and after we’ve been there a while I think we are going to fit in just fine.” NO, it was love at first sight. It was even before that. It was love at no sight. Amy is probably getting a little bit offended right now because it took us 4 years of knowing each other before our friendship became a loving relationship. I hadn’t even met anyone at this church yet and I already love every one of you. And I feel much the same way about this church as I do about my marriage to my beautiful wife, there is no stronger love than that which God brings together. And just as He brought Amy and I together almost 9 years ago and over 6 years ago in marriage, He has joined the Robinson family and First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA.
And so as I look to the future of this great church family, I see the exact same things that Paul writes about when he speaks of the Philippians. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” God hasn’t saved us just so we may be free of judgment and so that we may go to heaven when our time on earth is done. Although these are great blessings and gifts, God has saved us so that we might be fruitful Christians. He wants us to reproduce the character of Christ Jesus here on earth. We are to do good works because of our faith in Jesus Christ so that others may be brought to such saving faith. Our works aren’t what saves us, it is our faith and our faith alone that saves us. But out of that faith should these good works flow. James Boice puts it perfectly when he writes, “God is somewhat like a father who is raising a large family. He is pleased to have the family, and he is delighted you are a member of it. But he isn’t satisfied only with that. He also wants you to grow up and be a good citizen, spiritually speaking. He wants productive children. He wants your life to be fruitful with good works.” Friends this is exactly the will that God has for our lives and for the life of this church family. He wants us to show abounding love to one another and to all those who we come in contact with. I have known from the first time that I stepped into this sanctuary that this was a loving family. This is a loving family who faithfully worships a loving God. Let it be our mission to show the love of Christ to all those who are in need.
Also, let us be without offense. No one is perfect, at least no one besides Jesus. I could tell you stories about my deviant childhood that would probably have you questioning your decision to call me as your pastor. I can assure you, I have grown a lot and calmed down since my days of being a typical mischievous boy growing up in Meridian, MS. But we must all be open before one another and before God. The great news of the gospel is that Jesus’ death covers us. His righteousness covers us so that when God looks upon us He doesn’t see the sin-stained mess that we truly are, but He see the perfect obedience of Christ. Let’s not keep this a secret. Let’s show those around us that we don’t have to be perfect to come to church and come to Christ. I have a good friend of mine who recently joined the church that I previously served. As a matter of fact, he and his wife just joined last Sunday. Several months ago, after they had just begun to attend Grace Chapel, we had them over to the house for dinner. As we talked about what the EPC believed, what Grace Chapel believed, and how those two belief-sets matched his own personal beliefs, he stopped me and said something I never will forget. He said, “I know that I need the church, but I don’t think I am where I need to be at in my life to come to church.” I looked him back in the eye and said, “Me either.” You see, none of us are where we need to be. But the beautiful thing about it is that we don’t have to have it all figured out when we come to the cross. In fact, the more we can admit that we don’t have worked out, the better. Don’t ever let your sin and your imperfections drive a wedge between you and God.
And finally, when I look to the future of this church family, I see fruitful Christians. And by this term fruitful I am not referring here to the fruits of the Spirit as they are found in Galatians 5, but I am referring to what is seen on the outside. We are called to bring forth good fruit. We are called to show kindness, show love, show compassion, but how are we to show these things. Well, quite simply, we are to show them in the name of Christ. During Jesus’ last moments with his disciples before the crucifixion he said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The only way to keep us attached to this true vine is for us to continue to depend upon Christ. We must continue to study the Word. We must continue to seek God’s guidance through prayer. And we must continue to proclaim the gospel to all those who have ears to hear.
Friends, I know that there are great things on the horizon for this church family. God has been preparing us for quite some time to use us. He will use us in a mighty way in South Louisiana like we have never seen before. I tell you this, that our sovereign God is working out His plan for this church. I don’t know where that plan will take us. I don’t know what that plan looks like. What I do know, is that God is the one who is in control. God is the one who is leading us. It isn’t me. It isn’t the session. It isn’t the Presbytery. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only head of the church. He is leading us, and mighty things will be accomplished for the sake of the gospel through First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA. For just as Paul and the Philippians, we have committed to be co-laborers for the sake of the gospel. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-7 "Stress Management"

Although I like to claim that I am a carefree person who doesn’t tend to worry about much, that isn’t entirely true. I want to be, and I tend to be this type of person when I have a lot of things going on. The problem is that when I have time to slow down and think about what I have going on, then I start to get anxious and worried. I know, this is just the opposite of what you would expect. You would think that during the times when I am overwhelmed with dates and events written in my planner that I would find my times of greatest stress. I guess the truth is that I have to move at such a fast pace that I don’t even have time to get nervous. So my question becomes, how do I handle myself in these times when I have the time to worry and become anxious. You see, Philippians is one of my favorite books of Scripture and the words of Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything” are the first words that enter my mind when I hear or even think of the word anxious. I know that God does not want me to worry over insignificant things because He has promised to provide. So how do I live according to His command for me to not worry? Well, lucky for me and for you, the Apostle Paul gives us here a manual for how to handle stress. This morning, I want to quickly take some time to look at how what Paul has to say in this stress management manual.
The first step that Paul gives us is to remember our greatest joy. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” To get the complete meaning of this simple statement we have to look at the original Greek text. You see, the word used here to mean rejoice is a variant of the word that means joy. Upon hearing this word joy, I hope many of you are thinking back to the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5. You see, joy is a Christian virtue, while happiness is a worldly one. Happiness is external while joy is internal. Happiness is circumstantial, while joy is never-ending. To quote James Boice, “Joy issues from the nature of God, and it is intended to well up within those in whom God’s Spirit dwells. It is not external; it is internal. It does not hinge upon circumstances. Things may happen to the Christian that no one, including the Christian, would be happy about. But there can still be joy.” The Christian who is filled with this supernatural, abounding joy will not be changed by the stressors of this world.
So the first step to handling anxiety is to remember the great promise and one unchangeable truth that we began our worship with last Sunday. We must keep in mind the eternal joy that we have in our Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, there is a sense of keeping in mind our priorities. The next thing that we are to do flows from the first. As we rejoice in the Lord over this great promise, even when we feel oppressed and are suffering, we are to let others see our gentleness. Paul exhorts the Philippians to be reasonable. “Make your reasonableness known to everyone.” This word reasonableness isn’t calling use to be unnecessarily rigorous, especially about unimportant matters. As I have already alluded to, it is a call for us to be gentle, to be compassionate. Not that we are to compromise on our doctrines or our beliefs, but we must be flexible in our attitudes when it comes to our dealings with others, especially other Christians. Think about the man who is dealing with the loss of a family member, or the woman who has just received a terminal diagnosis who for a moment blames God. Should we not forgive the thoughts they had during the moments of their greatest weakness? You would not do this at all, but you would only want to show them the love that you have for them. Or maybe even better, think of the child who rebels from their parent simply because they are too rigid. I have known many a person who rebelled again their parents and their Christian faith because their parents were too rigid in their expectations and showed little compassion. Although I have known some whose hearts were so hardened that they would not accept their children back, how grateful is the heart of one whose child returns to him. Think about the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father didn’t sit idly by and wait for his son to return to him. After seeing him he ran out to him and met him. Before he could even say a word to him, his father hugged him and wouldn’t let go. If that isn’t an act of compassion and gentleness then I don’t know what is. Now think of the greatest act of compassion that the world has ever known. Think about the sacrificial death that came to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Despite continuous sin and falling short of God’s will for our lives, our God showed compassion. Instead of condemnation, we find salvation in the saving death of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God.
So we have seen in the first 2 verses that when we are faced with anxiety that we are to first remember the joy that we have in Christ and secondly to remember the compassion that has been shown to us and the great gift that has been given to us by our Heavenly Father. So these first 2 verses are aimed at us getting our minds right when dealing with anxiety. The next step in the Apostle Paul’s model for dealing with stress and anxiety is something that we must physically do. Paul tells us here that we are to pray, but not just any kind of prayer. When faced with anxiety we are to pray for everything. Handle everything with prayer and supplication. We must make our requests and our worries known to God. Yes, God knows our situations and there is nothing limiting Him from acting, but if we know that He is the only one with the power to deliver us and provide for us then why would we not go to Him in prayer. In the modern remake of the classic film Clash of the Titans, there is a scene that depicts this perfectly. Now I don’t agree with Greek mythology, but this scene shows our attitude towards prayer far too often. Perseus and all of the men with him are in great peril. One of the men that is with Perseus asks him if he has prayed to his father, Zeus, the king of the gods. Perseus’ response to his men is, “No, and I will not pray to him because I can do this myself.” Now we don’t flat out admit that we won’t pray to God because we want to do things without any help, but we virtually do this when we don’t go to God in prayer.
When we talk of prayer, what exactly are we talking about? Well, prayer is talking with God. But true prayer, is for the believer alone. True prayer is a pouring out of the heart on behalf of the believer to God. I have known many who have come to know Christ later on in their life. I have had the privilege of standing beside them as they make their first profession of faith. I can tell you without a doubt that you will never see a prayer that represents the blessings that we have in Christ Jesus more than that first prayer that someone makes once they have gone from being lost in the darkness to finding themselves in the light of grace. Billions of people each and every day pray to some higher power. Many of these prayers are wonderfully articulated and very elaborate, but unless they are made to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ the Son then they are worthless. Whether by rituals, chants, meditations, or any other method of prayer, only Christ provides access to the one true God. And some of you may take issue with these statements and think that I am being intolerant of other faiths, but I am merely reciting the very words of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus doesn’t say here that he is one of several ways or avenues to come to God. He didn’t say that he was merely a prophet who points the ways (multiple) to God, but he is the eternal prophet who is THE way to God. This means that no prayer offered to God apart from faith in Jesus Christ has ever reached our Heavenly Father.
As you can probably imagine, my life has been filled with some stress and anxiety over the past few months. As most of you probably know by now this is my last Sunday at Grace Chapel. I will be in the pulpit of First Presbyterian Church in Houma, LA starting next Sunday. Entering this week, we hadn’t sold our house here. We didn’t have an actual place to live in Houma yet. I have some oral examinations coming up on Tuesday, followed by more examinations the last weekend in January. We don’t know exactly what we are going to do with our kids in Houma. Amy doesn’t have a job there yet. We have to keep bringing our dog up here to the vet for some treatments. And then there is the regular everyday life stressors that are always there. Oh and throw in the stress that goes with being a pastor for the first time in a church than has been stagnant for some time and is in need of some revitalization. But other than that there isn’t too much going on in our house.
When Amy and I went to visit the church in Houma, there was something that they did in the service that was called the prayers of the people. Now I have seen this done in many churches and it is very similar to the pastoral prayer which this church commonly does after hearing God’s word; a prayer that we will take part in in just a few moments. But this prayers of the people was different. One of the elders of the church, Mike, stood up and prayed for the congregation. Not just a general prayer for the congregation, but every member of the congregation. He prayed for almost the entire congregation by name. My eyes were closed for so long I think that I almost fell asleep; twice. After the service, I asked Mike why he chose to pray for so many individually instead of just lumping them all together as the congregation. He responded to me, “Because I think that God is calling us to pray for everything and everyone. He doesn’t want just general prayers all the time. Sure they are fine, but every now and then God wants us to lift up specific prayers that we have for Him.”
With these words firmly in the front of my mind over the last several weeks, I gave it a try. I sat alone one day and prayed. I prayed for each and everything that was causing my anxiety. I prayed for every person that I could think of that was in need of God at this time. I prayed for every church family that I could think of who is in need of God’s guidance in a strong way. I prayed like I had never prayed before. And I want to tell you what happened in that moment, I felt a wave of calm overtake me that I haven’t felt since I was my daughter’s age, when I didn’t have a care in the world. In those 30 minutes spent in prayer I turned everything over to God. You see, I was clinging to the things of this life. I was trying to be the one in control instead of letting the God who created the universe control all things. I was not trusting that God, in His providence, was going to take care of me, my family, and all those who I care about. That was my sin causing a barrier to form between me and God. My sinful want of being in control was causing me to not know God as I ought. And, as is the case with any conversation, the better you know someone the more heartfelt the conversation. The more powerful and intimate the relationship, then the more power the conversation. In this case, the more intimate we are with God, then the more powerful and meaningful our prayers become.
So we have changed our mindset, shifted our priorities, and prayed without limitations about all that causes us to worry. What happens? Verse 7 tells us, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is that feeling that I felt after praying so heavily over all the things that have caused me to stress, caused me anxiety. There was a peace about me that can only come from God. Friends, it is a great privilege that we have to pray to God. The mere fact that it is so easy is further proof of God’s amazing love. On Christmas Day we were in Meridian and attended First Presbyterian there and the pastor and a good friend of mine, Rhett Payne, referenced the phenomena of Tebowing. Some of you may know what it is but others may need an explanation. Tebowing, taken from the Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, is the act of kneeling down and praying despite whatever is going on around you. He has made this his practice during games on Sunday and it has kind of taken on a life of its own. Now there are those who have criticized him for it. There are those who have mocked him for it. But let’s don’t put so much emphasis on the person, but on the act. I want to tell you what happened with one of those stressors that I had.
The fact that we can come to God no matter who we are, no matter what is going on around us, and no matter what we may have done is a tremendous blessing. Why would we not take full advantage of this gift? Why would we not make full use of this news? So when you are faced with stress, you need to pray. Even if you aren’t stressed, you need to pray. The command here in this text made by God through the Apostle Paul is to take everything to God in prayer. Our God is the only one with the power to lead us through the troubled times in our life. Our God is the only one who we have to thank for all of the blessings that we currently enjoy. Prayer to God, humbling ourselves before Him, is the greatest act of thanks that we can ever give to God. Let’s all take full advantage of this and take everything to the Lord in prayer.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.