“Holding Fast. An Expository Sermon on Philippians 2:14-18. By Matthew Everhard. Originally Preached at Hudson Presbyterian Church October 29th, 2006.
The Vote: This morning we are a mere seven days away from making one of the most momentous decisions that Hudson Presbyterian Church has made in its history of around 25 years. For those that may not be aware, our elders have proposed that this local body of believers should separate from our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA). In fact this is arguably the single biggest decision we have been called to make since the original decision that there should BE a Presbyterian Church in Hudson in the first place. I want to commend the church about how well it has struggled with this: returning to Scripture, praying, discussing.
As we study this passage from Philippians chapter two, it is not my intention to tell you WHAT to vote next Sunday the 5th of November, but rather to suggest, through Paul’s own words, HOW we as believers ought even APPROACH this decision, or any other. From there, it will be your conscience, informed by Scriptures that will determine your vote.
Every Generation: Let me start out by suggesting that every generation of believers, every generation of God-followers, is confronted with a crisis of faith that must be met head on. As I study Scripture and Christian history, I am convinced more and more that every era of believers must inevitably face a crisis of faith that demands either accommodation to a godless culture, or a firm declaration of faithfulness to God no matter what the costs.
We could start way back in the OT and talk about the enormous socio-political pressure that Israel had to conform to the worship of the pagan deities their neighbors, the gods of the Canaanites, Baal and Asherah and Molech. We could mention Daniel in the Lion’s den as he defied the King’s edict by praying only to the true God. We could mention the NT church as it faced severe persecution as it sought to spread the gospel at the risk of life and limb. Yet the generational tests continue long after the last piece of Scripture was written: The Fathers of the Early Church, Irenaeus, Origen, and Athanasius warded-off tremendous heresies as they sought to understand and interpret the Scriptures. Calvin and Luther’s generation was called to fight against a deeply entrenched institutional church that was more interested in selling indulgences and collecting relics than the gospel. Dietrich Bonhoeffer resisted the Nazis regime in Germany until it cost him his life.
As I said before, so I say again, every generation of believers is confronted with a crisis of faith wherein they must choose between assimilation into the culture at large, passive accommodation to a godless world—or else total commitment to Christ alone. Can I suggest this morning, that the mainline denominations in America have reached just such an impasse.
Paul and the Letter to the Philippians: This morning we are looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians—the letter he wrote to a small church he founded on his second missionary journey. He wrote as he sat confined in a Roman jail cell. We have time for just a snapshot of his work to determine how he struggled with the crisis of his generation. Simply stated, Paul could either obey the Roman authorities by ceasing to preach the gospel, or else preach on and face Rome’s wrath. He chose the latter. This morning we are looking for clues about HOW Paul makes his decision. What will he refuse to compromise? What will he give up? What will he cling to when all else fails? These are the same questions we must answer, not only next week, but also every day of our lives.
Life is A Series of Difficult Decisions. In life, you will constantly be asked to make important decisions that will determine what kind of person you will become, who you will worship, and to what extent you will obey. Every day, sometimes instantaneously, life will demand that you choose one thing over another. Like a river carving its course over time, each decision you make will condition the next. We are constantly pressed to choose our priorities: how we will spend our time, how we will spend our money, what books we will read, who we will marry, what shows we will watch, when to speak and when to remain quiet.
Crooked or Shining? In this short passage, that we study this morning, Paul offers two great alternatives: he says we can either assimilate to what he calls this crooked and perverse generation or else stand out like righteous stars in a dark night. The problem is: its not always easy to tell the difference. He calls his own generation “crooked”. It’s the Greek word from where we get our word “scoliosis” the curvature of the spine. You see sometimes, the wrong choice looks a lot like the right one. A superficial glance reveals similar content. The difference is that the wrong one is twisted and bent, sometimes just slightly, a small deviation from the truth here, a slight warp from righteousness there, but the results are as contrasted as a blazing star against the dark backdrop of total darkness.
Holding Fast To the Word of Life: How then can we possibly know the difference? Listen to Paul’s council to the Philippian believers: v. 16 It is by your holding fast to the Word of Life that I can boast on the day of Christ Jesus that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. That phrase “holding fast to the Word of life” has become my personal life motto during this whole denominational challenge. It’s a graphic and visual reminder of the white- knuckled grip Christians must always have on the Word of God. It literally means to hold onto something with all of your life, with all of your strength. It might be better to translate it “clutch” or even “squeeze.”
A Rock Climber: Let me try to illustrate this phrase “holding fast” by way of a metaphor. Imagine you are a rock climber patiently and methodically working your way up a jagged rock face. Every muscle in your body ripples as you exerts your strength in the climb. As you pause to look at the height you have attained, the threat of the fall into the canyon below is chilling. You chalk your hands and dig your fingers into a crevice. All of the strength of your body is focused on the next handhold. You know that it is your firm grip on the rock that saves you from disaster. Friends, when Paul bids us to “hold fast” to the Word of Life, it is with that same risk in mind: to release your grip on the Word spells theological and moral disaster. To maintain your grip is to rely on the rock that is unchanging, unbreakable, unmoving.
Sola Scriptura: We have a phrase in Reformed theology (that’s what Presbyterians are, reformed, meaning we trace our identity to the Reformation), called “Sola Scriptura.” It is a Latin phrase that means Scripture Alone. It means that every doctrine of theology, every moral controversy, even every personal decision that you and I make must be made on the basis of the authority of Scripture alone.
Exclusion: Sola Scriptura then, by definition excludes other sources of authority as having binding authority (not ANY authority, or SOME authority but binding authority) over our lives. Sola Scriptura is an exclusionary statement. The Westminster Confession says it this way: The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined (are we in a religious controversy?) …can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture (WCF I).
Scripture’s Authority: Someone might ask, “Why is Scripture alone our binding source of authority?” Again from the Westminster: Because the authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; and therefore (the Bible) is to be received because it is the Word of God. This is exactly what Scripture declares about its own nature when it declares in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Made Up? Was the Reformed teaching on Sola Scripture made up by the Reformers? Was it something that Calvin and Luther and Melanchthon invented to press their own agenda? Is it something Confessing Churches are digging up to poke and prod the PCUSA today? No, rather the doctrine of Sola Scripture is derived from Scripture itself. Turn with me to Colossians 2:8-10 (read).
Colossians 2:8-10 What does this passage teach? This is a warning passage! There are all sorts of ideologies, and traditions, and philosophy, and deceit that are waiting to entrap your very life! The NIV translates this passage so clearly when it reads, “See to it that no one takes you captive through…the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” We feel the “basic principles” of this world every time we turn on CNN or The View or MTV or Katie Couric. Our students are bombarded by “the basic principles of this world” daily in the classroom. Unconditional Tolerance. Moral relativism. Religious pluralism. Generic spirituality. And yet Scripture warns us so clearly, do not be taken captive by anything that does not depend on Jesus Christ!
I Did Not Run in Vain: And yet when we return to Philippians 2, Paul continues on why he holds to Scripture alone, why he grips on to it with all of his might. His primary motivation. What does he say? “That I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain.” He does not want to come to the close of his life and find that he has been unfaithful to his calling, unfaithful with his position as an apostle, Paul teaches, “at the end of my life, I may not be responsible for all that you do dear Philippians, I may not be responsible what the denomination does, whatever reports are adopted or received by the General Assembly, but I must be willing to answer for my own theology and my own actions. In fact God will necessarily demand an account from me.
A Personal Testimony: I don’t know about you, but I realize that one day, I will have to face God at the judgment for all the things I did, all the things I taught, all the things I believed. And, only speaking for myself here, I would much rather have God say on that day, “Son, I don’t know why you took the Bible so seriously you could have loosened up a little bit!” than for God to say, “Son, you have seriously dishonored my name by departing from my word.” I do not want to have lived my life in vain. I do not want to die and face Christ and have Him tell me that I was kicking against Him rather than submitting to Him.
Apply This To Your Life: Brothers and sister, Sola Scriptura must become for you more than a rallying cry from generations gone by. It is now our generation’s turn to pick up the banner, to declare the glory of Christ, to proclaim the excellencies of His word. Once you adopt Sola Scriptura as the undergirding principle of your life you will find peace in obedience that you could have never imagine when your heart was still in rebellion to him.
A Dusty Principle No!
· If you struggle with the deep theological issues of our day: abortion, homosexuality, stem cell research, the war in Iraq: turn them over to God, submit them to serious study against the Holy and Flawless Word of God. You will find that no matter how contemporary the problem is, the deeper answers, the one’s that matter, are always found in God’s “timeless Word.”
· If you struggle with an ethical dilemma in your personal life: how to deal with your aging relatives who need critical care, what to do with a teen who’s been caught experimenting with drugs or alcohol, how to find patience for a newborn that cries all night: seek the face of Christ in His revealed Word. My soul is weary with sorrow, strengthen me according to your word.
· Maybe you are struggling with a personal decision: do I keep this job or is this the time to move on? Do I give mercy or “tough love” to a person who has offended me? What do I do with intense temptation? Oh, go to the Word! How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
Next Week:
Dear friends, next week we will be sitting here in this very sanctuary. I’m trying not to make this out to be bigger than it is, but in so many ways we will be deciding on the future of this church. Let me share with you just one more passage that has strengthened me in these last few weeks. Psalm 119:106 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws.”
What is the Word to you dear friends? Is it an ancient dusty book setting on a shelf somewhere? a nice guide but out-dated, out-moded in this sophisticated world? Or is it the very words of truth, God-breathed, infallible, truth itself?
