PREACHING THE GOSPEL
PHILIPPIANS 1:27-2:11
Oftentimes we associate certain lifestyle with certain group of people:
Celebrities – glamour, fashion, and media.
Medical People – stress, decisiveness, and discipline.
Politicians – campaigns, electioneering, and projects.
Housewife – PTA meetings, extracurricular, household chores, and stress.
What kind of lifestyle can we associate with the church people?
1. Paul thanked God for the Philippians partnership in the Gospel (1:1-11)
2. Paul rejoiced because of the advancement of the Gospel (1:12-26)
3. He challenged them to live a life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-2:11)
For Apostle Paul, it is not enough that believers become partners in the preaching of the gospel and the preaching of gospel of Christ advances. But it is equally important that believers would live a life worthy of the gospel of Chris. It means a quality of life that match the gospel of Christ or a lifestyle suited for the preaching of the gospel of Christ. .
We cannot have a lifestyle that disagrees with our message. Our message or beliefs should dictate our lifestyle. Our message should be the basis for standard of living. We cannot believe one thing and behave in another way – that is inconsistent with Christianity.
What kind of lifestyle suited for the preaching of the gospel?
1. LIFESTYLE CHARACTERIZED BY TEAMWORK (1:27-30)
Apostle Paul expected the Philippian church to live as “one spirit and with one mind.” The church should live with a single purpose and action – for the faith of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel should be the rallying factor for the church. The church should live and work like a team with an opponent to overcome (v. 28).
Paul added that they should not only stand firm as a team but contending as one man (v. 27). The idea of contending is striving side by side. The effective preaching of the gospel cannot be done by a single person. We need each other’s strength and support as we preach the gospel of Christ. We can have a great impact if we unite our resources and skills together.
ILLUSTRATION In the city of Rangoon was the largest and finest bell in the East, the peculiar pride of the great Buddhist temple, Shwee-da-gone. This bell had been sunk in the river during one of the Anglo-Burman wars, and unavailing efforts had been made by various engineers to raise it.
At last, a clever priest asked permission to make the attempt on condition that the bell be given to his temple. He then had his assistants gather an immense number of bamboo rods. These hollow, light, buoyant rods can scarcely be kept from floating on the water. The rods were taken down one by one by divers and fastened to the bell at the bottom of the river.
After many thousands of them had been securely fastened, it was noticed that the bell began to move. When the last bamboo rod had been added, the buoyancy of the accumulated rods was so great that they actually lifted the enormous mass of bronze from the soot and mire of the river bottom, and bore it to the surface.
In addition, teamwork provides us courage and boldness as we preach the gospel – “without being frightened” (v. 28). Everyone face the challenge of believing and suffering – like Paul and Philippians (vv. 29-30). It is a lot easier to face suffering if we do as a team – we share the pain and hurt.
ILLUSTRATION Share the people who visited our neighborhood and share the message one at a time. They came as a group – teamwork.
APPLICATION The church should live a life characterized by teamwork. It means that the team works with one spirit and one mind – one should study, another prays, another talks, another support, another prepares, and another reminds and encourages.
2.LIFESTYLE CHARACTERIZED BY UNSELFISHNESS (2:1-4)
Paul reminded the Philippians of their common experience of encouragement, love, fellowship, affection, and compassion (v. 1) through their relationship with Christ. These experiences were the result of Christ’s unselfishness and generosity.
Therefore he encouraged them to set aside selfishness and emphasized togetherness – i.e. “I against US” or “Self against Others.” Thus Paul emphasized – same love, same mind, one purpose and one spirit (v. 2)
ILLUSTRATION Party For I, Myself, And Me
“I gave a little party this afternoon at three—
’Twas very small
Three guests in all
Just I, Myself, and Me
Myself ate up the sandwiches
While I drank up the tea
And it was I
Who ate the pie
And passed the cake to Me.”
Paul gave specific ways that the church can demonstrate unselfishness:
a. Set aside selfish ambition – selfish ambition tends to ignore and exploit others. There is nothing wrong with ambition but it should not be selfish.
b. Give importance to others – to recognize the needs and rights of others and offers help and support.
c. Look out for the interest of others – since others are more important than self; then we begin to look out for their interest. We make sure that balance concerns would promote unselfishness.
Unselfishness demolishes partisanship and factionalism. Unselfishness strengthens the unity of the church. How can we demonstrate unselfishness in the church? We need to be thoughtful and considerate as we live and relate to one another. We need to serve one another, share the loads and pains with one another. Consider the effects of our non-participation and indifference – attendance, financial support, physical contribution, and negligence of duty.
3. LIFESTYLE CHARACTERIZED BY HUMILITY (2:5-11)
ILLUSTRATION Doctor Horatio Bonar once remarked that he could tell when a Christian was growing. In proportion to his growth in grace, he would elevate his Master, talk less of what he was doing, and become smaller and smaller in his own esteem, until, like the morning star, he faded away before the rising sun.
Jonathan was willing to decrease that David might increase. John the Baptist showed the same spirit of humility.
Paul said that we must follow the example of Christ – a lifestyle characterized by humility. How did Christ demonstrate humility?
a. He suspended His authority and privileges (vv. 6-7) – By nature He is God but for the sake of the gospel – death and resurrection for the sins of the world, he assumed a less privilege role.
I know that some of you are born with greater privileges and inherent authority and respect by others but for the sake of the gospel, may we learn to suspend them and be humble. We need to set aside the titles and powers associated with our position at work or in the community.
b. He demonstrated obedience to the will of God the father (v. 8) – He accepted the role of being a servant thus obeyed God the Father. Instead of being served, he came to serve and be obedient even unto death.
Humility is not only suspending our power and privileges but willingness to assume a role of a servant for the preaching of the gospel of Christ. When we stripped ourselves of those worldly recognitions, we’ll realize that we are simply all humans – flesh and blood like the rest of the people in the church.
c. He illustrated that greater glory and honor are achieved not by power and prestige but by humility and obedience (vv. 9-11)
As a result of Christ’s humility, God exalted him above every else – every knee should bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
You want to be honored by God in the body of Christ, leave your worldly position and power and be equaled with the rest in terms of being a servant – that is humility. This attitude paved the way for the preaching of the gospel and at the same time a demonstration that our behavior is matched with our beliefs.
