The Exchange | No Matter What | Phil 3:1-11 (Part 11)

The Exchange | No Matter What | Phil 3:1-11 (Part 11)

Pastor Darien Gabriel

Date: 6/7/20
Series: Joy No Matter, Part 11
Scripture: Phil 3:1-11
Title: “The Exchange”

Series bottom line: God pours out his grace and peace in and through us as we show and tell the good news no matter what. Today’s Bottom line: Rejoice in the Lord as you exchange your self-confidence for Savior-confidence no matter what.Intro

What are you placing your confidence in for salvation? For eternal life? For abundant life?

I. Put Little Confidence in Your Spiritual Adversaries (3:1-3)

They are dangerous (1-2)

They possess an unworthy character (dogs)

They practice ungodly conduct (evil workers)

They promote unrestrained confusion (mutilators)

They are deceived (3)

Genuine believers are devoted to worship in the Spirit

Genuine believers are delighted in the Savior

Genuine believers deny works for salvation

II. Put No Confidence in Your Self Achievements (3:4-6)

You cannot trust you rituals for salvation (5)

You cannot trust your race for salvation (5)

You cannot trust your religion for salvation (5-6)

You cannot trust your righteousness for salvation (6)

III. Put ALL Confidence in Your Savior’s Accomplishments (3:7-11)

Be An Example | No Matter What | Phil 2:19-30 (Part 10)

Be An Example | No Matter What | Phil 2:19-30 (Part 10)

Pastor Darien Gabriel

Today’s Bottom line: Follow the Example, Be the Example as You Worship the Example, no matter what.

Intro

Your Trial Will Become Your Triumph by Nicky Gumbel 

‘Houston, we’ve had a problem,’ were the words of Jim Lovell on the evening of 13 April 1970. Nearly fifty-six hours into the mission to the moon, an explosion aboard the spacecraft plunged the crew into a fight for their survival. Within less than a minute there was a cascade of systems failures throughout the spacecraft. ‘It was all at one time – a monstrous failure,’ said NASA’s flight controller.

The spacecraft looped around the moon, using its gravity to return to earth. Millions of people followed the drama on television. Eventually, the capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga.

In an article headed ‘Apollo 13: From Disaster to Triumph’ the BBC science reporter wrote, ‘Although the mission was not a success from a conventional perspective, it was a triumph of ingenuity and determination.’ 

Jim Lovell said it showed the people of the world that even if there was a great catastrophe, it could be turned into a success.

The supreme example of triumph coming out of apparent catastrophe is the cross. What seemed to the world to be the ultimate defeat was in fact the ultimate triumph.

As we transition towards what’s next, knowing that God can leverage evil for good, why would we care about anyone else? Shouldn’t we just go into survival mode and get things back in order at all costs and forget everyone else?

Paul shows us in this letter that that’s not the path Jesus would take. He takes "the road less traveled” - the way of “others first.”

The Office

Kurt Cooper was a co-worker at my first job. He’d been out of school and in the workplace about 4 years and was doing a great job. He was a great example to me because he showed me how to live out my faith in the workplace. I didn’t have many examples. And I wasn’t looking for any either. 

He invited me to lunch that first week. 

Later he would invite us to church where we eventually would serve as volunteer youth leaders.

He and his wife would model for us our first small group experiences (besides Sunday school) and well as parenting.

They would invite us to a life-changing retreat weekend called the Emmaus Walk. 

All of these hugely shaped my faith-walk in my early years of marriage. I’d never had someone pour themselves into me like that. And I really didn’t even realize it was happening until I looked back later. 

Today I’m going to call you to follow The Example, be an example as you worship The Example as Lord and Savior. Paul says it this way, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

1. Follow the Example Paul describes.

2. Be the Example Jesus called you to be.

3. (As you) Worship the Example who empowers us to follow and be the example.

Series bottom line:

God pours out his grace and peace in and through us as we show and tell the good news no matter what. 

One way we do this seen in the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus in Phil 2:19-30.

The Example leads to Examples

Truth 1: Jesus will show and tell his example to the world through his examples by their example.

Truth 2: Jesus’ true followers, by definition, follow his words, ways and works. To not follow Jesus’ example is to not be a follower of Jesus. 

Outline

I. Follow the Example Paul has described already. (2:5-8) REVIEW

II. Be the example Jesus called you to be. (2:19-30) 2 Examples:

    A. Timothy - An example of 2:19-24

• Lives sent (19, 23) or on mission 24/7 - Jesus sends us out too

• No one else like him; Paul sees him as special family like a faithful son in the Lord (20) - Jesus sees us as family; brothers and sisters 

• Genuinely cares about others; compassionate and merciful (20) - Jesus calls us to “love our neighbor as ourself.” 

• “Others first” (21) mentality c.f. 2:3 and Jesus’ example

• ”Proved himself” faithful son in the work “as a son with his father” (22) “served with me in the work of the gospel” - Jesus calls us to this great work 24/7 too. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33)

    B. Epaphroditus - Another example of 2:25-30

• Also lives sent (25, 28)

• Also lives as family (“brother”) (25)

• Paul calls him a “co-worker” or partner c.f. (1:5)

  • - Jesus calls us to work from rest (semi-circle; abiding; fruitfulness)

• Paul calls him a “fellow soldier” (25) because he went to battle with Paul

  • - Jesus calls us to go to war (sheep among wolves) fighting on our knees; prayer + armor of God (Eph 6:10-18)

• Cares for his flock back home even as he cares for Paul on their behalf;

  • “Love is showing compassion for other people’s reality.” - Neal McGlohon. In other words, love does for others in need. Think Good Samaritan parable.

III. (As you) Worship the Example with your lips and your lives. (2:9-11; Heb 13:15-16)

    A. Jesus is exalted as worthy of our allegiance and worship. (2:9-11)

    B. We worship Jesus with (Heb 13:15-16)

        1. Our lips 

        2. Our lives

Conclusion

References/Bibliography:

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

“the Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Acts” by Tony Merida (CCE)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Philippians” by Tony Merida & Chan (CCE)

Let’s Study Philippians by Sinclair Ferguson

Outline Bible, D Willmington

DA Carson Basics for Believers commentary

FF Bruce NIBC Commentary on Philippians

To Live is Christ To Die is Gain by Matt Chandler

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)

ESV Study Bible

ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB)

Shine Like The Stars--No Matter What | Phil 2:12-18 (Part 9)

Shine Like The Stars--No Matter What | Phil 2:12-18 (Part 9)

Pastor Darien Gabriel

Series: Joy No Matter

Scripture: Phil 2:12-18

Title: “Shine Like The Stars--No Matter What"

Today’s Bottom line: 

Work out your salvation as God works in and through you so you’ll shine like stars in this dark world no matter what.

Intro

What do you see when you look at the night sky?

When we saw 6 satellites in the sky at F3.

 Matrix: Irrelevant, Dangerous, Limited and Fruitful

I. Workout your salvation. (12-13)

    A. We must work out our salvation (12)

1. We don’t work for our salvation

2. We do put forth effort (not earning)

    B. God works in our salvation (13) (Eph 2:8-9)

II. Shine out your salvation. (14-16a)

    A. Do everything without grumbling or arguing. WHY?

1. You’ll become "blameless and pure, children of God without fault.” (14)

2. It’s tempting which is why Paul brings it up.

3. “Better than I deserve” -Dave Ramsey

4. Al in my co-op days, “Outstanding! But don’t worry, I’ll get better."

    B. "Hold firmly to the word of life.” WHY?

1. Then you’ll shine like the stars in the dark sky.

III. Rejoice in your salvation. (16b-18)

    A. Celebrate God’s grace in those you’ve served.

    B. Celebrate God’s helping you humble yourself & suffer for him as you serve others.

    C. Follow Christ’s (and Paul’s) example. (18)

Conclusion

Where are you on the matrix?

References/Bibliography:

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

“the Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Acts” by Tony Merida (CCE)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Philippians” by Tony Merida & Chan (CCE)

Let’s Study Philippians by Sinclair Ferguson

Outline Bible, D Willmington

DA Carson Basics for Believers commentary

FF Bruce NIBC Commentary on Philippians

To Live is Christ To Die is Gain by Matt Chandler

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)

ESV Study Bible

ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB)

J Vernon McGee Commentary

Embrace Christ's Attitude, No Matter What | Philippians 2:5-11 (Part 8)

Embrace Christ’s Attitude | Philippians 2

Pastor Darien Gabriel

This sermon is about thinking like Christ, having the mind of our Savior.  Pastor Darien continues our study of Philippians.  This week we study chapter 2, and the mindset God calls us to have, the same mindset of Christ as He humbled Himself to become a man, adding humanity to His deity, further humbling Himself to take on the form of a servant, serving the people he was with, serving to the point of sacrificing His life, even dying on the cross.  Ultimately, God raised Him from the dead.  Paul tells us to have the same mindset.

As you can imagine, there are significant implications for this kind of lifestyle.  The person who serves like Christ is honoring others more than himself/herself.  He/she is sacrificing to make sure that the people they meet are cared for and loved.  Most significantly, this takes place in the proclamation of the gospel, but it also manifests in simple acts of kindness like washing dishes, picking up trash, feeding the hungry, and forgiving your betrayers.  

At Grace Christian Fellowship in Ladson, South Carolina we seek to live this out by being the best neighbors ever.  We don’t want to merely talk about serving, we want to live it.  This is why the concept of having the “mind of Christ” is so important.

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV)

Series bottom line:

God pours out his grace and peace in and through us as we show and tell the good news no matter what. 

Today’s Bottom line: 

Embrace Christ’s attitude of selfless servitude (to God & people) & let it propel you to celebrate & imitate Christ, no matter what.

Why do we do that?

How do we do that?

Intro

Possible illustrations - Bill Bright

Who is he and what did he do that makes this so amazing?

The late Dr. Bill Bright was Founder and President/Chairman Emeritus of Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization which began as a campus ministry in 1951 and now has more than 27,000 full-time staff and up to 500,000 trained volunteer staff in 196 countries in areas representing 99.6 percent of the world's population. In the past 50 years, Campus Crusade for Christ has seen approximately 6 billion exposures to the gospel worldwide. The film, "JESUS," which Bright conceived and funded through Campus Crusade for Christ, is the most widely translated and viewed film of any type ever produced. Since its use began in 1980, the film has been translated into 839 languages and viewed or listened to by over 5.7 billion people in 228 countries. Dr. Bright was also the author of more than fifty books. 

What is a slave/servant - 

“In Old Testament times, one might enter slavery either voluntarily (e.g., to escape poverty or to pay off a debt) or involuntarily (e.g., by birth, by being captured in battle, or by judicial sentence). Protection for all in servitude in ancient Israel was provided by the Mosaic Law, including specific provisions for release from slavery. (Pierced ear with awl)

In New Testament times, a doulos is often best described as a “bondservant”—that is, someone in the Roman Empire officially bound under contract to serve his master for seven years (except for those in Caesar’s household in Rome who were contracted for fourteen years). When the contract expired, the person was freed, given his wage that had been saved by the master, and officially declared a freedman.” 

-ESV preface

Larger context - zooming out to whole letter:

Paul presents Christ to believers as: (by HL Willmington, Outline Bible)

1. Our life-purpose.

2. Our life-pattern.

3. Our life-prize.

4. Our life-power.

Keep this in mind as we work through this letter. Now today we’ll continue looking at Christ as our pattern or example to imitate.

Our simple outline this week starts this way:

I. The Attitude of Christ. (2:5) - Have this! Embrace this!

II. The Hymn of Christ. (2:6-11)

What I’m still learning about following Jesus Christ is that it doesn’t matter how stoked I am about what he’s leading me to if I don’t discipline myself to follow him habitually and consistently. We must train to remain abiding in Christ (stay connected) or we will fail over and over. 

We need teach on the attitude or mindset of Christ. That needs to be firmly in mind.

We need to train ourselves to remain focused on that important truth.

• Paul puts our thoughts on notice in v. 5 when he says, “In your relationships with one another, have this same mindset (attitude) as Christ Jesus.”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HUGE application here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Paul gives us the example to pattern our lives after here.

• Paul also shows us the results.

Being like Mike won’t happen for anyone unless they are willing to discipline themselves towards whatever it is they are seeking to master.

Being like Christ won’t happen either unless you are willing to discipline yourself for godliness.

In 1 Timothy 4:8b-9 Paul writes, “rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

But being like Christ won’t happen if we live by feelings instead of a disciplined faith. And a faith rooted in selfless, humble servitude of God and people. To love God and love people means that we serve them seeing their interests as important enough to warrant some of our precious time and energy.

Trust me. This is much easier to preach than to live. I fail at this daily. This may be my biggest struggle.

II. The Hymn of Christ

    A. The selfless humility of Christ. (6-8)

    B. The appropriate celebration of Christ. (9-11)

II. The Hymn of Christ - one of 4 Christological passages in the NT. (John 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1)

    A. The selfless humility of Christ. (6-8)

1. See Christ’s humiliation in his humble renunciation. (6)

   1. Jesus is divine. Fully God. Fully divine.

   2. Jesus is equal to his Father. 

   3. Jesus is creator—not created.

   4. Morphe doesn’t refer to external appearance or shape but essential attributes and inner nature.

   5. Jesus didn’t consider being God grounds for getting but for giving.

   6. Jesus lived open-handedly.

2. See Christ’s humiliation in his humble incarnation. (7)

   1. Jesus laid aside his pre-existent glory.

   2. AW Tozer said, “He veiled his deity but he did not void his deity.”

   3. He added humanity without surrendering his deity.

   4. This is huge in our theology. Not getting this is why some turn to false religions and cults. 

   5. Jesus didn’t empty himself of his deity.

   6. Jesus surrendered his rights as king and creator.

   7. African Chief story (below)

   8. ”By assuming they form/nature of a slave” The slave in the Greco-Roman world was deprived of most basic rights. Jesus gave up his sovereign rights and became a slave. The sovereign creator made himself nothing. He identified with the lowest of society. 

   9. Christ “did not come to be served but to serve” Mark 10:45

   10. John 13:3-5 shows us what that looks like. He performed a job so humbling that only slaves would do. He washed their feet (with the water that he created from nothing). Breath-taking!

   11. He didn’t just look human—he took the nature of humanity. Fully human—fully divine.

3. See Christ’s humiliation in his crucifixion. (8)

   1. Jesus was humble his whole life

   1. Born in a feeding trough of a tiny village.

   2. Lived 30 years in relative obscurity.

   3. Earthly ministry he was known for loving unlovable people and humbly serving the least, last and lost.

   4. At his death, he’s nailed to a cross between two criminals.

   1. Jesus humbled himself voluntarily. 

   2. This is the way of the kingdom. (Mandalorian “This is the way”)

   3. As if it couldn’t get any more humbling, Paul tells us he’s executed in a way so horrible, it was only an extreme exception to crucify a Roman citizen.

   4. This was shocking in his day. Like we would pull back from a painting of a scene from the holocaust...

   5. Jesus willingly received 

      1. physical agony

      2. abandonment

      3. shame

      4. wrath of God for the sins of his enemies

   6. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 looms in the background of this hymn.

   7. CS Lewis illustration reminds us of the African Chief story (below)

    B. The appropriate celebration of Christ. (9-11)

1. His exalted position. (9)

   1. “Therefore” or “For this reason”

   2. The name = the Lord (Yahweh) or the Lord Jesus

      1. Yahweh is Lord in the OT

      2. Jesus is Lord in the NT

   3. Exalted means that he reigns over all. 

2. Everyone’s adoration and confession (10-11)

   1. “Everyone” - not just his followers will bow

   2. Some with great joy while others with great anguish.

   3. To confess Jesus as Lord in the first century meant that Caesar was not Lord. It was treason to say it. 

   4. Jesus is Lord was maybe the earliest of early church confessions. 

   5. Many died for believing and saying this aloud.

   6. Jesus is exalted by his Father only to turn it back to his Father. 

   7. 1 Corinthians 15:28 “When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.”

Conclusion

Embrace Christ’s attitude no matter what. Here are some suggested ways:

1. Memorize this passage.

2. Believe this passage.

3. Follow the lifestyle in this passage.

4. Tell the world about the message of this passage.

Bottom line: Embrace Christ’s attitude of selfless servitude (to God & people) & let it propel you to celebrate & imitate Christ, no matter what.

Let’s pray

References/Bibliography:

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

“the Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Acts” by Tony Merida (CCE)

“Exalting Jesus in The Book of Philippians” by Tony Merida & Chan (CCE)

Let’s Study Philippians by Sinclair Ferguson

Outline Bible, D Willmington

DA Carson Basics for Believers commentary

FF Bruce NIBC Commentary on Philippians

To Live is Christ To Die is Gain by Matt Chandler

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)

ESV Study Bible

ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB)

J Vernon McGee Commentary