gospel - Drew Boswell

“Sign #3: God’s Love For Humanity Displayed” Luke 2:8-20

The Signs of Christmas

Sermon Series

“Sign #3: God’s Love For Humanity Displayed”

Luke 2:8-20

Introduction

In his 2014 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Talk Like Ted, Carmine Gallo discusses why Ted Talks are so popular, and why some in particular go viral and others do not. And if I were to give you the cliff notes version, it essentially says, when you present information to an audience tell stories, and how presenters should “master the art of storytelling.” Jesus was a master story teller, and he told stories often (the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, The Sower, etc.)

Today the Shepherds will tell us their story from Luke 2, and how God did something amazing in their presence, and used them for something wonderful. We are also going to discover, that like the shepherds and their story, God desires to show you something amazing today and use you and your story to change the world.

Prayer

God’s Favor Given to Shepherds (vv. 8-14)

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

The word “And” signifies for us that there was something that came before this passage. In the preceding verses we see that a census was issued by the Roman emperor, so Mary and Joseph have to travel to their ancestral home, Bethlehem. And upon arriving can find no place to stay except a barn, Jesus was born and laid in a manger.

While Christ’s birth is drawing to a close, angels are dispatched to tell a group of people about this very special child’s birth. This is the most important event that had ever or will ever take place on this planet. The very first people to hear of Christ’s birth were shepherds.

Shepherds did not live in luxurious homes, they did not carry many possessions, and as we find them here often have the few things they can carry and devote themselves to the care of their sheep. On this night, they are awake, and are living outside, and watching their sheep at night against predators, they were “keeping watch over their flock by night.”[1]

What was it about these shepherds that made them worthy of such honor? The answer is found in verse 14, there will be “peace among those with whom he is pleased” God did some awesome things that night just because he wanted to favor some shepherds who were sleeping in a field, watching their sheep. God had it in His heart to favor these men.

There is nothing that indicates they were super-shepherds, or that they had in any way earned or deserved this outpouring of God’s favor – but let’s look at how God favored them.

(Favor is shown by how) God Sends A Heavenly Messenger

First God sends them a heavenly messenger, and when they see this messenger Luke tells us that they were very afraid. It says an “an angel of the Lord appeared to them.” In just about every instance where an angel appears before a person, they are struck with fear.

(Favor is shown by how) God Gives A Heavenly Appearing

“and the glory of the Lord shone around them” We see the glory of the Lord in Exodus 16:7,10 where in a cloud the people could look upon His glory and God provided manna and quail for the Israelites to eat after they had complained.

In Exodus 24:17 God fills the top of Mt. Sinai with smoke and blasts of thunder. It appeared “as a devouring fire.” In Exodus 40:34 the Israelites had completed the Tabernacle and God’s presence entered it and appeared as a cloud, and as pillars of smoke and fire.

If you combine an angel and God’s glory shining around them, what you get is some very scared shepherds – why are they afraid? Because when sinful mankind comes into the presence of a holy God or even His messengers, our sinfulness stands in stark contrast to God’s holiness.

All of our misgivings, flaws, evil deeds – everything is exposed, all of who we truly are is seen by God’s eye, and man’s natural response is to try and hide as best they can, we fall to our face before a consuming fire and close our eyes to try and shut out God’s glory. But there is no place to go.

The shepherds are scared because they know that they are sinful the fear of a holy God causes them to shutter. At this moment, when they are scared to death, the messenger speaks.

(Favor is shown by how) God Gives A Heavenly Message (vv. 10b-12)

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

He begins by saying don’t be afraid – I bring you some good news. The good news of the gospel, a way is given to them for them to be forgiven of their sin and a way for them to be able to stand before God, not in fear, but in worship and love. The messenger was giving these shepherds the most important news that has ever been told. Not only was this good news for them, the good news is “for all the people.”

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior” – In the book of 2 Samuel when the prophet Samuel went to anoint a new king for his people God told him to go to Jesse’s house, and it was his youngest son David whose head would be anointed.

David had to be brought in from watching the sheep. Later when appealing to king Saul to allow him to fight Goliath, David gives examples where he had defended his sheep from bear and lion. Not only does Jesus being born in Bethlehem fulfill prophecy, but it also describes to his people what this Christ will be like. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The Savior would be just like them, except without sin. They were sleeping out in field, Jesus was lying in manger. They were shepherds of sheep, Jesus was the Good Shepherd. They had a humble lifestyle, Jesus emptied himself of glory and became a man, a suffering savior, and was described as having “no place to lay his head.”

Bethlehem was a tiny town, the Savior’s lineage would come through a little shepherd boy named David, and the eventual good news would be given first to a group of unknown shepherds. God delights in pouring His favor on the young, the little, the weak, and the unknown.

“a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” What is a Savior? What are they being saved from? Jesus who would grow in wisdom and stature, would teach as one who had authority, he would perform miracles to prove what He said was true. He would die on a Roman cross and He would rise again three days later – he did all these things as a Savior.

The law shows us that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s requirement to go to heaven. We have all lied, stolen, dishonored our parents, thought lustful thoughts, been angry with someone – any one of these eternally separates us from God – He is holy and we are sinful. And we stand before God guilty of committing sin, and we have no way of getting rid of it.

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus by dying on the cross saved us by taking the punishment that we deserved.

God tells the shepherds in His grace and mercy how to find this child – who is the Savior of the world. “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” This same grace and mercy is held out to us as well, He tells us clearly that this good news is for us as well today – we, like the shepherds, are given clear instructions as to how we can be saved from our sins.

(Favor is shown by the appearing of) A Heavenly Host (vv. 13-14)

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

“In heaven God’s glory, on earth God’s peace.”[2] God favors these shepherds by sending a heavenly messenger, shining His glory upon them, giving them the most important message ever given, and then to top it off, a vast number of angels sing a praise and worship song and they have a worship service – right there in the pasture. Good news leads them to praise God.

Mary and Joseph had an angel appear to them on separate occasions, God spoke to Joseph in a dream. But for this unknown group of shepherds, God gives them favor, upon favor, upon favor, upon favor. Blessing, upon blessing. What do you do when God offers such grace, forgiveness, mercy and love?

They knew that they were a sinful bunch, but they had received the good news of God. This morning you too can meet the Savior of the world, he no longer can be found in a manger, because having defeated death, hell, and the Enemy – he sits at the right hand of the Father and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

How Should Someone Respond to God’s Favor? (vv. 15-20)

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

(We Respond to God’s favor by) Going and Seeing (v. 15b-16)

Many times we try to define faith and we make too complicated. Faith is simply taking God at His Word. The shepherds had just been given a message – There is a Savior, you can meet Him, Here’s how you will recognize Him. The step of faith for the shepherds was to go to Bethlehem. “And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

The step of faith that God requires us to take is not to run to a nearby barn, but Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” God offers us forgiveness and salvation as a gift – the step we take is to receive or reject this good news as a gift. (Christmas gift around the tree)

(We Respond to God’s favor by) Going and Telling (v. 17-18)

There was something within this group of shepherds that told them that they simply could not go back to the pasture to watch the sheep. They knew they had to tell others the good news – they had a story to tell. The town was amazed – but what the Bible doesn’t say is how the town responded. Did they go and see the Christ child? Did anyone who went offer them a place to stay?

(We Respond to God’s favor by) Treasuring and Pondering (v. 19)

Mary had just given birth in a very difficult place to deliver a child. A barn is filthy. Was there clean water? Did they have blankets? Mary would have been exhausted from labor, pushing and the pain of delivery. She would have looked a mess.

Sometimes God takes us through things were all we can is just sit there and take it all in. She had just delivered the Savior of the world. He was healthy and there weren’t any complications. Animals were nearby, shepherds were arriving, soon townspeople would be getting there. Later magi from the east would be arriving.

But you know what? People weren’t coming to see her or Joseph – they were coming to see Jesus. You cannot dress up the gospel – it is what it is. Life is messy, the way God dealt with our sin was messy, ministry often times is messy, life many times is messy. But if we point people to Christ – it really doesn’t matter what we look like.

What if Mary had turned people away – “no you can’t come in right now, Mary is resting.” “no one come into the barn right now, Mary is putting on her makeup.” When people came to the door she only had to point to the manger. Jesus was the main attraction.

Many times we as Christians think it’s all about us, and how we look to the world – as though we must be perfect and put together before the lost, and lonely, and seeking can come in – all we have to do is point to Christ.

Conclusion

It’s been about ten years since Talk Like Ted was published, and “TED, which launched in 2006, is still alive, with 27 million subscribers on its YouTube page. But somewhere along the line, it lost what made it special.[3] Now, it’s a chore to find the mind-altering presentation among the 4,700 videos. With all the regional offshoots with TEDx, topics and speakers seem ordinary, sometimes even tedious.

And curious people have new options. Podcasts, offer sharper points through intense conversation. You can tell these people care about what they’re doing. They go deep on compelling topics.

But the problem is more fundamental: The TED formula got flat and predictable. As obscure speakers marched to the big red dot, armed with their tales of exploration and challenge, they seemed to follow a script rather than sharing their passions

TED succeeded, at first, because its presentations with carefully curated, with strict time limits, an understanding of narrative, an effective interplay of words and images. Plus, presenters practiced their talks endlessly. When they got on stage, they were ready to rock. More important, the speakers had a passion and an urgency.”[4]

This morning I want to invite you to think about your story – he invites all people to enter into a relationship with him. The Bible says that “He wants none to perish.” If you would like to meet the Savior of the world, today, you can say a prayer and invite Him into your life – you can say something like this,

“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins, I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.” In Jesus’ Name.

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[1] Protecting them from the lion and the bear, 1 Samuel 17:34-35.

[2] Herschel Hobbs, An Exposition of The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 1972) 53.

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

[4] https://theelementsofwriting.com/ted/

“What Happened?” Genesis 3:1-24

The Gospel B.C.

“Discovering God’s Redemptive Plan”

“What Happened?”

Genesis 3:1-24

Introduction

Prayer

The Same Old Temptations (vv. 1-6)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

I Can Make God’s Word Mean What I Want It To Mean (Temptation #1)

The serpent wants to draw the woman into a conversation, so he begins with a complete distortion of what God had commanded Adam, who then passed on the command to Eve (2:16). He is subtlety suggesting that maybe Adam got it wrong when he passed on the command, or maybe he was telling her something that God really didn’t say at all.

While the serpent intentionally misquotes the Lord God’s command, Eve quotes what she has been given. She is still one with her husband, she says, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees .” Eve responds, and as it turns out, Adam has failed to give Eve the name of the tree, and has also added to the original command, she does not name the tree, but instead calls it “the tree that is in the midst of the garden”

“according to its location instead of its significance. And she says “neither shall you touch it, lest you die,” – God’s original command named the tree, again giving its importance, and they were not to eat it, and if they did they would surely” Both the serpent and Eve get God’s command wrong.

Genesis 2:16 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” We don’t know if Adam added to the original command, or if Eve changed it – but what we see from Eve’s response is a changing of God’s Word. Also, notice that up to this point, God was referred to as Lord God, and Satan drops the word Lord – and Eve follows his example.

When the serpent presents this hidden knowledge of something called “the knowledge of good and evil,” he presents it as something hidden or kept from her. She has not been privy to this tree being called, “the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Why have a single tree, that produces fruit that gives a person knowledge of good and evil? In the Garden of Eden are three types of trees: the trees they were allowed to eat from daily, then there was the tree of life that gave them potentially “eternal life,” and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The fruit trees fed the birds, animals etc., the tree of life kept them from aging, but what ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?

Why was it there? What purpose did it serve? The tree means choice – what is love if you have no choice but are forced to love? Can you dictate loyalty? God really only asked Adam and Eve to do one thing, trust Him. Have faith in that He only wanted good for them, that He was God, and they were the created order, just be what God created them to be, and trust Him.

“They” Are Keeping Something Good From Me (Temptation #2)

(v. 4) “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The serpent claiming to know God better than Eve, makes the bold claim that God is lying, “You will not surely die.”

It is true that if she eats the fruit, she will know good and evil, and it is also true that she doesn’t drop dead instantly. The serpent’s comments go straight to God’s motive – the serpent is insinuating that God is maliciously keeping something from Eve, something He doesn’t want her to have. Something that if she were to have it would put her on the level with God. Hidden knowledge.

The serpent is encouraging her “to move from obedience and faith in God’s Word toward her judging God and his command as though from a neutral position.”[1] Whenever we stand in judgement of God’s Word, we place ourselves at least on the same level as God, or even above Him.[2]

God has placed a restriction, a boundary, that you are not to go past – The serpent wants Eve to ask, “Why can’t I go into that territory?” “Why can’t I experience that?” – The serpent whispers, “Because God is morally corrupt, and is evil, and wants you to be miserable, He wants to keep you at this lower level.”

“He doesn’t want you to have something that you want (you don’t even know what it is, but because you have been told you can’t have it, you feel you deserve it). “The serpent spoke only about what she would gain and avoided mentioning what she would lose in the process.”[3]

Why does the serpent go to Eve, instead of Adam? 1 Timothy 2:13-14 “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” There was an order of creation, Adam was the head, and Eve was the helper, made as a perfect companion and spouse.

Together they each played a role in bringing life into the world, and together had dominion over creation. The serpent strikes at their different roles – deceiving Eve into thinking she is inferior. She, on her own, decides to act. The man needs the woman, and the woman needs the man – they complete each other.

Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

(v. 4) the serpent says, if you have this hidden knowledge, then “you will be like God,” – but they were already “like God,” because they had been created in His image (1:26). God did want them to be like Him, He wasn’t keeping this from them, He created them that way.[4] Our heavenly Father does not keep any good thing from His children – we must trust Him for the timing, and His purpose and plan – it is always good.

3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

There is a quick progression that Eve follows. She looked at the fruit and in her evaluation there was nothing about the fruit that would make it bad for food in fact it was delicious looking. She believed that this forbidden fruit would give her knowledge – but it is a knowledge apart from God. 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

Then Eve turns to Adam, fruit in hand, and extends it to him. 1 Tim. 2, tells us “Adam was not deceived,” He saw straight through all the craftiness, all the half-truths, all the emotional attempts at division. Why did Adam eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil?

I Can Fix This (Temptation #3)

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

The serpent’s promise was that “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And indeed “Then the eyes of both were opened.” But in this new knowledge, there is sudden compulsion to cover their nakedness.

Eve thought she could possess that which God was keeping from her, but now she is not like God. She now has a division between her husband (which comes in a moment), between her and her Creator, and even her own body. Her soul is now fighting against her body – which results in shame. Innocence is lost.

(v. 7) “And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Who are they ashamed of seeing them? Who do they not want to see their nakedness? To hide from God, they go to the trees. But they cover their nakedness with leaves – to hide their shame from each other. That which was made, “very good” now there is division.

(v. 9) God knows what has happened, He even already has a plan to fix their mistake, but guilt has to be assigned first, and He wants them to recognize how their sin has impacted them, so God asks, “Where are you?” – fear and shame has driven them to hide amongst the trees. God asks, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” But instead of simply saying, “yes, we believed the lie of the serpent” – they try to blame others.

Just Blame Someone Else For Your Behavior (Temptation #4)

12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The man blames God for giving him an inferior woman, “whom you gave to be with me” – She gave him fruit of the tree, and he ate it. Genesis 2:18 “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” And then later on, it says, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” They were very good in their creation. The woman blames the serpent, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” –

The Consequences of Adam & Eve’s Rebellion

The Serpent’s Curse (vv. 14-15)

14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

We are introduced to two races of people – the offspring of Adam and Even, and the offspring of the serpent. These two groups of people will have enmity between them.

(v. 15) “contains a puzzling yet important ambiguity: Who is the “seed” of the woman? It seems obvious that the purpose of the verse has not been to answer that question but rather to raise it. The remainder of the book is the author’s answer.”[5]

Eve’s Curse (v. 16)

16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

The original blessing for Eve was to “be fruitful and multiply,” and in the marriage relationship she would have with her husband as they had dominion over the earth. Now it was in these greatest times of blessing, there would also pain and now that sin has entered into the world, she would still play the same role, but now her husband and herself would have a sin nature,

“Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, (you will no longer be united) but he shall rule over you.” Eve believed that God (her Creator who only gave her good things) was keeping something good from her, and that she deserved more, how much more of this would she show this attitude toward her husband?

But also, in the pain of delivering a child was the promise that eventually, Eve’s offspring would eventually defeat the one that led her into this fallen state.

Adam’s Curse (vv. 17-19)

17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Work is given to man in 2:15, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” So it is not working that is the curse, working was his assignment from God originally, so it was good. But now, “cursed is the ground.” Adam and Eve will be forced to leave the garden with its’ many fruit bearing trees, to outside the garden where Adam will have to plow fields and work hard to produce food.

His work will produce “thorns and thistles;” his efforts will result is wasted time and resources. Before the fall everything his hands touched bloomed and produced fruit – now it is painful, and some of his efforts result in nothing but wasted time.

“for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 2:7) – Man’s work and toil is tied to his death. Every loaf of bread he produces, it will cost him the sweat of his brow.

Consequences Remain, But Grace is Given (vv. 20-24)

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Grace Between Man and Woman

Adam and Eve both are well aware that they will now die, and have been cursed because of their decision to rebel against God – “the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (literally) Life has to go on, in spite of their mistake. They still have a command from God to follow. So Adam, as an act of faith, calls his wife, Eve.

Grace between Humanity and God.

(v. 21) “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Originally, no animals were to be killed for food, the animals didn’t even kill eath other. Everything, was a herbivore. But, God kills animals, to cover Adam and Eve with skins. To cover their shame, something had to die. The Lord God himself made them clothes. Genesis 3 shows us that the pain we encounter, why there are all the horrors of this world, and why we act, and others behave the way they do – it’s not God’s fault.

“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.” – humanity no longer is in obedience with their Creator, he has rebelled and in that fallen state, has become independent and autonomous. He places himself on the same level with God, thinking he can determine right and wrong, good and evil.

Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This is the fallen state of humanity, they will no longer look to God to provide “the good,” but will always be bent toward what they think is good and evil. (making ourselves god).

Humanity can no longer eat of the tree of life and now will eventually die. To live a life that runs counter to how you were created is a miserable life, so God in His grace allows them to die. Man’s nature is bent toward rebellion against His Creator.

They have obtained being “like God” but they are no longer with God. The fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is for God alone to eat from. The tree in midst of the garden guides us to ask the question, “Do you want to be God, or do you want God to be God?” For you to be God is for you to be separated from the One true God. For you to trust Him, as God, is to have eternal life.

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[1] Gerhard Von Rad, The Old Testament Library, Genesis (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; The Westminster Press, 1961) 86.

[2] “Whenever man attacks the concrete Word of God with the weapon of a principle or an idea of God, there he has become the lord of God.” (Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall, 68).

[3] Kenneth Matthews, The New American Commentary, Genesis 1-11:26 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman & Holman Publishing, 1995) 237.

[4] John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 51.

[5] Sailhamer, 56.

“The Christian’s Extension of the Gospel” Colossians 1:24-2:5

“The Supreme Life”

A Sermon Series in Colossians

“The Christian’s Extension of the Gospel”

Colossians 1:24-2:5

Introduction

A pastor named Epaphras was leading a church in Colossae and there was something so troubling to him that was going on in the church that it drove him to travel to Paul in Rome (about 1,000 miles) to seek his help and to have an authoritative address (Paul as an apostle) to the issue.

In the part that we will look at today we begin to get an idea of what the problem was. The ancient society was influenced by Greek philosophy, specifically Plato. Plato believed that in the heavens there was an ideal for everything here on earth. A perfect ideal tree, and what we see here are shadows, copies, reflections of that ideal (so there is variety and differences).

So when Jesus comes along, they try to blend their worldly philosophy with Christianity. There was also the belief that anything of matter was evil. So, if Jesus was God he couldn’t be material, He had to be spiritual. According to them, Jesus was not physically here, He only appeared to be real, but was really a spirit only (in fact they believed that His feet never really touched the ground).

So in chapter 1 we see Jesus as (v. 15) “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Jesus was fully God who became fully man and made the relationship between God and man right again by his dying a cross. What is at stake is the gospel that the church had correctly received from Epaphras being corrupted by the philosophies of the world.

Prayer

The Extension of the Gospel Involves Suffering (vv. 1:24-25)

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

Paul is in prison and with a chain on his wrist he writes, “I rejoice in my sufferings,” “Now when I contemplate the lavish wealth of God’s mercy, now when I see all the glory of bearing a part in this magnificent work, my sorrow is turned into joy.”[1]

When Paul says, “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” he does not mean that Christ’s crucifixion and death were not enough, be has already made it plain here and in other books that Christ’s death alone is what is needed for salvation (not works, family lineage, following the law, etc.)

2 Corinthians 1:5 “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings,” but instead Paul is an extension of Christ’s ministry, and he is suffering on prison, while he writes this book. “The Church is built up by repeated acts of self-denial in successive individuals and successive generations.”[2] They continue the work that Christ began.

In the ancient world if you were the minister of a pagan religion, it was very common to have a slow revealing of secret information, and special knowledge. Once you get to a higher level, shown your loyalty or dedication, then new information would be revealed, and then the person was to keep these things secret in their closed circle. The Christian mystery is revealed to all, and the information is complete from the beginning.

Paul is a minister and he understands his job is to “make the word of God fully known.” We as believers are to follow Jesus’ and Paul’s example to make the word of God fully known, and because we live in a world hostile to the truth of the gospel it may also involve suffering.

Paul is an extension of Jesus’ ministry and he is in prison, Epaphras is an extension of Jesus’ ministry and he traveled 1000 miles for the sake the health of this church, and the church at Colossae is an extension of Jesus’ ministry – and there is a danger that the word of God may not be fully known, but instead corrupted.

The Extension of the Gospel Includes Everyone (vv. 1:26-27)

26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“Christ in you,” – “God and his plan for salvation that had remained hidden in the past but that had now been revealed.” When the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day should crucify him! Crucify Him! And the demons of hell rejoiced as they saw Christ on the cross, they had no idea that this was the plan the entire time for the redemption of humanity. This plan for salvation now includes not just the Jewish people, but the entire world. By faith, anyone could be “in Christ,” and as Paul says here, “Christ in you.” Because Jesus is our head, our representative, and we are his people – we have a hope of glory.

The Extension of the Gospel is Difficult Work (vv. 1:28-29)

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

It is “Him,” Jesus we proclaim – we don’t proclaim our preferences, our agendas, our wants, our opinions – we proclaim Jesus. With that proclamation are two things 1) warnings (to stimulate repentance), and 2) teachings (to enhance faith). Warnings are what the Bible says about the sin of this world and its affects upon our lives (we warn people of the danger of sin, we don’t placate to it), and we teach what the Bible says and how our lives need to be changed and how we profit from applying to our lives, by doing what it says.

This warning and teaching has to be done “with all wisdom,” Jesus said to “speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15)” What you say matters, and how you say it matters as well. What you say may be true, but if you say it in an unwise manner, it will not be received.

When we use wisdom to properly warn and teach people, they then mature in their faith. Paul says that this is a toil and struggle and it takes all his energy. The proclamation of Jesus and the warning and teaching to others is hard (even for an apostle). And when Paul says, “For this I toil,” is a word picture of an athlete in his training, and then contending.

It is an exhausting work – that we all share a part. This is the wonder of the church – each using their gifts, talents, life experience, doing their part (as Paul describes a body or feet, hands, etc.) to expand the work of Christ, the gospel. But what makes it exhausting is . . .

People don’t like to be told what they are doing is wrong (unrepentant),

and they believe they know everything (unteachable).

Paul is in prison for his dealing with one heretical teaching in Ephesus (mixing the law with faith), and now he has received a pastor from Colossae with another false teaching -church work is tiring. There is an “Intellectual exclusiveness taught by the Gnosticizers”[3] Plato and Aristotle both taught a form of higher philosophy, it relates to those who have transcended the bounds of the material. The common everyday believers had faith in Christ, but there was a secret mystery of Christ that could be achieved.

The Extension of the Gospel Leads Us to Encourage Others (vv. 2:2-3)

2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul talks about his struggle (continuing the image of an athlete in an arena) and how hard the gospel ministry is (for their church and he mentions another church in Laodicea), and for those believers he has never met and he wants, “their hearts may be encouraged,” – The word used for “encouraged in heart” or “to have hearts encouraged” is therefore a way of referring to an encouragement that touches the deepest part of our being and that affects every aspect of our persons.”[4] The word encourage means to pull someone next to you, beside you – by being next to you they are lifted up.

What should encourage us is not secrets or false promises

but that we are struggling, like Paul, for the continuance of the gospel.

He also wants his ministry to unite them, to “knit them together,” and the context that surrounds all of this is love. What unites us, and those who proclaim Jesus, is our knowledge and proper understanding of the gospel, and who Jesus is, and what He has done for humanity. We should not be knit together by anything but our love for Jesus and his crucifixion. The church is where we gather to talk about Jesus, to sing about Jesus, to study Jesus’ teachings, — we are knit together by our knowledge and love for Him.

Let me insert here the importance of church membership – when a person joins a church they are saying, “I agree with this church’s beliefs and how they are proclaiming the truth of the gospel, and what they teach about Jesus and His Word. I therefore am going to live out the Christian life in fellowship with these other believers in love.”

A church should not tolerate any teaching or beliefs within its fellowship that teach a corrupted Jesus, or twists the Bible to mean something it does not. But it is also the unity in the expression of the gospel that is a witness to the world, “The late Francis Schaeffer called the unity of the church “the final apologetic” to the watching world.”

(v. 3) “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” – “Christ is the one in whom is to be found all that you need in order to understand spiritual reality and to lead a life pleasing to God.”[5] When you place your faith in Jesus – you get Jesus (you don’t fly, move things with your mind, or project to other places, you don’t get special powers, you don’t learn hand gestures to enter other dimensions, or secret knowledge or spells. You get Jesus in the beginning of your journey, and He is with you all the way to the end – Paul wants us to understand Jesus is enough (He is preeminent). The work of the gospel is the work.

(v. 3) In verse three we see the word apocryphal – this word was applied to esoteric writings, where sectarians claimed a secret authority and they carefully guarded their publications or secret books. Jesus is the revelation of all true wisdom and knowledge.

People want an easy access to spiritual growth.

Your Journey to Find Spiritual Truth and Fulfillment

Begins with Jesus and Ends With Jesus.

“The basic attack of all false systems throughout history has been to deny either Christ’s deity, His sufficiency to save and sanctify, or both. Any group or person doing so is guilty of teaching “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). As purveyors of another gospel, they are accursed (Gal. 1:8). Believers need to have a settled conviction about Christ’s deity and sufficiency to be able to withstand the onslaught of such false teaching.”[6]

The Importance of Extending the Correct Gospel (vv. 2:4-5)

4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

(v. 4) “delude you with plausible arguments,” – Mankind has always asked the question, “Why am I here?” or “Where am I going?” “The word philosophy comes from two Greek words, phileo, “to love” and sophia, “wisdom.” Philosophy is a love and pursuit of wisdom. Since the ancients there have been many who seek to explain the universe.

Any time we seek to explain the universe and leave God out of it our thoughts become dark and we realize we are without hope. Romans 1:21-22 describes it this way, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,”

Paul does not give us the specific danger the church at Colossae faced, but he reminds them of Christ’s role in the universe. He is calling the church to be aware, “to watch out,” to a constant awareness because danger is near. The church constantly faces the danger of false teachers. Jesus warns in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

These false teachers “delude” them. Is a compound word made up of “booty” – captured materials form war, and “to carry off.” It means to kidnap, or to carry off spoils of war. We must be careful not to allow ourselves to become pray of a false teacher who will carry us off as captives of war.

These false teachers carry off church members “with plausible arguments,” – the root of these words means deceit, fraud, or trick.” Whatever the false teaching was that drive this pastor to seek Paul’s help was not what it appeared to be. No matter how religious and profound it may have sounded and appeared to them, it was false and hollow.

In the following verses (that we will get to next time) Paul is going to give two specific examples of these arguments that seem plausible at the outset, but ultimately show themselves to be false and dangerous. But ultimately, we like Adam and Eve, stand at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

God said you can eat from any tree in the garden except this one tress, but look what happens in Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,2 she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Satan promised them hidden knowledge that God was keeping from them. Paul is telling us that we have the full knowledge of wisdom and understanding in Christ – God has held nothing back.

Whenever we, as human beings, take God out of the equation, when we place ourselves as god of the universe, we allow ourselves to be carried off into lies. Adam and Eve thought they knew better than God what was good for them. This is the fall of mankind. When I put myself over God’s Word, then I am doing the same thing and Adam and Eve in the garden.

It’s all about Jesus.

_________________

[1] T.K. Abbott, The International Critical Commentary, The Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians (Edinburgh, Scotland; T&T Clark Publishing) 228.

[2] J. B. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (Lynn, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 1982) 166.

[3] Lightfoot, 170.

[4] Douglas Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008) 165.

[5] Moo, 169.

[6] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Colossians and Philemon (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Publishing, 1992) 90.

“Sola Fide: Faith Alone” Romans 1:16-17

A Sermon Series

The Five Solas

“Sola Fide: Faith Alone”

Romans 1:16-17

Introduction

The theologian Martin Luther who nailed the 95 thesis on the church door that started the Protestant Reformation, was a Catholic priest. He was very frustrated, and this is what he wrote in his journals, “I hated that word, justice of God . . . the justice by which God is just and by which he punishes sinners and the unjust . . . I was a sinner with an extremely troubled conscience . . . I hated the just God who punishes sinners . . . I grumbled vehemently and got angry at God . . . I was raging with wild and disturbed conscience . . . I badgered St. Paul on the spot in Romans 1”[1] Luther had been taught that he was made right with God by his actions, the works that he did to try and please God, But his conscience still bothered him because he knew he was a sinner. The more he tried to please God with his actions, the more frustrated and angry he became.

Then he came across Romans 1:17, and later he would write, “All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates . . . I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light . . . I exalted this sweetest word of mine, ‘justice of God’ with as much love as before I had hated it with hate. This phrase of Paul was for me the very gate of paradise.”[2]

Martin Luther realized by the Holy Spirit revealing to him a proper understanding of Romans 1:17, All that is required for salvation and right relationship with God, for a person to be considered righteous, is faith; faith alone.

Prayer

God’s People Have the Power of the Gospel (v. 16)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Paul begins v. 16 by stating that he is “not ashamed of the gospel.” A Scottish theologian, James Stewart, made the comment, “There’s no sense in declaring that you are not ashamed of something unless you have been tempted to feel ashamed of it.”[3]

The gospel means “good news,” and it is good news because all of humanity have sinned and are in need of a Savior. For the Jews it was a “stumbling block, and for the Gentiles foolishness.”[4] In order to see it as good news, you have to understand the bad news, or the fallen situation in which all of humanity are “dead in their trespasses and sin” (Eph. 2:1).

The OT law is designed by God to show every person that they are not capable of what God requires to go to heaven, or be in His presence (sinless perfection). No one can keep the law, Jesus even show this further with His teachings of (murder related to anger, and adultery related to lust, etc.).

There is a huge temptation by the church to make the gospel less offensive. It has been said that, “Christianity is wounded most in the house of its friends.”[5] In Galatians 5:11-12 Paul expresses his fear of removing the offense of the gospel. “But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.”

Paul clearly recognizes something we need to realize: the true gospel is offensive to sinful human beings. You cannot remove the offense of the gospel without removing the gospel itself. Paul recognized that it was impossible to share the true gospel without offending the lost.

Then he goes on to tell us why he is not ashamed of the gospel, “for it is the power of God for salvation,” – “of all the religions and non-religions of the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only message that truly saves . . . they cannot cleanse from sin or make a person right with the Creator of the universe. Only the gospel provides salvation from judgment.”[6]

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jesus).” The only way to be forgiven of your sins, and enter into eternity is through Jesus.

Jeremiah 13:3 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” Can a person change their nature? No. It takes the power of God acting in their lives to change our hearts.

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because the gospel is not just “one power over against another others, by the supreme power, the power of almighty God Himself directed toward the salvation of men, God’s almighty saving power.”[7] In worldly religions and cults, people follow them because they want power, they want their gods to do something on their behalf. They would have healing papyri, having a healing formula – but here is true power of God to the person for the ultimate healing.

One temptation is change the gospel so that it is not offensive; another temptation is to try to bring people into a righteousness of God is some way other than the gospel (join a Sunday school Class, Come to Church, give money, serve on a committee) and never the mention of Jesus, their sin, or the cross – serving does not bring about righteousness in a person, only the gospel changes a life. We invite people to the gospel. A changed life begins only at the foot of the cross.

And that forgiveness of sin, is “to everyone who believes,” When the angels came to the shepherds, who were watching their flocks by night, they told them, Luke 2:10-11 “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The good news of the Savior’s arrival is for the world, all the people.

Paul says that the good news for everyone, who believes. In Genesis 15:5 God tells Abraham to look up and to count the stars, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Abraham was made righteous before God by believing what God said. Those who would become descendants of Abraham (the stars in the sky, the sands on the seashore), would be those who believe God, and who also because of their faith are counted to them God’s righteousness.

God’s People Live by Faith (v. 17)

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Paul is referencing Habakkuk 2:4, “. . . the righteous shall live by his faith.”[8] The Old Testament and the New Testament both define faith the same way. God makes a promise, and the people believe God’s promise.

“How can a sinful man be made right before a perfect God? Paul is declaring in verse 17 that in Christ, God gives His own righteousness and thus meets all His demands for perfection.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 describes it this way, “For our sake he made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God transferred your sin to Jesus upon the cross, and God transferred Jesus’ sinless righteousness, “a God kind of righteousness”[9] to you.

How does this transfer happen? Paul explains, by faith alone. It is an openness to the gospel, but it is a gift from God (not something you do). It is the “human response of surrender to the judgement and unmerited mercy of God which God Himself brings about – God who not only directs the message to the hearer but also Himself lays open the hearer’s heart to the message. And yet this faith, as God’s work in a man, is in a real sense more truly and fully the man’s own personal decision than anything which he himself does of himself; for it is the expression of freedom which God has restored to him —the freedom to obey God.”[10]

To helps us get a definition of the word faith, lets’ go to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation” (and the whole chapter). Each of the people listed in Hebrews 11, were told to do something, or that something was going to happen – and they believed it and acted accordingly (Noah built and ark, Abraham moved his family, etc.).

A proper understanding of faith is helpful then for us to see if someone says they receive Christ but use His grace and mercy as an excuse to sin in what theologians call antinomianism, “In some Christian belief systems, an antinomian is one who takes the principle of salvation by faith and divine grace to the point of asserting that the saved are not bound to follow the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments. Antinomians believe that faith alone guarantees eternal security in heaven, regardless of one’s actions.”[11] As if faith in Jesus allows them to disregard the teachings of Scripture.

In Paul’s life there was a radical change on the road to Damascus. He went from hunting down Christians and persecuting the church to planting churches and being one of their primary leaders. No one can remain unchanged who has received the grace of God in the gospel, and walks “from faith for faith.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

And then on the opposite side of lawlessness is the legalistic religious person – who also claims to be a follower of Jesus, but in reality they are not reliant upon God’s righteousness being revealed, and they are not living by faith. Instead, they are reliant upon their careful keeping of their own personal law, and what they think earns God’s favor toward them.[12] (this is what frustrated Martin Luther).

Both the lawless person and the legalistic person don’t understand faith. The lawless lacks faith because true faith leads to life change, not continued sinfulness. The legalistic person lacks genuine faith because they are trusting in themselves to earn God’s favor.

Paul uses this phrase, “from faith for faith,” and another way to say this is “faith from start to finish.”[13] (v.17) “the righteousness of God is revealed . . .“The righteous shall live by faith – Faith is revealed or given by God to people who then receive salvation, who then live out their lives by continuing to live by faith. We start our walk with God in faith, and we walk in faith all the way through until the end. “It is not a one-time act, but a way of life. . . Theologians have called this “the perseverance of the saints.”[14]

Genuine faith will lead to a heart change.

(v. 17) “The righteous shall live by faith.” This is a passage Paul quotes from Habakkuk, and that prophet who at his wits end. First, wickedness was rampant in Israel and God seemed oblivious to it, moving Habakkuk to rail against God in a series of complaints (Hab. 1:2-4). Second when God said that He was going to use a nation more wicked than Israel (the Babylonians) to punish Israel, this produced cries and complaints of injustice from the prophet (Hab. 1:12-2:1).

So Habakkuk was frustrated and didn’t understand why God was doing what He did. God responds to the prophet by saying that He was going to reveal His righteousness, and will put all of Habakkuk’s concerns to rest. But until God shows His plan, “the righteous shall live by faith” – to trust him. When things don’t make sense, and life seems to be going in the wrong direction – trust Him.

Before Paul’s reference of the Habakkuk passage he says, “as it is written,” “Whenever ecclesiastical teachings begin to compromise with the pagan notion that righteousness can be earned, there needs to be a clear reaffirmation that God’s righteousness comes from faith, not works. “As it is written” – the Greek work for this emphasizes the permanence and authoritative nature of Scripture.”[15] It has always been faith, and as secure as God’s Word stands, it will always be faith, faith alone.

We want to change the world; it is dark, at times it feels hopeless, and things don’t always go the way we think it should go. So, God gives us a supernatural power to change to world around us, to change families, even whole communities – we have “the power of God for salvation” – the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Bellevue Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

The discipleship process begins with the gospel.

The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.[16]

__________________________

[1] Kenneth Boa & William Kruidenier, Holman New Testament Commentary, Romans (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2000) 36.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Kenneth Boa & William Kruidenier, 30.

[4] 1 Corinthians 1:23

[5] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1991) 51.

[6] Jason K. Allen, General Editor, SOLA. How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church (Chicago, Illinois; Moddy Publishers, 2019) 59.

[7] C.E.B. Cranfield, The International Critical Commentary, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Volume I (Edinburgh, Scotland; T&T Clark LTD) 88.

[8] Quoted also in Galatians 3:11

[9] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 327.

[10] Cranfield, 90.

[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomianism

[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalism_(theology)

[13] George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1954) 394.

[14] MacArthur, 57. Col. 1:22-23; Heb. 3:12-14

[15] Robert Mounce, The American Commentary, Romans (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman & Holman Publishing, 1995) 74.

[16] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/faith.htm

“Partakers of Grace & Partners in the Gospel” Philippians 1:1-11

A Study of the Book of

“Philippians”

“Partakers of Grace & Partners in the Gospel”

Philippians 1:1-11

Introduction

Prayer

Unity In Purpose (vv. 1-2)

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In that day it was very typical of letters sent to include who was sending the letter, “Paul and Timothy,” and to include their title. “Paul usually introduced himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. But in this letter he makes no reference to his apostolic position . . . (and) he uses the same title for both himself and Timothy. Their work together was that of “slaves,” the literal meaning of the term servants.”[1]

Paul and Timothy are not free to do what they wanted, they were servants of Jesus and they were subject to the claims of the one who owned them. Jesus’ claim was that He was God, Lord – and if that claim is true, then we are servants of God.

The poet William Ernest Henley wrote the words, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” “No matter how much you would like to think otherwise, your every plan and action is driven by a desire to avoid pain or achieve gain by pleasing or placating some ‘lord’ or other. The master you serve may be success or money, or what money can buy. Your lord may be affection or romance, or reputation and respect. You may be enslaved by other people’s opinions, terrified at the prospect of rejection or ridicule, or perhaps you are haunted by the specter of life alone.”[2] But the truth is that we all are a servant of a lord in our lives.

Moses, Joshua, David – all the great men and women of the Bible are servants, slaves, of the Most High God. You have to submit yourself to something in this life – The rulers of this world use you, disregard you, and when they are done with you cast you away. But King Jesus gives his servants authority, considers them brothers and sisters, Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Lord honors the slave’s role by assuming it himself in his incarnation.

When believers receive the claim of Jesus, that He is Lord, then we are all on the same level as His servants – Paul and Timothy are servants, side by side, each doing what God has called them to do. Any other Christians who say they believe the claim that Jesus is Lord, then there is no hierarchy, only fellow servants serving as each has been gifted and called.

Four hundred years before Paul and Timothy shared the gospel in Philippi “the city was taken over by King Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great—hence the name Philippi.”[3] The city of Philippi “was established in 42 BC as a colony for Roman veterans after the defeat of Brutus and Cassius by Mark Antony and Octavian (later Caesar Augustus).”[4] And later in 31 BC there was a repopulation wave made up of Roman soldiers and Italian farmers. So, it is a retirement city for soldiers.

In the church in Philippi there had been arguing and fighting – some believers were struggling with pride, arrogance, and it had caused strong division within the church. “Paul directs his opening greetings to leaders (overseers and deacons), in the church because they were the potential solution to the problem of disunity.”[5]

Paul refers to himself and Timothy as “servants of Jesus Christ,” then he references the saints, the church at Philippi, and then their leadership (overseers and deacons) but these leaders are not over the church, they are “with the overseers and deacons – the leaders serve the Lord, in a leadership capacity and oversee the church, but they are together, side-by-side seeking to fulfill the mission.

We will see that pride, arrogance and division was tearing the church apart – Paul, in these opening remarks, is saying, we are all (apostles, church members, pastors, deacons, etc.) everyone are all servants to the Lord. Jesus comes first in all of our lives.

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus” – There is this common bond between Christians; “the believer gives up himself, his own life, to Christ, and possesses the life of Christ in himself; he is in Christ, and Christ in him; he is dead with Christ, and Christ becomes his life.”[6]

“the saints,” – The term saint describes a person of purity, and a person that has the privilege of standing before God. But how do sinners become pure able to stand before God? In Exodus 3:3-5 Moses sees the burning bush while he is out tending sheep, “And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” It was God’s presence that made the ground holy. It is God’s presence in the believer that makes the pure, holy, a saint – not their actions or works.

When there is submission the Jesus as Lord, and we humble ourselves before Him, then we experience grace (unmerited favor) and peace that comes from our being forgiven of our sin and being make right with our Creator – “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul uses this phrase in all his letters, because it is the mission of the church – God grace and peace that comes from Jesus alone. This is what gives unity and purpose to the church at Philippi and to all the churches that claim to be servants of Jesus.

Partnership In the Gospel (vv. 3-8)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy[7], 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

(v. 3) Paul is in prison and is writing the church at Philippi who (as we will see) have sent someone to help him, and supplies – so the whole letter should be read as a thank you note from Paul to this church. Paul is expressing his thankfulness and gratitude for their support. This letter was written twelve years after Acts 16.

(v. 3) Even in chains and in prison, Paul is thankful; there is joy[8] in his times of prayer – why? “because of your partnership in the gospel” The church at Philippi, are working together with Paul, to expand the gospel. Let me ask you, “Do you have joy in your walk with the Lord?” Paul has joy – when he thinks of the church, he knows all the problems, so he prays for them. Then he is moved to thank God for them and this process fills his heart with joy. Praying for others who you are a partner with you in ministry, thanking God for them leads to joy in our spirit.

Do You Have Joy In Your Christian Walk?

Are you praying for others Christians, and thanking God for them?

Our joy, when you think about church, should be linked to other believers and their struggles as we all are seeking to expand the gospel – but many time this is not the case in churches. We too often link our joy with experiences (music performances, excitement in preaching, etc.) Paul links his joy with people and a common mission.

It can’t just be to a group of people; if it is, then the church is no different than Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, or a bowling league. Also, It is not just to the mission, because we are not designed to live the Christian life in isolation. Individually, we don’t have all that is needed to accomplish the mission – this is why the church exists. It is people and a common understanding that the church “exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.”

The word for partnership (koinonia) was used in that culture in various ways; family relationships, friendships, business partnerships, common ownership of property, citizenship, and religious organizations; these “were all considered examples of koinonia in Paul’s day.”[9] Paul uses this word partnership six times in this gospel – and begins to help us understand that those that partner in the expansion of the gospel is different than any other partnership.

Do You Have Joy In Your Christian Walk?

Are you engaged in the mission of reaching others for Christ?

The church does not exist to serve you, we exist to serve the Lord and reach others for Christ.

Our relationship with Christ over flows into relationship with others who have also placed their faith in Christ, and as we seek to all be obedient the calling upon our lives. The gospel transforms our lives, and that transformation draws us in a unique, beautiful, and powerful community. (unlike any previous partnership) Even to the point of considering each other family. Paul refers to this body of believers nine times as, “brothers and sisters.”

(v. 6) Paul sees and knows all about the issues the church is facing, but he says, “this I know for sure,” that “he who began a good work in you (the Philippian Church) will bring it to completion,” – “Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, this koinonia was threatened by opposition from without (1:28) and conflict within (4:2). Intense suffering in a world hostile to the gospel and a bitter dispute between leaders in the church may have called into question the survival of their partnership in the gospel.”[10] Paul is saying, “God started the Philippian church, and God would see it to its completion.”

Picture of eggs in a nest — “draw a picture of what you see”

(v. 7) “for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel,” – it is not until verse 7 that we get a hint of trouble. Paul is writing from prison (and remember that Timothy is with him). The Greek work “imprisoned” is closer to “chained.” Paul was chained as he waited for an appeal to the emperor. By this point he had previously spent two years in custody in Judea, waiting for his “case” to be resolved by officials there in Rome.

“If we are partners in the gospel, it is because we are partners in grace – because of the invincible Spirit of Christ has pulled us, in spite of our ourselves, out of the pit of our self-centered self-reliance, made us face the ugly reality of our guilt and helplessness, and drawn us to trust in Jesus.” We both know of God’s grace, and that draws us closer, and leads us to love one another.

A Church Known For Its’ Love (vv. 9-11)

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul prays out loud so that we can hear him ask God for the Philippian church so that their “love may abound more and more,” – “may keep on overflowing, a perpetual flood of love, “yet more and more,” but with necessary limitations (river banks), “in full knowledge,” “and all discernment.”[11]

The Christian life is one of growth. Paul, because of his love for his brothers and sisters in Christ, is not content for them to stay the same – He prays that their love would grow, and the “more and more,” is ongoing, ever growing dynamic for better and purer expressions of love.

The theologian and writer K. Chesterton once said, “Love is not blind. Love is bound. And the more it is bound, the less it is blind.”[12] Love needs to see clearly and speak truthfully. Love knows how to see and speak.

Do You Have Joy In Your Christian Walk?

How Committed Are You to Other Christians?

“with knowledge and all discernment” – the knowledge and discernment mentioned here is in reference to other believers. There is a “recognition of the will of God that is effective and in the conduct of one who knows God.” Christ knows us, in spite of our flaws, and draws us to a deeper relationship with Him. Our love for each other should cause us to push one another toward Christ, to gain knowledge and discernment of Jesus.

In Hosea 4:1, 6 we see the opposite of this, “There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; . . . My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;”

We need knowledge (of Christ) and discernment of His Word, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless”[13] – When we make a decision, we have to look at multiple options, weigh them, and then choose the best way. The way Paul says this is not choosing between good and bad, but between what is good, and what is best (excellent). Paul is wanting their love to grow for one another, so that they will know the best way to express their love one for another (with excellence).

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[1] G. Walter Hansen, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009) 38.

[2] Dennis E. Johnson, Reformed Expository Commentary, Philippians (Phillipsburg, New Jersey; P&R Publishing, 2013) 9.

[3] Johnson, 4.

[4] Hansen, 41.

[5] Hansen, 42.

[6] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids; Michigan; WM B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967) 416.

[7] “as we entrust ourselves to Jesus, he gives two gifts: a love that stretches our hearts to embrace others, and a joy that places our pain into perspective, enabling us to see our suffering in the context of God’s comprehensive plan to make us like his Son.” Johnson, 22.

[8] “This is the first of fourteen times that the joy note sounds in this letter.” Hansen, 47.

[9] Hansen, 48.

[10] Hansen, 50.

[11] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV, The Epistles of Paul (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 437.

[12] Hansen, 59.

[13] “a firm conception of those spiritual principles which would guide them in their relations with one another and the world.” Nicoll, 421.

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