Philippians 1:27-30
"A Firm Step and a Strong Back "
Gospelcom Bible Gateway
"27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me."
INTRODUCTION:
Let's face it! We are a marked group of people. We are carefully watched and even scrutinized from the first moment that we declared our allegiance to Jesus Christ. Sometimes the scrutiny turns into flat out ridicule or even worse. It's not easy to stand up when the rest of the world seems to want us to sit down in conformity like them. How can we successfully live our lives before the unbelieving world in such a way that they really count for something? Four qualities are needed.
INTRODUCTION:
1. The focus of the writings in Philippians shifts in verse 27 from "off of Paul" to the Philippian church
2. They will continually live day by day with oppression and opposition
3. They will need a firm step and a strong back
4. If you live for Christ you WILL suffer conflict.
5. There is only 2 ways to avoid persecution
a. Go home and be with the Lord or
b. Say nothing as you live in the world
6. If you live this way you will be marginalized, ridiculed, rejected, lose friends and family members but you will grow and you will grow strong
7. Picture a man/woman standing up before a hostile crowd all around them and then picture the frame around it. The four sides are the points of this morning message: consistency, unity, bravery, agony.
I. Consistency (27a)
A. Definition
1. Conduct
a. Poli-too-oh - politics, police, policies (Polis= city)
b. Let your manner of living all that you do how you conduct yourself.
2. Worthy- To balance out the scales
B. Let your practice correspond to your preaching
C. How not to live "A man can be saint aboard and a devil at home" - John Bunyan
D. Verses
1. 1 John 1:6
2. 1 John 2:4
E. Our life needs to reflect that it has been touched by the Good News
II. Unity (27b)
A. Stand fast in one spirit, one mind, striving together
1. We are the body of Christ
2. The world looking at the church does not always see the body working together
3. Picture the man in front of the hostile crowd wanting to stand up but one of his legs refuse
B. Striving together is one word
1. Soon-ath-lay-oh - with athletes.
2. Christians are to be a team (John 17) working together
C. Satan dreads this unity
1. Satan wants to divide and conquer
2. We need to remember this as Christians
3. I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it
4. We need to be careful that we don't self destruct within
D. Striving together as athletes on a team working towards the same goal
E. What does unity mean then?
1. Doesn't mean uniformity
2. However we need to agree on the core issues of the Christian faith
3. Jude 3 - contend earnestly for the faith once for al delivered to the saints
III. Bravery (28)
A. A brave nonconformist stick out like a bright light in a black background
B. Any dead fish can float downstream but when someone goes upstream it make a difference and people notice
C. This type of activity is proof of your salvation
D. Don't walk away from your world.
E. Telemachus was so despondent by what he saw that he jumped into the coliseum and said, "In the name of Christ forebear" He was killed and several left the coliseum. Within a few months the gladiatorial fights ceased. One man can make a stand.
IV. Agony (29-30)
A. If you truly believe in His name you will suffer for Him
1. You will no longer go to hell
2. You become a target of hell
B. Agonia - the same word used as when Jesus was in Gethsemane
C. Granted - suffering in the Bible is seen as a gracious gift of God to us to change us, to hone us, to grow us. (1 Peter 5:10)
D. Suffer on behalf of Christ - If you are gong to suffer make sure that it is for the right reason.
Taking It Home:
1. Picture in your mind a set of scales: on one side place your beliefs. On the other side place your behavior in light of that belief. Go through several things like: I believe in Jesus as my Lord; I believe I am going to heaven; I believe God wants to use my life, etc. How evenly matched are the scales?
2. How hard do you endeavor to keep God's people together in unity? How do you handle gossip about God's people? Other churches?
3. Pray for boldness this week to lovingly but firmly stand up and share truth with people in your sphere of influence. Have you ever seen such agony as a gift before?
Memory Verse: Philippians 1:27
"27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,"