Philippians 1:27-30
Courage in Suffering
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27 Only 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, 28 and 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. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Php 1:27–30.
Transcript
Welcome to God's Word for you, a ministry of Sharon RP Church in Southeast Iowa. We want to thank you for listening today and we pray that you'll be blessed by both hearing God's word as well as having it applied to your life and your heart.
You may be seated. Please open in your Bibles with me to the Book of Philippians chapter one. Philippians, chapter one and this morning we’ll be looking at verses 27 through 30. Philippians chapter one can be found on page 1043 of your pew Bibles. And this morning will be reading verses 19 through 30. Philippians chapter one verses 19 through 30. This is God's word. It deserves your attention. Philippians chapter one beginning at verse 19:
“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer in the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit for my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
“Only let your conduct me worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absence, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which to them is a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.”
This ends the reading of this portion of God's word. The flower fades but the word of our God endures forever.
There's something on my heart this morning. And that’s something I heard, once again, recently, and that's a false gospel. A pastor who didn't want to talk about sin and suffering because it wasn't popular. A false gospel, a false hope, a false good news that if you become a Christian, everything's gonna be good in your life. A false hope, a false gospel that you will have good health and you will have prosperity if you believe in Jesus. And the Bible simply doesn't say that. And as we prayed for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan this morning, we know that's not the case. But what are you supposed to do in light of the realities of life as a Christian? Of the pressures, the suffering, the possible persecution, the ridicule that could come. Well, Christian, you’re to, live your life worthy of the Gospel of Christ.
Your call this morning is to live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. The first place we start with living a life worthy of the gospel is we must live. That's the first point. Live a life worthy of the Gospel. Look with me at Verse 27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel.”
This isn't some command that this pastor is giving you. Paul here, says one thing. I've got one command for you. One imperative. One thing you've got to do. It's like he's wagging his finger at you, saying, “There's one thing you gotta do, Christian. You must live your life worthy of the Gospel of Jesus.”
It's not an option, it's a command. The Holy Spirit is commanding you from his word. One thing this morning: you must live your life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And this idea of living your life worthy of the Gospel, normally, this is an interesting phrase that Paul uses. Normally, when Paul writes about living your life, normally uses a Greek word that means “to walk right.” The way you walk should be worthy of the gospel. That's what we would expect here, that Greek word peripateo. But that's not what he uses. Instead, he uses a different word. Politeuomai
But don't worry about all the Greek, but that first part is a word that you know part of it. Polis. Have you heard of Annapolis? Or a few of you might be aware of Mediapolis. City. Citizenship. As a member of a citizen; living your life as a citizen of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. See you, Christian, are not just a citizen. You might be a citizen of the U.S., but you're not just a citizen of the U.S. You are also a citizen of Heaven.
Specifically, we're gonna get there in Philippians chapter three. But Paul specifically says we're citizens of Heaven. So you have a dual citizenship, every one of you who is a born again Christian, who lives your life by the gospel. You are a dual citizen of whatever country you're citizenship is, which most of you is the U.S., but also of Heaven. And you ought to live your life as a good citizen of Heaven. You are to live your life as one who's an exemplary model of what it means to be a good citizen.
This is something I found really fun in Morning Sun, is I've never heard of on the Fourth of July having a “Citizen of the Year” award. What a great award to give out. Who's someone in the city, in the town, that we would look at and say, “That person represents who we want to be. That person represents everything good about our community.”?
You're to be the Citizen of the Year of Heaven. You're to live your life striving to be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is the paradox here, right? This is the funny thing about this. You have one command, but isn't that one command everything in your life? So how do you do that? How do you live your life as a worthy citizen of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Well, that's what the rest of the sermon is going to be about is those “hows?” How does the scripture here tell us that? Your second point is to stand firm together against attacks. Stand firm together against attacks. Look with me again at verse 27, “Only 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.”
In ancient Greece, there was a way that the formations of the army would get together. If you were part of the infantry, you formed what was called a failings. And what would happen is the Greek soldiers realize if one person went out, or people were spread apart and they were fighting spread apart, it was really easy for enemies to come and to attack them and kill off one by one by one by one by one. And eventually the whole garrison is gone. But what the Greeks realized is if they got shoulder to shoulder and they put up their shields, and they dug in their heels, and this person’s shoulder was right next to here and their shields just barely overlapped, they could all stand together as a wall. Just a giant wall. And they could stand there. And no matter how much the attacks pushed against the shields and pushed against the shields, and pushed against the shields, there was someone next to them supporting them fighting, standing firm. And it won many, many wars.
You're to stand together as that united wall. You notice here that it doesn't say one of you, but this is a command for all of you. Look at look again at Verse 27, the end of it, “that you.” We have a hard time in English. Bible translators don’t like Southern language. This would say, “but y'all.” “But y’all standing fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
You're not in this fight alone. This is specifically why Hebrews 10:25 tells us we need to not forsake the assembling of each other. Part of that, is so that we might encourage one another. God hasn't made individuals, and that's it. But God saves individuals that they might be part of the body. The enemy could love nothing more than for you to think that you're just a one-off soldier. You're a lone ranger. You do your own thing. The Devil loves that type of attitude.
Do you wonder why you keep getting pounded with the same temptations, pounded with the same sins, pounded over and over and over again? We just prayed for the sixth petition. What does it teach us? But the whole Lord's Prayer is again written in that “y'all” language. When ya'll pray. Pray like this. It was assumed that you would be praying the Lord's Prayer, not just in your individual devotions, but together. Lord, keep us from temptation. We must stand firm together against attacks if we're going to be good citizens of the gospel. Doesn't the idea of citizenship have in it the idea that you're part of a community? If you're a citizen of a one man community, you live off on an island all by yourself, and you're crazy.
But citizens live together, so you must pray for unity. You need to seek unity. You need to be an intricate part of the church where you are a member of. You need to be partaking in each other's lives, praying for each other, visiting one another. If your brother's got something against you, you need to be so concerned about that that you would leave everything else aside and you would run and go reconcile with your brother. We’ve got to stand firm together against the attacks that are going to come.
And we know this isn't just this commandment here, but we see it as a pattern throughout the New Testament. Think about when Jesus sent out the disciples to go do their first evangelistic tours. Did he say, “Hey, Peter, you go over there. And you know what? I want you to go up to Galilee, but just go by yourself. And Judus, I want you to go down to Samaria by yourself.” No, that’s not what he did. He sent them two by two. Together. Two people together to go share the gospel.
We see it in Paul’s own life. We often think of Paul’s missionary journeys. Paul went all over these places, but look at verse one with me. Is it just Paul writing this letter? Verse one, “Paull and Timothy.” Paul’s in jail, and Timothy is with him. Paul’s with Luke. Paul's with Barnabas. Paul's with Mark. Paul’s with Titus. Paul’s with Timothy. Paul is with people constantly. Paul was not a lone ranger going out on missionary journeys, but the apostle himself gives us this pattern of standing firm together. He went out with others.
But why do you have any hope that you could stand firm, other than the people next to you? There's a hope greater than the sinful person who might stand next to you in the shield wall. And that's because you have a victorious commander sending you out. Jesus Christ stood firm against the enemy. And you look to him, the author and perfecter of your faith. Why you can go out with confidence? Because he conquered death. Because he stood firm against the temptations of the devil. Because he is the victor over all of his foes. You stand firm together because you have a savior, a commander, a king who is victorious. Stand firm together against the attacks.
But also your third point. Don't be afraid of your enemies. Don't be afraid of your enemy. Look with me at verse 28, “And 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.” Christian, you can have confidence. You can have confidence and go out without fear. Now you might be shaking in your boots, but you can still have the courage to do the things that you need to do, to stand on gospel principles and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, because you know that salvation is by God, and you have a conquering king who's your savior, Jesus Christ. And his Spirit is in you and you're in Him.
But if you're like me, I know some of you are. Sometimes that's scary. Sometimes it's scary. “Lord, am I gonna have the right words to say to this person who I'm about to confront about sin in their lives?” You know what it's like to have someone start berating you or belittling you because of your faith, don't you? You don't need to be afraid. You don't need to be afraid. You don't need to be terrified of your adversaries because you're not gonna fail.
I remember going out one time with my friend Joey. Joe is a small man of little stature. Joey's a lion for the gospel though. I remember one time he and I were going out and he had an assignment from class to go do some street preaching. So purposely go to a place, put on a microphone, have a speaker on his side and go just preach. And so, it’s the middle of winter, and we thought, “Well, there's nothing going on. Where will we go?” So we scoured all over the Internet to find where people were gonna be when it's 20 degrees outside.
And there was a concert going on, so we figured we would wait outside where there's a big line. And that way he could preach and I could pray for him and we could see what the Lord might do. And I was amazed what happened when we got there. I didn't know anything about the concert, and it was a heavy metal concert, where people are walking around with pentagrams on their shirts, and the foul language that was thrown at Joey. They had some interesting sign language I'm sure you've seen when someone's cut you off before. They ridiculed Joey and they mocked Joey. But it was something amazing that happened when Joey was preaching and people kept throwing profanities at him, kept laughing in his face, kept flipping him off, kept persecuting and pushing and pushing. Joe just got stronger and bolder and more sincere that they needed this gospel.
Because what happens is the first step is the hardest. Saying something. But after that, it becomes easier and easier because you start realizing that these people need this message. It is going to be scary, but you don't need to be terrified. You can have confidence and boldness. Think of the promises of Scripture. If God is for you, who can be against you? If God is for you, Christian, who can be against you? You don't need to be terrified.
But there's something also amazing that happens. Verse 28 tells us something about this, “and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which to them is a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.” At that same time, when Joey was out there preaching, there was one girl who, anytime somebody would ask us to come forward, there were a few of us there, and we would go and we would enter into conversations with people. And I'll never forget this one girl who asked us to come and talk with her and she looked with tears in her eyes. “Why are you doing this? These people are never gonna listen to you. They’re never gonna listen until their lives fall apart. All they care about is what they're doing. Why are you doing this?” She was asking with complete sincerity, confused why anybody would be purposely ridiculed. I remember telling her, how, when that day comes and their life falls apart, will they know on the name by whom they can call and be saved if they haven't heard it?
If we don't speak, how will they hear the name of Jesus? If you don't speak, how will they know the name of Jesus? Because God's word, when we speak the gospel, is effective. It is effective in three different ways. Either it is effective that people are saved because they turn from their sins and cry out upon the name of Jesus Christ. Or number two, it's a sign, it is a proof of their perdition, their destruction, their damnation, because they've heard the good news of Jesus and they've turned their back on it. And at the last day, they're gonna have to take account for that. For it is appointed for a man to die once and then judgment. And on that judgment day, there's going to be proof that they heard the gospel and turned their backs on the cross on the King Jesus Christ.
The third, for you, Christian, it's also a proof of your salvation and that from God. It's not saying that if you share the gospel, if you're suffering for the Gospel, it's not that that is somehow your salvation. But it's proof of your salvation. It is a sign of your salvation.
One of our pastors one time used to talk about signs. When you drive down the road and you see a sign for Burlington, the sign itself doesn't mean that that sign is Burlington, but it's pointing to the city. It's pointing to reality up ahead. It's pointing to something that's really there. When you share the gospel and you’re unterrified and when you're faithfully sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and people persecute you, it's a proof that you actually believe what you're saying. If you didn't believe what you were saying at the smallest amount of persecution, what would any sane person do? Pack up your bags and go home. But if you're enduring it, it’s a sign to you. It's a proof to you that these are the things you truly hold in your soul as a deepest truth and you're willing die.
This is what Paul just said in the last sermon. We looked at that last portion “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul couldn't say that unless he truly believed it. And for Paul to be persecuted was for him a proof that he was a child of Jesus Christ. So the question for you is are you going to speak of Christ?
Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10. Matthew, chapter 10 just verses 32-33. “Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.” Will you confess Jesus Christ before men? “But whoever denies me before men him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Will you confess Jesus Christ and face that persecution?
This is a question that Jesus Christ poses to us, that Paul brings to our attention again. Will you be a faithful disciple? Will you be my follower? Will you be willing to suffer for my sake? And that's exactly the next point. Point 4: Realize God gives you conflict and faith. Realize it is God who gives you conflict and faith.
Look with me at verse 29, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” This idea “for to you it has been granted” has a little bit more idea than just being granted. For to you it has been graciously given. For to you it has been graciously given and look at what this gracious gift is. The first is the one we like, “not only to believe in him.” We like that part. You like faith. Christians love that first part. But it starts with not only to believe in him, that's a gracious gift. What's the second part? But also to suffer for his sake.
See, in America we are too persecution abhorrent. We're too persecution bad, too suffering bad, too “Oh, if I'm being attacked for my gospel, something must be wrong.” Something has gone wrong if the church is being persecuted. Something is wrong in our culture if Christians are under the hammer; something is wrong. But that's not the Biblical case, is it? Nowhere in the Bible do we see that. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we see, that it is when Christians were persecuted, that something is wrong here. This is a gracious gift to you. Man, talk about needing some hard wiring in our brains. We need to get things switched up in there.
Turn a few pages later to First Peter chapter four. It's not just Paul who says this. First Peter chapter four, verses 12-16. 1st Peter, please, like normal, I encourage you to actually flip there in your Bibles. First Peter chapter four, beginning at verse 12. It's on page 1078 of your pew Bibles. Peter writes to the churches this thing, “Beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as if some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s suffering, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this manner. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in doing good, as a faithful Creator.”
Your suffering is the gracious gift. Have you thought about that? And I think this is a hard wiring change that happens. And the first century church needed it too. “Don't be surprised!” That is how Peter starts this. Don't think it's strange concerning the fiery trials. This isn't strange. Jesus promised it in John chapter 15. If they hated you, it was because they hated me first. I'm sending you out as sheep among wolves. Christian, don't be surprised when the fiery trial comes. God's given you this trial, but you must also, your fifth point, take comfort that your faith and suffering are in Christ. Your faith and your suffering are in Christ.
Look with me at verse 29 of Philippians one. Philippians one verse 29, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Your faith is in Jesus Christ. That's something that we think about. That's not a surprise to you. But I think the second one might be. You suffer for the sake of Christ, or you suffer in Christ. Christian, you are united to Jesus Christ. Jesus’s Spirit is in you and when you suffer, you suffer in Christ.
This is one of the amazing things that happened in the beginning of Acts chapter four, when persecution of the apostles came. One of the amazing things that happened is they said, “Who are we that we might suffer for Christ?” They thought it was an honor. Who are we that we would suffer for Jesus? That's what we’re called to. You grow in your union with Jesus, you grow in your relationship with Jesus, and your faith in Jesus, when you speak the words of the scriptures, when you speak the words of the good news out of your mouth and you suffer for Jesus’s sake.
That's why it's been on my heart to talk to you. That this is not “everything is going to go hunky dorey” with you. Christianity isn't a lazy boy type religion. You don't get to just sit back and enjoy the ride. It's not comfortable, but it’s glorious. It's not easy, but it's eternity changing. And it's your joy. And you can rejoice with great joy that you suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. And it is a sign of your salvation, and it is part of living worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But you're not alone in that. When you suffer, remember the large story of Scripture. Look with me at verse 30 real quick. What does Paul say in our last point? “Having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.” You should take courage that you're not suffering alone. Paul suffered. Paul was crucified by Nero. Peter was hung upside down on a cross and killed for Jesus Christ. Moses suffered persecution for Christ. Daniel suffered persecution for Christ. Elijah suffered persecution for Christ. Jeremiah was thrown into a well because he loved Jesus Christ. The first century church saw thousands of Christians killed because they loved Jesus Christ.
When the religion of Islam started to spread across North Africa and into the near Middle East and Christians died, they suffered for Jesus Christ. When communism came about and in the 20th century, more Christians died, then, possibly in any other century. They suffered in Jesus Christ. You're the anomaly. We are the outlier. That we don't suffer more. Our current political climate, the current wage of war against Christianity, under the name of political correctness and liberal values, is a direct assault upon Jesus Christ and we shouldn't be surprised. So when people tell you your ideas, the gospel you hold, the scriptures you believe, are backwards and bigoted and they just tell you to shut up, you suffer with others. But you also gotta stand with others. You don't need to be terrified. You can keep speaking truth. You can keep loving people. And you can keep suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ, because you're to live your life this one commandment. This one thing. As a citizen worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Live your life that way.
Let’s pray. “Oh, God, we thank you so much for Jesus Christ. We thank you for the joy we have in Him. We thank you for our Creator. The one who has saved us. Lord, give us courage. Lord, impart to us your Holy Spirit. We can't do this just by our own gumption. We can't pick ourselves up by our bootstraps Lord, but we need you. Please God, make us bold. Or don't let us suffer for stupid stuff that's not your gospel. Lord, let us suffer and grow in our faith, and in our union with Jesus. We pray these things in Jesus's name. Amen.”
Thank you for listening to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon RP Church in Morning Sun, Iowa. We pray that you would be blessed as you grow in your love for God, your love for His Word, as well as your love for His people. Until next week. God bless you.