For Jesus' Sake - Philippians 1:19-30

Sermon Series: Partners in Christ

I love the movie trailers before the movies Amy and I go to see at the theater. I don’t love them because they always make me excited to see the movies they are advertising, I love them because without them we would miss the first 5 to 10 minutes of every movie we go to see. There’s one other thing that is always helpful for me prior to the movie starting as well. For the last several years there has been a reminder for people to turn off their cell phone ringers prior to the movie starting. It’s usually the nice voice of man or woman who says something like this, “For the sake of others around you, please turn off your cell phone and other electronic devices.” A lot of times we are rushing to the ticket booth, rushing to the restroom, and then rushing to our seats. In the process I have often forgotten to turn my ringer off. So this serves as a great reminder for me. But have you ever considered your motivation for doing this – it’s “for the sake of others” isn’t it. We don’t want our cell phone to distract or frustrate those around us who are trying to enjoy the movie. So with them in mind, we turn our ringers off.

If we’re honest with ourselves today we would have to admit that turning off our cell phone ringers for the sake of others isn’t that incredibly difficult. Neither is it all that sacrificial (I mean after all, you can keep the phone on vibrate so that you won’t miss an important call or text should one come). So this is one case in which most of us are willing to give some for the sake of others. Unfortunately though, in our culture we don’t do much anymore for the sake of others. Our culture has taught us to live for ourselves. We’ve become incredibly self-centered individuals and an incredibly self-centered nation. And unfortunately a lot of that mentality has spilled over into our churches. Many of our churches have become self-centered and lack the willingness to do things for the sake of others, unless it’s both easy and convenient. And this is a problem of enormous magnitude for our churches and the individuals who make up our churches today, because every moment of our lives (as individuals and as churches) should be lived for the sake of another – for Jesus’ sake. The text we are going to examine this week will speak to this idea of living for Jesus’ sake, but I need you to do one thing for me before we continue. I need you to turn off the switch in your mind that tends to individualize everything, because this week’s text is written to the church. We need to see and understand together how our life as a church body needs to be lived for the sake of Jesus.

Last week we examined verses 12 through 18 of Philippians chapter 1, and as part of our examination of those verses we noted that Paul transitioned away from sharing with the church of Philippi what he had been praying to share with them what had been transpiring – events and the effects of those events that had already taken place. We noted in verses 12 through 14 that the good news of Jesus was advancing in difficult places. Paul had been imprisoned with the intentions that his message and influence would be hindered. But to our amazement we saw that the chains and prison cell meant to hinder the message of the gospel had actually served to liberate it as the church in Philippi observed God’s faithfulness to Paul and was inspired to be “much more bold” and “to speak the word without fear.” We also noted in verses 15 through 18 that the good news of Jesus was even advancing in less than stellar motives. With Paul away and in prison some who were hungry to make a name for themselves had started declaring the message of the gospel out of envious motives. They wanted the recognition and influence that Paul received when proclaiming the message of Christ and so they began to proclaim the good news of Jesus with hopes of receiving the same (if not greater) influence and recognition that Paul had received. These were two situations in which most of us would probably be incredibly discouraged - Paul was in prison AND being afflicted by other believers in Christ who simply wanted to make their own names great. But we ended last week with Paul sharing his emotions in regards to the events and their effects which had transpired (verse 18), “Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Paul was encouraged by what was transpiring because the good news of Jesus was continuing to move forward and progress. As a servant of Christ (see 1:1) that was all that mattered to Paul. So Paul continued to remain encouraged and was rejoicing because of what was taking place.

To Honor Christ in the Equipping of the Church (vs. 19-26)

 As we begin our examination of our text this week we notice that Paul wasn’t only rejoicing in what had transpired, but that he was also expecting to rejoice greatly in what would transpire. “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance . . .” (Philippians 1:19). [Allow me to note here that in the next few verses Paul will articulate to the church at Philippi what he believes will transpire in the days ahead. As he does he touches on several issues that we could spend a great deal of time detailing and explaining. At the same time it also appears that Paul is communicating one bigger idea that plays a more significant role in what he is trying to communicate. For our purposes this week we will focus on trying to communicate clearly that bigger idea and how it fits into the greater purpose of this portion of his letter.] In verses 19-26, Paul seems to suggest that he will (in the days to come) rejoice because Christ will be honored in the equipping of the church. According to verse 19 Paul had a great confidence both in the prayers of the Philippian church on his behalf and in the help of the Spirit of Jesus, because through them he will find deliverance. The deliverance Paul has in mind is neither a physical deliverance from prison, nor the completed salvation that will take place when he does die and stands before Christ as Judge. In verse 20 Paul shows his uncertainty regarding any physical deliverance saying, “. . . Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death.” To say that Paul was convinced of physical deliverance from prison and death doesn’t fit with the context of what Paul says just one verse later. A completed salvation that will take place after Paul dies doesn’t fit in context either because one of the things that Paul places his confidence in is the prayers of the Philippian church. No where in the NT does it ever suggest that our completed salvation is dependant upon the prayers of others. So what is the deliverance that Paul is so confident in and in which Paul rejoices? Let’s take a look at verse 20 to see if it offers any help.

“. . . As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (vs. 20). Verse 20 begins with Paul saying that his expectation and hope is that he will not be ashamed. He explains that the way in which he is hoping to avoid any shame is by honoring Christ in his body with courage (whether that means living or dying). So let’s quickly walk through this train of thought. The sense of shame that Paul wanted to avoid wasn’t a self-centered shame (he wasn’t concerned with what others thought of him). G. Walter Hansen says the sense of shame that Paul wanted to avoid “was directly connected to God’s gracious appointment to defend the gospel” (see 1:16). He goes on to say that Paul “would be ashamed if he did or said anything that was not consistent with the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” Paul eagerly hoped and expected to continue in his consistent and faithful proclamation of the good news of salvation through Jesus, so that in the days ahead he would not have to look back and shamefully be reminded of himself shrinking back from a faithful witness of the gospel. If Paul was going to defend the gospel well he would have to be courageous in the face of great and intimidating opposition (as he had already proven himself to be in the past). Paul would have to be steadfastly resolved to honor and glorify Christ and to defend the gospel, even if it would ultimately cost him his life.

In light of verse 20 it appears the answer to the question, “What is the deliverance that Paul is so confident in and in which Paul rejoices in (in verse 19)?” is deliverance from fear and/or the temptation to back down from a strong and faithful witness of the gospel while on trial. So in the first two verses of our text this week (verses 19-20) we see Paul saying not only is he currently rejoicing in the advancement of the gospel, but he will continue to rejoice in the days to come because the prayers of the Philippian church and the help of Jesus will deliver him from any fear or temptation to back down from strongly defending the gospel. In fact, he is eagerly anticipating the trial, because while he is uncertain about what the outcome will be (life or death), he is confident that he will courageously make a defense and that through that defense Christ will be honor. And once again that’s reason to rejoice. Paul can rejoice now in verses 12 through 18 because Christ is being honored in the advancement of the gospel and Paul can continue to rejoice in the future because God is going to help him honor Christ by making a defense for the gospel before the Romans.

Paul builds off the ending of verse 20, “whether by life or by death,” by expounding on the pros of both of those potential outcomes. He begins by saying, “For me to live is Christ . . .” Jesus is both the meaning and ultimate goal of Paul’s life. So for Paul, to continue on living is a good thing because it means both continued pursuit and knowledge of Christ, and continued glory directed towards Him. Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Galatia, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). When Paul came to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord he said his life was so transformed that his old self was completely done away with – it was non-existent. Paul had given all of his wants, all of his desires, all of his aspirations – all of himself - over to Jesus. Paul understood that there was nothing greater than Jesus and so he was laying down all of himself so that Jesus could live entirely through him. Jesus was everything to Paul and Paul had turned his life over to Jesus. So to continue to live meant to continue to grow in, know, and declare Christ. On the other hand Paul also says, “and to die is gain.” Death for Paul wasn’t a gain because it meant escaping the hardships of life that had come his way (e.g. imprisonments, trials, beatings, etc.). Paul considered death a gain because physical death meant that Paul would no longer be physically separated from the presence of God and Christ. Physical death would usher Paul into his eternal, heavenly home, and into the very presence of both God and Jesus, where Paul would spend all of eternity. So Paul, while imprisoned and uncertain of what was awaiting him, could see the pros of both potential outcomes.

In verses 22 through 26 Paul begins to clear up what I think the most important part of this section is. Of course there is significance in knowing of Paul’s confidence through the prayers of the Philippians and the help of Jesus to make a courageous defense for the gospel. And of course there is significance as disciples of Christ of knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain. But there is incredible significance for us as a church in understanding how Christ would be honored in the equipping of the church. So pay attention to what Paul articulates in these verses and its implications for both the church at Philippi and for us today. “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” (1:22-24). Paul says that in addition to the fact that to go on living means to continue on growing in, knowing, and declaring Christ is the fact that continuing to live means continuing to help others grow as followers of Christ. Paul says if it were up to him to choose which he would prefer he couldn’t honestly make a decision. Being in the very presence of God and Christ is the better of the two from a personal stand point. But continuing to live has enormous implications as well – especially in regards to other believers. So finally Paul says in verses 25 and 26, “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” Paul says that he is convinced that by God’s providence he will continue on living so that the church at Philippi will continue to progress in their faith and continue to grow in the joy of their faith. Don’t miss this! Paul’s life and ministry were of utmost importance for the church! Paul’s life and ministry to the church were vital for both their continued progress in and joy in the faith. But stay with me here! The church’s progress in and joy in the faith were not the ends! The church’s progress in and joy in the faith were vital because this is what would ultimately cause the church to glory in Christ Jesus. This is the ultimate end! The creation worshiping and exalting the Creator! The church doing what we were created to do – worship the King! Followers of Jesus worshiping Him is what brings Jesus the greatest honor. And the church at Philippi (as well as the Church today) will only glory in Christ if we are progressing in our faith and in the joy of our faith – a progression that would only take place if Paul were alive and carrying out the fruitful labor of ministry.

So the point of greatest significance in verses 19 through 26 I believe is this. The greatest and ultimate purpose in our world is the worship and exaltation of Christ – the church glorying in Him (vs. 26). In order for that to take place the church has to be progressing in both their faith and in the joy of their faith. It’s only when we are continuously moving forward in our faith and our love for Christ that we will daily increase in our worship of Him. And one of the means by which we progress in our faith is through the faithful ministry and labor of men like Paul. Paul wanted the church at Philippi to know that his equipping of the church would lead to the honor of Christ.

To Honor Christ Through the Life of the Church Serving the Mission (vs. 27-30)

The first part of Philippians 1:27 is another well known NT verse. But just like Philippians 1:6 it is also a verse that is often taken out of the appropriate context of Paul’s letter. Paul says in the first part of Philippians 1:27, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .” There are many followers of Christ who genuinely want to glorify God in their lives as individuals. They do more than just call themselves Christians and show up for an occasional church service – they want to serve God and want their lives to be a witness of His love and grace to others. So often they remind themselves of Philippians 1:27 and tell themselves that they (as individuals) need to live their life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Now make sure you hear clearly what I’m about to say next. This absolutely should be the goal of every follower of Christ – to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel! BUT this is not the right context for Philippians 1:27 and therefore not the right application of this verse. In Philippians 1:27 Paul is writing to the church! When he writes, “Only let your manner of life . . .” the ‘your’ isn’t a reference to individuals, it is a reference to the church! Paul is exhorting the church (as the collective body of Christ) to let its manner of life be worthy of the gospel. And then Paul gives some description as to what that should look like.

Paul says that when the church is letting its manner of life be worthy of the gospel a few things will be observed. First, the individuals making up the church will be “standing firm in one spirit.” Second, the individuals making up the church must be single-mindedly “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” And lastly, the individuals making up the church will not be “frightened in anything by [their] opponents.” Be sure to notice that you can’t do most of these things individually. The command to stand firm in one spirit isn’t necessary if you’re standing alone. The picture here is one of a group of individuals firmly planted together in one spirit. Additionally, the next phrase, “with one mind” implies that several individual minds need to be joined together as one. There’s no point of saying “with one mind” if Paul was only making reference to individuals. And lastly, you cannot strive side by side if you’re not with others. To try to individualize Philippians 1:27 is to totally miss the context of Paul’s command. Paul is commanding the church collectively – not individuals!

Now before we dive into an examination of these characteristics let’s make one more observation that will be foundational as we do begin to examine these characteristics. These aren’t characteristics that we make a list of and then go out and plan how we are going to accomplish each of these so that we might earn God’s favor. These are characteristics that should be a part of our lives because of the transformation that takes place in our lives when we hear the good news of the gospel and come to saving faith in Jesus. It’s the gospel of Christ (the good news of salvation and reconciliation through Jesus) that liberates us from our bondage to sin and Satan; that washes away the sin that stains and hardens our hearts; and that makes a way for us to be reconciled to God. When this takes place in an individual’s life it radically transforms them. Believers in Christ realize the magnitude of their sin; they realize their complete inability to earn God’s forgiveness and grace on their own; and they realize how amazing the free gift of God’s salvation is to them. Additionally, as they begin to regularly live their lives with other believers and become a part of a church they realize what a gracious gift from God these partners in ministry are (see 1:3-5). When we come to the realization of these things it inspires us to live our lives in a manner worthy of these incredible gifts – as individuals, but also as a church. Realizing what Christ has done for us; realizing that He alone is worthy of praise, glory, and adoration; and realizing that the greatest thing we can be involved in is the worship of our Savior and King, we understand that the manner in which we live our lives can be an act of worship and a declaration to others of the gracious gifts that are ours through Jesus.

So Paul says that when a church’s manner of life is worthy of the gospel of Christ they will be a church that is “standing firm in one spirit.” To “stand firm in one spirit” means that the individuals who make up the church are firmly committed to their calling and purpose as the church. The church exists (1) to glorify God and the church exists (2) for the mission of God – proclaiming the message of salvation and reconciliation made available to all men by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, so that those who are separated from God might be reconciled to Him and God glorified for being the One who made it all possible. Paul had faced great opposition in striving to glorify God and in striving to make the good news of Jesus known. And in verse 29 we see that the church at Philippi had faced opposition from outside the church as well. The threat and fear of persecution could be enough to cause a church to turn inward – to remove the threat of persecution by choosing not to proclaim the message and keeping to themselves and their own needs. But Paul knew that Jesus had not come to earth to make salvation available to a few select individuals, He had come to make salvation and reconciliation with God available to all people. Shying away from the mission to make this salvation and reconciliation known was not living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ! Christ stood firm in the face of terrible suffering to make salvation and reconciliation with God possible, never once backing down or shrinking back, so the church needs to be willing to stand firm in this spirit, willing to endure hardship (like Christ) without backing down or shrinking back. When the church as a whole (not just a handful of individuals) takes this stance the church demonstrates the incredible value and significance of the gospel and lives collectively in a manner worthy of the gospel.

For the church to let its manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ they must also be “with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” This is imagery of multiple individuals not fighting against one another, but presenting a united front and fighting together to advance the good news of the gospel. It’s also a picture of each individual who makes up the church doing their part – striving for the faith of the gospel. Too often churches are filled with individuals who just want to be consumers and who aren’t striving for anything; or even worse they are individuals striving against one another. Churches living this way aren’t letting their manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ is good news of sinners being reconciled to God. When we aren’t striving together, but against one another, we don’t model this reconciliation. If (as a church body) our manner of life is going to be worthy of the gospel of Christ (which is good news of reconciliation) then we must strive side by side (as reconciled partners) for the faith of the gospel.

Paul provides one other way in verse 28 for the church to let its manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. He says, “and not frightened in anything by your opponents.” The church at Philippi had its opponents. There were those who were outside of the church who wanted to destroy it. And some of those opponents were very intimidating. It would have been incredibly easy to fear those individuals and to allow their fear to dictate their behavior and their proclamation. Once again though, a church living this fear out would not be letting its manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Jesus understood that by defeating sin and Satan God would be seen as the most powerful, most glorious, and most authoritative figure of all. So knowing this and convinced that God remained sovereign in all circumstances, Jesus faced some of the most intimidating opponents of His time without backing down from the mission God had sent Him to accomplish. Jesus did not fear or back down when standing trial before the most authoritative of the Jewish religious leaders. He did not fear or back down when being questioned by Pilate. He did not fear when He was being beaten and mocked by heavily armed Roman soldiers. Jesus’ confidence in God’s power and sovereignty is what allowed Him to endure these things well, to die on the cross for the sins of humanity, and trust that God would cause Him to be victorious over sin and death. The difficulty of some of His circumstances is far beyond what most of us will ever be able to imagine, but God proved Himself most powerful when Jesus, having accomplished His mission, was raised from the dead. If the church is unwilling to stand firm in fear then we declare God to be one of little power and no sovereignty. But when we do stand firm in times of fear, we declare to others that our God IS sovereign and mighty enough to do whatever it is He wants in those circumstances. We also give Him the opportunity to prove His power and might as He works through us.

Paul concludes this section with these thoughts, “This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you [the church] that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (vs. 28-30). When the church is letting its manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, the living out of their faith is a clear and observable sign that God has rescued the church from sin and its consequences and that those not living in this manner are still separated from Him. Then Paul reminds them that it is for Jesus’ sake that they [the church] were given more than just belief for salvation – but also the mission of the Gospel. Coming to belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord honors Christ because it demonstrates our recognition of Him as God’s Son and our dependence upon Him alone for salvation and reconciliation. But our personal belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord is not enough to transform the lives of all men. So it is also for Jesus’ sake that we engage in the mission of the Gospel, so that those who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord may find forgiveness and reconciliation in Him and glory in Christ. All of creation worshiping, exalting, and making much of Christ is what we were created to do. And until every knee bows before Christ as King and every tongue confesses Him as Savior and Lord, we as a church are called to be on mission with Him. He is the highest! He is the greatest! He is the Lord of all! And as a church we live for His sake!

Connection Point Questions for Discussion:

1. Do you ever do anything for the sake of someone else?  If so, who are some examples of individuals you do things for? What are some examples of the things you do for them?  What's your motivation for doing something for their sake? Complete this statement: "It's easiest for me to do things for the sake of ____________."  Why is it easiest to do something for that individual's sake?

2. Paul suggests in verses 25 and 26 that as a church progresses in its faith that it has more cause to glory in Christ.  Do you agree with this thought?  Why or why not?  What are some ways in which a church progresses in its faith?  What are some things that would hinder a church from progressing in its faith?

3. In Philippians 1:27 Paul challenges the church at Philippi to let its manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.  It's been a common mistake for believers to read 1:27 and to try to individualize this exhortation and make it solely about oneself.  Is it easier as an individual or as a church to let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ?   Why?  How is Escalate doing in terms of "standing firm in one spirit?"  In terms of "striving side by side for the faith of the gospel?"  In terms of not being frightened by our opponents?"  What do we need to do to make sure that we continue to progress and not lose ground?