As I sat down to write this, my heart was heavy with anger, confusion, fear and shame. I didn’t really know where to begin but I knew that I must begin because the preaching of the Gospel must not stop.
But the preaching of the Gospel must also pour out of the deep recesses of my heart and make its way into the hallways and the closets of your hearts by the power of the Spirit of the Living God.
Like many of you, I have been glued to my newsfeeds for nearly five months now in a way that is different than previous months and years.
Something seems to have come unhinged in our beloved American society over the last five months.
Here’s a short list of the things we have experienced recently:
- We’ve experienced the confusion of a botched up presidential impeachment attempt that emanated out of the hearts of a polarized society that I believe has prostituted the concept of freedom and has turned it into entitlement with cheap lipstick.
- We’ve experienced the worldwide panic of a viral pandemic that led to the near complete shutdown of the world with an estimated 363,000 deaths (72,000 est. deaths per month) worldwide at the time of this writing.
- We’ve experienced the quote unquote peaceful protest at the Michigan state capitol by a heavily armed mob who wanted to confront the stay at home orders given by their elected government officials because they perceived these orders to be an infringement on their constitutional rights.
- We’ve experienced the horror of systemic racial injustice that led to the public executions of George Floyd in Minneapolis Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Southern Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Louisville Kentucky.
- We’ve experienced the public protests in multiple cities across our nation that have resulted in more loss of life, buildings being burned to the ground and businesses being looted in response to the murders listed above.
It seems like the heart of our nation has come almost completely unhinged.
Now add to these experiences over the last five months, the normal day in and day out struggle against our own sin, problems in our families, physical health concerns, financial pressures, emotional health, relational conflict, out of control addictions, suicide, the physical loss of loved ones; add all this together and you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to the condition of our hearts.
My concern this morning is with the hearts of everyone hearing this message.
What will the history books say in the next decade about the condition of our hearts during this time?
If the writers of the next generation of history books were to take a peek into the daily habits of my life, what would those historians say about my manner of life in the midst of all of this confusion and fear and panic?
What would those historians conclude is the most important thing to me right now?
What would they conclude if they were able to collect all of my social media posts, my text messages, my emails, my daily schedule, my financial expenditures, my relational interactions?
What will history say about our manner of life in the American church during this intensely difficult season? In Philippians 1:27 – 30 the apostle Paul says:
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and 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. 29 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, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
The apostle Paul is concerned in this passage with what the history books will show in regard to the Philippian church’s manner of life.
We must remember that the Philippian church was birthed out of a culture that was hostile to the gospel.
Acts chapter sixteen paints the picture of a church that came into being as the gospel was being proclaimed.
- The first person to hear the message of the gospel and become part of the Philippian church along with her entire household was a presumably successful and wealthy Asian woman (Acts 16:11 – 15).
- The next person to hear the message of the gospel and become part of the Philippian church was a demon-possessed, fortune-telling slave girl. This miraculous event happened, not because the apostle Paul utilized his Roman citizenship to lobby against the immorality of public policy, but because he preached the gospel and in a display of the power of the Spirit’s presence, in the name of Jesus Christ, he cast the demons out of this girl and she tasted true freedom for the very first time (Acts 16:16 – 18).
- The next thing that happened is the ex-slave girl’s owners dragged Paul and Silas into the city streets before the city officials and falsely accused them of doing something illegal because their economic profits were being undermined by the fact that the girl they once exploited and took advantage of was now useless to them due to her being set free by the gospel. The result of this public hearing is that Paul and Silas are beaten and locked up in jail for no good legal reason (Acts 16:19 – 24).
- Paul and Silas’ response to this kind of suffering was to pray and to sing songs of praise which was followed by a miraculous earthquake that opened the cell doors and released the prisoners from their shackles. The jailer then feared for his life and in an amazing twist of events he hears Paul and Silas preach the gospel and he becomes the third member of the Philippian church along with his entire household (Acts 16:25 – 34).
- The last thing we see in the birth of the Philippian church is the apostle Paul and Silas being released from Jail with an official apology after using their Roman citizenship to bring public shame upon the city officials for their unjust treatment (Acts 16:35 – 40).
And now, the apostle Paul writes this letter to the Philippian church, roughly twelve years later from a prison cell, awaiting his own possible public execution in Rome (Phil. 1:7; 12 – 13).
He’s concerned that the Philippian church is becoming known for self-centeredness, pride, complaining, arguing, disagreements and division (Phil. 2:3 – 4; 14 – 15; 4:2 – 3).
He’s convinced that the heart is the heart of the issues and that the only vaccination for the sin infection he sees, is the centrality of the crucified, risen and returning Christ (1:9 – 11).
He believes that the Philippian church must put on the mind of Christ, must focus on working out their own salvation in Christ and must stand firm in the joy of Christ (Phil. 2:5 – 8; 12 – 13; 4:1, 4 – 7).
And before he even addresses all of these things, he begins to build the category for what it means to possess a manner of life that is worthy of Christ.
He’s not concerned about them having a manner of life that is worthy of Roman citizenship or worthy of Philippian citizenship.
He’s concerned that the history books will paint them as people who lived their lives in a manner that was consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ as citizens of Heaven.
#1: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With The Gospel Of Jesus Christ (vs. 27)
When Paul says, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27) he is literally saying “Let your manner of life – as citizens of Heaven – be worthy of the gospel” (Hughes 2013: 64 – 71).
I am as patriotic as they come but my citizenship is in Heaven before it is in America.
Will the history books write my story as one that was defined by the Constitution or the Bible?
Are my conversations permeated with gospel centrality or American policy?
Now I do believe that the Constitution was framed around some great Biblical principles, but I’ve never believed that we can legislate morality.
Laws and policies serve the purpose of defining right from wrong, restraining evil and convicting evildoers.
But only the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ will set men and women free from the tyranny and the slavery of sin under the law.
And as a gospel-freed man, I must labor hard where possible, to bring the gospel to bear upon the morals and the ethics of the society I currently live in as I look forward to the perfection of Heaven.
But this is an intensely fine line to walk and if I’m not careful I will begin to speak the language of an American better than the language of a gospel-freed man.
This is why I am so strongly devoted to asking fellow believers what Jesus has been saying to them.
Why am I devoted to this question? Why do I harp on this question all the time? Why won’t I let this question go?
I am devoted to this question because it’s a relationally motivated question instead of a politically or policy related question.
It’s a question that gets after the heart of my relationship with Jesus.
And I believe that what the world needs most right now is not Christians who can speak better political language or better policy language but better gospel language that flows out of vibrant relationships with Jesus.
Is my manner of life consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
#2: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With Standing Firm In Unity (vs. 27)
The apostle Paul says that, “whether I come and see you or am absent, [I want to] hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind” (Phil. 1:27).
In other words, he wants to see or hear that the believers in Philippi possess a manner of life that is consistently marked or characterized by standing firm in unity.
Unity does not mean uniformity, but it does mean singularity of vision; singlemindedness instead of double mindedness.
Disunity is the result of competing visions that rest on competing values.
I believe that the ideal of unity for us in America has always been hard to hold onto.
The vision for freedom along with subsets of competing values will always produce multiple interpretations of that vision which will oftentimes lead to destruction such as we see right now and have often seen in our history. This applies heavily to our spiritual lives too.
The Philippian church would need to hold onto a singular vision of Christ in the midst of an everchanging and eroding culture. So, I must ask myself…
“Is my manner of life consistent with standing firm in a unified vision of who Christ is and what he wants to accomplish in my life and in this world?”
#3: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With Fighting For The Faith (vs. 27)
Paul tells the Philippians that he wants them to stand “firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).
The picture that I get when I read this is the picture of a team fighting together (not against each other) to reach a unified goal. In this case the goal is “the faith of the gospel”.
The Philippians’ were in grave danger of becoming so infected with sin that they would be rendered powerless to contend or fight for the faith of the gospel.
You may wonder why I would say such a thing. You might question how I can make so bold of an assertion.
How do I know that the Philippian church was in grave danger of being completely impotent in their culture?
Have you ever witnessed the effects of self-centeredness on a family unit?
Ever witnessed a football team unable to reach its desired goal because of pride?
How often have we seen the terrible loss in a family because of all the complaining and arguing going on behind each other’s backs?
Can’t we see the destructiveness of unresolved disagreements and division in our country as we speak?
The basic result of all of these things is that instead of fighting for the same goal we begin to fight each other instead.
I believe this is exactly what the apostle Paul is attempting to address.
We need to be asking where we are aware of our manner of life being inconsistent with fighting for the faith of the gospel.
Where is there an evidence of self-centeredness, pride, complaining, arguing, unresolved disagreements or division in our midst? These things are antithetical to the manner of life that fights for the faith of the gospel.
#4: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With Not Being Intimidated By My Enemies (vs. 28)
Paul says do not be “frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God” (Phil. 1:28).
The first matter of importance here is identifying who our enemies or opponents (as Paul puts it) really are.
If we set our sights on the wrong enemy, then we will never walk in unity and we will never fight for the same gospel-outcomes. Ephesians 6 teaches us that our enemy is not flesh and blood but is spiritual in nature.
We certainly face physical opponents in this life but the key to fighting well is recognizing that if they are our enemies in the physical realm then they are controlled by a spiritual enemy which is why Paul says that their opposition is a sign of their destruction and our salvation.
If we are fighting for the faith of the gospel then we will fight for them not against them even as we stand against them.
This is probably hard to understand but it flows out of the picture of Christ’s sacrificial love and compassion for his enemies to the extent that he would die horribly on a cross in their place even as he spoke the words of truth to his enemies.
So we must lovingly oppose our enemies and not be intimidated by them.
The last part to recognize here is that we must pay attention to anything or anyone that causes us to be frightened.
The literal word here in the Greek is “panicked” and it carries the image of a stampeding herd of horses.
There are many things in this life at this moment to be panicked by and panic can cause us to leap into action out of our own human strength; like Peter when he instinctively reacted to Jesus being arrested by unleashing his sword and cutting off the ear of their physical enemy.
At the end of the day, I count it a privilege and a joy to be confined to the physical realm of non-essential by the powers-that-be in this world, for it is a sign of their destruction and my salvation which releases me to live in true freedom as I seek the good of my enemies for this light and momentary affliction is small in comparison to the suffering of the cross of Christ.
I must constantly remind myself that I am entitled to nothing except a sinner’s death and the eternal consequences of that death.
But by the grace of God through the power of His Spirit I have been enabled to trust in Christ through faith and therefore I have the gift of salvation that I did nothing to earn.
Do not be intimidated my friends, do not be frightened or panicked by what you are experiencing in the world right now.
But instead, be slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to listen. You may be engaged in a fight with a physical enemy right now who may be your spiritual brother soon because of your ability to love him or her sacrificially.
The key to your ability in doing this lies in the depth of your relationship with Jesus who gave his life for you while you were but his enemy.
Is your manner of life consistent with not being intimidated by your enemies?
#5: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With The Gifts Of Believing and Suffering (vs. 29)
Now, it’s easier for us to receive the gift of believing than it is to receive the gift of suffering. We do not usually think of these two things in the same category of being gifts.
But Paul says that “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” (Phil. 1:29).
The bottom line is that suffering for Christ is a gift (something that’s been granted to us) because it deepens the meaning of the gift of believing in Christ.
You see, to believe in Christ is to suffer for Christ and to suffer for Christ is to believe in Christ.
The fellowship of Christ’s suffering moves the believer beyond the role of beneficiary of Christ’s death into the role of sharer in Christ’s sufferings (Hughes 2013: 64 – 71 [Col. 1:24]).
The fellowship of Christ’s suffering is proof that God is at work in my life and it acts like a badge of my true citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. What an encouraging truth to remember. This is why I must ask myself:
Is my manner of life consistent with the gifts of believing and suffering?
#6: My Manner Of Life Must Be Consistent With Being Engaged In Gospel Conflict (vs. 30)
Paul says that he wants the believers in Philippi (and you and I) to be “engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (Phil. 1:30).
What is that same gospel conflict? In short, it’s the conflict that we outlined earlier from Acts chapter 16 when the Philippian church was planted.
Paul’s gospel preaching didn’t create conflict because he lobbied to change public policy (though this would be a fine application).
Paul’s gospel preaching created conflict because it transformed the lives of new believers and that lifestyle change was in direct opposition to the values of the Philippian culture.
The Philippian culture valued some kind of prostituted version of freedom that as I’ve already said was actually a sense of entitlement dressed up in cheap lipstick.
I believe we are living in some of the very same culture right now. The question for us is:
Will we engage in the same kind of gospel conflict as we see here in the Scriptures or will we dress up our conflict with religious language? Is my manner of life consistent with being engaged in gospel conflict?
CONCLUSION…
We always ask why this matters, what difference this will make and what will be different when we pull our heads and hearts out of this text and leave this place of gathering.
At the end of the day I feel a deep burden for the church right now at this point in history; during these tumultuous times.
What will the history books say about us? What manner of life will we be known for?
Will our manner of life be known for the gospel, known for unity, known for fighting for the faith, known for not being intimidated by our enemies, known for joy in the gifts of believing and suffering and being engaged in gospel-conflict?
Or will our manner of life be known for self-centeredness, pride, complaining, arguing, disagreements and division?
We must ask the Spirit of the Lord to search us and to see if there is any impurity in us and to cleanse us once again and set our feet on the right path as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.
One author said it well when he said that “Christ won it [our freedom], wore it [our purity], kept it [salvation] and gave it [citizenship] to you and I” (Hughes 2013: 64 – 71).
Christ won it, Christ wore it, Christ kept it and Christ gave this salvation-citizenship to you and I.
Will our manner of life be worthy of this salvation-citizenship?