Grace OPC Sewickley PA

Sermon Book: Philippians

Persecution From Inside and Outside

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, February 9, 1992.

About this sermon

Persecution from inside the church and persecution from outside are two different threats. Earthly-mindedness, more than outside opposition, is the church’s ongoing danger. Paul writes his warning about enemies of the gospel from real, present danger, and that gives it extra weight.

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Sermon transcript

This morning we begin our scripture reading in Philippians 1, backing up a bit, reading once more from verse 12, and we will be reading through the 18th verse. Listen to the word of God. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the fulness of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places. And many of the brethren in the ward, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill. Do one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bounds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel? What then, notwithstanding every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached And I, therein, do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

Then in chapter 3, once more, beginning at verse 1, “‘Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, for life is saying things to you. To me, indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is said, Beware of the gods, beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcised the eighth day of the staff of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless, but what things were gained to me?

Those I counted lost for Christ, no doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but done, that I might win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.” if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Pray with me now. We plead with you, our God, to build up the Church in far and distant places where your word is proclaimed this day. Do grant grace to ministers of the word, and may they preach with power, may they preach with integrity. Have fear, Lord, in our own land, and close at hand, even in our own community. May the word of God be proclaimed in all of its excellence. Lord, draw us to yourself, that we who are poor and needy may receive that which you have designed for us, in order that you may give to us good things out of your word. We ask, Lord, that we may be filled, and being filled, Lord, satisfied. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In many ways, the key to Paul’s letter to the Philippians is the parallel that we find expressed in it, the parallel between Paul’s circumstances and those of these Philippian believers. This means, then, that the description Paul has given of himself, the description that he has given of his situation, in the so-called missionary report of the first chapter verses 12 through 26, provides the pattern for what he has to say to these Philippians in the remainder of his letter. Paul’s contention is this. What is happening to me is also happening to you. I cannot emphasize too often or too loudly the thirtieth verse of the first chapter, where Paul states that what these Philippians are experiencing is virtually the same conflict which they saw to be in him and now hear to be in him. Paul’s contention then is this. what is happening in me is happening in you. But Paul’s contention runs further than this, for he is also suggesting to these Philippians that the way in which he is responding to what is happening to him is the way they ought to be responding to what is happening to them.

Now, lest we think that this sounds awfully close to vain posturing, lest we think that this sounds awfully close to insufferable arrogance on the part of the Apostle, we need to keep in mind exactly what is transpiring in and through him. To be sure, the apostle does set himself up as something of a standard. He is calling these people to, in effect, be imitators of him. But while this is true, we need to remember at all times the magnificent self-effacing statements which the Apostle makes. For example, the way in which the Apostle speaks in the 18th verse of the first chapter.

There, he seems to be unconcerned or unperturbed about the motivation of certain unscrupulous as long as Christ is preached. And if Christ is preached, he is determined to rejoice. Christ, therefore, is foremost. Christ has a preeminence. The apostle goes further. He states uncategorically his preoccupation with his absorption into Christ himself. Paul gives expression, then, to this underlying foundation—union with Christ. And he expresses it In these words, in the 21st verse of that first chapter, words that I hope are being invariably impressed upon your consciousness. For what you need to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The apostle, therefore, deliberately gives way to Christ. He gives place to Christ. He boasts of and in Christ, and he calls upon these Philippian believers to do the same.

But how does this third chapter into which we have now entered, how does this third chapter of Philippians fit into this overall scheme of things? How does this chapter particularly bring out the parallel that the Apostle is endeavoring to underscore? How does it bring out the parallel between his position and the Philippians’ position?

Let’s take stock one more time of Paul’s description of his own condition. You will notice that Paul is faced with opposition. He speaks about that opposition in those verses that we read this morning. First of all, in verse 13, he tells us that he is imprisoned, and that for the cause of Christ. Here is opposition. Paul is in jail. He is in jail for the sake of Jesus.

But in this, you see, he is experiencing opposition from those who are outside of the Church. Those who are not believers are set against him who is a believer. There is that opposition then, experienced by Paul, described here by him in that first chapter. But there is a second form of opposition that Paul faces. He tells us further that he is victimized by some who are inside the Church, not just those who are outside, not just those who are unbelievers. He is victimized, he is opposed by some who are inside the Church, these who are claiming to be Christians. In fact, some who are preaching Christ. These Paul describes. as those who are driven by envy and strife and possessed of selfish ambition.

So that’s Paul’s situation. But our thesis is that there is a parallel between Paul’s situation and the Philippians’ situation. And so it is, as we review Paul’s speech to the Philippians, we find, we discover, that their predicament is the same. Notice chapter 1 verse 28, where Paul speaks about the opponents to these Philippians.

Here Paul is making mention of those who are outside of the church of Philippi, who are troubling those believers. And in the following verses, Paul deals with the problems this external pressure has produced upon the assembly. And as he runs through the course of dealing with their problems, he periodically will of his own reaction to his own circumstances, and in it all always pointing to Jesus Christ and Christ’s paradigmatic service, which was rendered even to the point of suffering, a suffering that peaks in the cross. But when we reach Philippians 3, the focus shifts away from the enemies who are outside of the Church, causing these pressures and difficulties within the assembly, to that enemy that threatens from within.

Just as Paul then must deal with enemies from within at Rome. These Philippians must deal with potential enemies that will arise from within at Philippi. But who are these potential enemies who rise from within? At the beginning, at the outset of our consideration of these enemies, it is important that we make certain things clear.

It must be said to start with that Paul’s church enemies, that is, his enemies from within the church at Rome, are most likely different in certain ways from those leaning in Philippi. Paul, for instance, could still rejoice in the preaching of these church enemies at Rome. He contends in verse 18 of that first chapter that as wicked as these men might be, they are still preaching Christ, and in that he will rejoice. But it is safe to say that Paul would never rejoice in the preaching of the gods, the evil workers, who are the object of his remarks in Philippians 3. So there is, in certain ways, a difference between those whom Paul faces and those whom these Philippians will face.

But despite that fact, these two groups, the one in Rome and the one potentially in Philippi, have something in common. And here is the tie. The selfish, ambitious preachers of Rome in chapter 1 are more or less the champions of than the dogs at Philippi in chapter 3. In the end, it will be proved that these two distinct have a great deal in common. They have a common bond, they have a common goal, they share a common commitment, and thus they are common enemies to the cause of Christ and his Church. Indicative of them is their commitment to the flesh.

That which Paul says no true Christian can glory in will be the source of their glory indeed. Paul will go further in the nineteenth verse of the third chapter to speak of these people as those who are hopelessly, critically, earthly-minded. And the earthly-mindedness of these people stands over against the heavenly citizenship that Paul speaks of then in the twentieth verse, following upon the views of that nineteenth in the third chapter. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior. If there is anything the Church needs to be set straight on more desperately than this, especially in light of the fact that regardless of who the enemy may be from within, that enemy will always be characterized by a fleshliness, a worldliness, an earthly-mindedness. I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, the old proverb, that people delight in throwing in the face of those within the Church who would dare mention heaven with any seriousness whatsoever.

It doesn’t matter that these self-same people sing lustfully the hymns in their hymnal, hymns that repeatedly underscore the heavenly orientation of the Church of Jesus Christ. That doesn’t even seem to bother them. The inconsistency of it doesn’t seem to affect them at all. It doesn’t seem to deter them in their freshliness, their worldliness, and their hopeless, earthly-mindedness. So it is that we can always count on them to come up with that old adage and throw it in their face.

You people who take heaven seriously are so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good. Well, we’ve all heard of heavenly. Well, let me say that the Church has become so earthly-minded that she is no good to heaven whatsoever. Let me go further. If the Church is not heavenly-minded in the biblical sense, she will be of no earthly good in the service of her Savior.

The bottom line will be futility, vanity, emptiness. even for wickedly motivated preachers, of whom it can still be said that they preach Christ. In the end, does it really matter whether we are talking about envious, contentious, ambitious pastors of Rome, or dogs at Philippi? Does it really matter whether we are talking about those weevils, the Pharisees, or the disciples, who in their gross and dark immaturity fight among themselves as to who is greatest in the kingdom, or who might be destined for chief seats? Does it really matter whether we are talking about the domineering, gospel-denying, ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Middle Ages, which had forsaken the city of God for the city of man, or the worldly, moralistic, establishmentarian sophisticates of the Protestant Enlightenment, who had done the very selfsame thing? Does it really matter whether we are talking about current liberalism and its gospel of social betterment and its promise of justice, but especially wealth for all as the sum total of all religion, or the current evangelicalism and its gospel of personal peace, popularity, and prosperity, if you will but come to Jesus?

And what about pray tell? And I’ll try to contain myself here. And what about pray tell? These modern church-growth gangsters, and I am not equivocating here, these modern church-growth gangsters, these goons, and bullies. You know the ones that are determined to sell your Church protection against stagnation and boredom, the greatest sin of our age, I might add. Sell your church protection against stagnation and boredom, and at the same time promise you a full house and a bigger parking lot. If you will just play along. Sounds like something right out of Faust. Or maybe more to the point, something very much like what happened in the wilderness mountains of Judea when Jesus was tempted by Satan.

Here are the ones that will tell you what kind of bulletins to use, what kind of paint, I’m What kind of paint to buy in order to spruce up your buildings so that they will be attractive enough to the unbeliever? What kind of signs to put up? What kind of music to play so that everybody knows that your church is a happy place? What kind of message to preach so that no one is driven away? What kinds of clothes to wear? We’re still talking about dressing for success, believe it or not. In the 90s we were talking about dressing for success. So that you so that your church can make an impression, make a sale, and build your little wonderful corner of the empire within the great big empire.

I ask you, what is the difference between these? Some of whom I tell you with tears. are in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. What is the difference between some of these, between these and a carnival flim-flammer? I think I’ve insulted the carnival flim-flammer. But more to the point, with respect to the passages that we are looking at this morning, what is the difference between these?

And the carnal, fleshly, worldly, envious, contentious, ambitious, earth-bound whores of Rome. What is the difference between them? and the earthbound dogs, evil workers, mutilators at Philippi. They are all panderers of the flesh, who mind the things of man, not the things of God.

May we beware of them all. May God in his grace deliver us from them all. But it is necessary, in conclusion, for me to say something else here at the beginning of our consideration of these enemies that rise from within. Paul’s detractors at Rome are a real and present danger for him. While those mentioned in Philippians 3 are a potential threat, a threat that has not as yet materialized, in Philippi. Paul is certain that they will. They are liable to appear momentarily. Wolves may scavenge the countryside far from the fold, but invariably, inevitably, they smell out the sheep. Paul’s words, therefore, are warnings of the most severe type. He is sounding the most serious of alarms.

With these words and by his ministry, a loving ministry, I might add, Paul stands opposite the so-called sweetness and light crowd, which itself has been such an internal threat to the people of God. all along. The Sweetness and White Crowd, you know who they are? These are the people who deny that wolves exist, and cruise blithely on their way, but especially bitter to anyone who might suggest that wolves actually do exist, and are a threat. The difference between these folk, the sweetness and white crowd, and the wolves, are that the wolves are merely wicked, while the sweetness and white crowd are both wicked and stupid.

May we, by the mercies of Christ, be neither. Let’s pray. Our Father, do protect us May we be well warned by your word and also kept from foolishness by which we would be deceived. May it please you not only to grant great strength to us in your spirit, but greater strength still to all of your people who in sincerity seek you and profess with integrity that they love you. Hear us, Lord, unto the day when we shall be brought into your presence, safe from all those who would oppose us, be they external or internal. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

February 9, 1992
Dogs That Threaten Rejoicing

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, February 2, 1992.

About this sermon

Philippians 3:1’s transitional placement carries real doctrinal complexity, more than its brief wording suggests. The ‘dogs’ Paul warns against in the verses that follow threaten to destroy the Philippians’ own rejoicing, a real danger rather than rhetorical flourish. Paul expends himself joyfully in response, precisely because Christ first expended himself the same way for Paul.

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Sermon transcript

Our scripture reading this morning is Philippians chapter 3, 3rd chapter of Philippians, beginning at verse 1. Hear the word of God. So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not grievous. But for you it is said, beware of the gods, beware of evildoers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh, though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the Church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gained to me those I count lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dumb, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect. but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended that this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

In my messages here on Philippians chapter 3, the point that I want to set out before you at the beginning is this, that these verses, and especially the opening verses of this chapter, pose special problems for us. Last week, as we opened our messages on this third chapter of Philippians, we saw that these verses confront us with some of the most annoying conundrums we will encounter in Paul’s letters. These problems that we face are of two sorts.

They are what we might call structural or grammatical on the one hand, And on the other hand, what we might call doctrinal or theological. Now we’ve already looked at the opening statement of the first verse. And this is the way we’ve rendered it. So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. And we’ve handled this opening statement in terms of the structural problems presents us, and also in terms of the doctrinal complexity. This morning we move on to the second part of that first verse in the third chapter, and focus upon it the same way we focused upon the opening statement. First of all, we want to look at the structural difficulty. the grammatical problem.

I know how you might be reacting. You may be saying to yourself, this is where I go to sleep. This is where I tune out. It may be especially difficult for you if you don’t have a Bible in front of you and you can’t see what’s going on in the text, admittedly. And structure and grammar may not be your province. It might not really excite you. And I can understand that. There’s only a few of us nuts that get excited about points of grammar, structure, and syntax. But I ask you to hang with it, to stay with it for the course, because if you put a little bit of energy into it, I am certain the rewards will be great.

The grammatical problem, broadly speaking, or the structural problem, first of all. A statement reads this way in the King James, to write the same things emphasize those words, the same things, to write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Here’s the problem. To what is Paul referring when he speaks about the same things? You may think, as you read through it innocently, that this is all very clear to you, but it hasn’t been clear to the translators of Scripture. There are various opinions, which are held with a great amount of dearness.

Some translators, for instance, have decided that Paul’s reference here is to the matters that he has been discussing in the broad context beginning in verse 27 of the first chapter, especially as those matters have focused upon the issue of the Philippians rejoicing.

There are others, however, who say that the context must be focused even more specifically. and that Paul has in mind particularly that message that Timothy eventually will bring to the Philippians, and the message which Epaphroditus, who is presently bearing this letter to the Philippians, the message is in fact that they will bring verbally to these Saints in Philippi when they arrive on the sea. that then focusing upon the close of the second chapter, verses 19 through 30. Both of these positions then would join verse 1 of chapter 3 with the conclusion of chapter 2. And that being the case, they would suggest that there then is a remarkably abrupt break between verses 1 and 2 of Philippians 3, so that verse 2 begins Paul’s discussion of an entirely new matter. But we have these translators, as it were, on one side. disagreed over some particulars, but yet agreed in assigning that first verse of the third chapter to the second chapter, there are other translators, or creatures that there are, who take the exact opposite position. No, Paul doesn’t have in mind here what has gone before, he has in mind what is coming after. So the break doesn’t occur between verses 1 and 2 of chapter 3, actually the break occurs in the middle of verse 1.

The first part of verse 1 belongs to chapter 2, the last part of verse 1 belongs to chapter 3. That’s how they interpret it. I know a lot of you aren’t reading the New English Bible. If someone is reading the New English Bible, they will find that that is precisely how the New English Bible breaks the text.

So then, according to this latter position now, the same things mentioned by Paul in the latter part of that first verse are a reference to what follows and pertain specifically to what Paul is about to say as a reminder to these Philippians of what he has already said to them on previous occasions when he had written to them other letters or had been present with them personally.

Well, here are the opinions. Now for the truth. Actually, Paul’s words here are intended to be the most general of references. His words are intended to be the most general of references. And as a result of that, His words are meant to be taken parenthetically, as an aside, as if he were speaking as it were under his breath. These words at the end of verse 1 in Philippians 3 are a general reference, they take in the of Paul’s entire teaching to these people, whether he has written to them or whether he has been physically present with them. As it pertains to what he writes here in Philippians, the letter we have in our Bibles, that broad sweep includes what he has been saying to this point and what he will say. This means, then, that the entirety of Paul’s direct and pointed address to these Philippian Christians, which began properly with verse 27 of chapter 1 and does not conclude until the end of the letter, the entirety of Paul’s direct and pointed address is a single, unified message.

It is to be viewed as a whole. There are sections of it, there is progression in it, but it is to be viewed as a whole. Paul’s words, therefore, here at the end of the first verse in Philippians 3, are parenthetical. They are an aside. If you have a pen or a pencil, put parentheses around the statement. But this being the case, As you know is true with all parentheses, the flow is meant to move from what is stated previously to what follows, as if what is in the parentheses weren’t there at all. This means then that we can move in Paul’s thinking from what he says at the opening of the third chapter, or the first verse, to what he says at the beginning of the second verse. We can move from his statement, “‘So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord,’ to his statement at the opening of verse 2, “‘Beware of the dogs.’” As if the intervening words weren’t there at all. They are parenthetical. Paul, then, is moving from one imperative, the imperative to rejoice, to another imperative, the imperative to beware.

The intervening words meant as an aside, and could very well disappear without affecting the sense of the message. But let’s consider further. By taking these words out of the text, temporarily of course, I’m not suggesting that you get out your scissors. But taking these words out temporarily, we are faced with more than the connection of more than the connection of commands. We are faced with the connection of ideas. This means, then, that the command to rejoice, in verse 1, is connected with the command to beware, in verse 2. And these two imperatives are connected by contrast.

In other words, if the Philippians are not on the alert with regard to these dogs, whoever they are, these dogs will devour, will eat up their joy. The dogs pose a threat specifically because of what they mean for the rejoicing of these Philippians. If the dogs win, your joy is dead. Why is this the case?

Paul alludes to why this is the case when he gives a purpose statement in verse 3. We are getting ahead of ourselves here, I realize. And you’ll note at the end of that third verse that Paul says that these Philippian saints and all Christians are those who put no confidence in the flesh. Later, Paul will add to this description. The Christians put no confidence in the flesh, which means, by way of contrast, the dogs are those who put confidence in the flesh. In verse 19 of this third chapter, Paul will describe those he has in mind as those who mind earthly things.

They stand over against the saints who are described in that third verse as the true circumcision. These people, spoken of as gods, as evildoers, do not understand the true spiritual identity of the Christian Church. They do not understand the nature of the true circumcision. They do not understand the fact that the Church is the true Israel of God. nor do they appreciate the grace of God that has conferred such an identity upon the Saints, enabling, as you move through that third verse, enabling the Saints, enabling us to worship God by the Spirit and glory that is rejoiced in Christ Jesus. Such worship and such joy in Christ Jesus stands totally opposite the doctrine of these dogs, these evil workers, the concision, as they are called. Their doctrine will rob you of your joy, because it robs you of grace.

Grace positions you in Christ. That’s the significance of the statement, Rejoice in the Lord. It’s a positional statement. You rejoice in Him because you are in Him. You glory in Christ Jesus because you are in Christ Jesus. You have been positioned in Him by grace.

The dogs are those who will rob you of that. tell you it’s not true, do everything in their power to countermand it. The doctrine of these dogs will rob you of your joy because their doctrine will rob you of grace, of what has been granted you in the Lord and in Christ Jesus. but I might have. The converse is also true. Your genuine rejoicing in the Lord robs these gods of their power over you.

Rejoicing in the Lord, understanding your spiritual identity, by the Spirit, glorying in Christ Jesus. These sins are the divine inoculation against the religion of the flesh, a religion that robs you of grace, of God’s gift. But returning now briefly to that concluding statement in the first verse.

To write the same things is no trouble to me. It is a safeguard for you.” Returning to that statement, we have said that we could easily remove that statement and the statement itself would not be missed. And if this is true, why is the statement there at all? A statement appears there, not merely as a parenthetical reminder to the Philippians of that message

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

February 2, 1992
Filling Up What Is Lacking

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 19, 1992.

About this sermon

Colossians 1:24’s notoriously difficult claim, filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions, gets careful handling here, weighed against passages that insist on Christ’s own sufficiency in his sufferings. Paul’s preaching, rather than any deficiency in the cross itself, is what actually ‘fills up’ that gap. Philippians 2:25-30’s account of Epaphroditus’s own near-fatal service supplies a concrete instance of exactly that filling.

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Sermon transcript

We begin our scripture reading this morning in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. This is Paul’s letter to the Colossians, chapter one. Beginning with verse 19. For it pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.

And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight, if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church, whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor Thriving according to his working which worketh in me mightily Then turning back to Philippians chapter 2 Verse 25 to the end of the chapter Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you a paphroditus my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier but your messenger is and he that ministered to my wants.

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that he had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death, that God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.”

Our father, time and again, you have taught us. About the sufficiency. And the blessing of your word. And sadly, father, we confess that. Too often, we must be dragged back To you and your word. Through the circumstances that overtake us. We having forgotten your word. We having wandered from you. But Lord bring us back.

To your word that we might be filled with it. And no Lord that you have given this word as a comfort to us. And also, as our faith lays hold of it, this word proves to be a source of certainty for us that we indeed belong to you. Oh, God, we are ready to receive from you what you say to us. For Jesus’ sake, amen. There is a text here in Colossians 1 that has proved to be a Gordian knot since the church’s earliest days. The verse I have in mind is verse 24.

You will note in this verse the strange, the very strange language that the Apostle Paul uses. He writes, and I’m rendering this now from the New American Standard, I do my share on behalf of the church in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s affliction. Do you catch the language? Do you grasp the strangeness of it? I do my share on behalf of the church in filling up that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.

Now there have been many suggestions made over the course of the church’s history, as to what exactly the apostle is getting at here. In fact, in 1956, a very, very large book was published in Bonn, Germany, dedicated to the history of this verse’s interpretation. The major problem is this, how can Paul speak as if there is a deficiency, a deficiency in Christ’s sufferings? How is it possible for Paul to speak as if there’s anything lacking in Christ’s affliction?

Has not Christ died? Is not His death a finished fact? Has He not been raised from the dead? And in light of this marvelous work of His, are not His sufferings complete? These sufferings by which we, His people, are rescued and set right with God again? Is there, can there be anything lacking in Christ’s sacrificial atoning offering on the cross by which our sins have been, past tense, have been pardoned?

Of course, we confess There is not, nor can there be, any deficiency in Christ’s affliction. For we know that there are too many passages in the New Testament, and from Paul himself, which bear contrary witness. In fact, we need look no further than Colossians itself for testimony. I want you to look at the first chapter, a little earlier than the section that we read from, verses 13 and 14. For he, that is, God, delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Here, a clear, unambiguous testimony to the sufficiency of Christ’s sufferings. What clearer presentation do we need than this statement? But in case you need further evidence, look at verse 20.

And through him, that is through Christ who reconciled all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him I say whether things on earth or things in heaven. And moving further into the letter to the Colossians, the second chapter, verses thirteen and fourteen there, and when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. statements in which we find the clear testimony to the sufficiency of Christ’s suffering and his affliction. So here is the problem. If Paul doesn’t mean, in fact cannot mean, a deficiency in Christ’s sacrificial saving work on the cross, what does he mean when he speaks? about filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in Colossians 1 verse 24.

As if this text wasn’t strange enough in itself. Even more strange is the general obtuseness of many interpreters for failing to appreciate A related construction in the immediate context of that 24th verse. A construction, the unraveling of which goes a long way in helping us to understand Paul’s meaning.

I want you to look closely at verse 25. If you have the New International Version, it won’t help you much. as is the case too often with the New International Version. But at any rate, I want you to look at verse 25. For this verse seems to suggest to us a lack somewhere else. In addition to the lack that is spoken of in verse twenty four with respect to the afflictions of Christ there is a lack that is in view here in verse twenty five. That lack is with regard to the word of God. Now, if we weren’t caught off guard by the suggestion of a deficiency in Christ’s sufferings in verse 24, we most certainly will be shocked and startled by any suggestion of a lack, a deficiency in the Word of God in verse 25.

The literal rendering of that verse states that Paul intends by his ministry to make full or complete the Word of God. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might make full The Word of God, the last part of that verse there being literally rendered from the Greek. That I might make full the Word of God. But in what sense is the Word of God dependent upon Paul for its completion? What is it that the Word of God lacks which now Paul, in his ministry, supplies.

Well, hardly. The epistles he is presently writing, by which the table of contents of the New Testament would be completed in itself. No, rather, Paul has in mind the place his ministry has in bringing to completion the message of the Word of God, namely, as he plainly states in the following verses, verses 26 and 27, the making known to the Gentiles the riches of the glory of God’s mystery. That mystery kept hidden until now in God’s plan of things. What the Word of God lacks is the fulfillment of God’s full purpose for the Gentiles. And Paul is the servant of God to bring that design of God to completion, seeing that he is specifically designated as the apostle to the Gentiles.

But now returning to verse 24, what do we find? We find that the lack or the deficiency spoken of there with respect to the sufferings of Christ parallels the lack or the deficiency spoken of in verse 25 with respect to the word of God. Christ’s sufferings fall short of fulfillment.

How is this possible? How is this possible? Christ’s sufferings fall short of fulfillment in the sense that those sufferings yet need to be realized That is, come to expression in the life of Christ’s people. Paul, therefore, assures the Colossians that he is doing his part.

In other words, the sufferings of Christ are particularly being realized, are particularly coming to expression in him. We can even say the sufferings of Christ have this as their mission and their objective, that they would be realized in the likes of Paul. The sufferings of Christ are therefore incomplete in a deep and very perplexing way if they fall short of this goal, this goal of their being realized in coming to expression in the people of Christ. But what exactly does it mean that Christ’s sufferings yet need to be realized to come to expression in Christ’s people?

As we have already said, let me underscore it once more. This cannot mean that we somehow contribute to the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. We know this. Our sufferings do not atone for anyone’s sins, least of all our own. Christ’s sufferings in that respect are utterly unique. But our sufferings are the expression of our union with Christ. In that, after Him, and by Him, and through Him, we are found to be willing to suffer for His sake.

Peter speaks of it. He speaks of it in his first letter, the fourth chapter, the thirteenth verse, as he tells his audience that they are partakers of Christ’s suffering. And Paul himself speaks of it elsewhere in Philippians, the third chapter, the tenth verse, where he makes mention of the fact that we are called to a fellowship in his suffering. Now admittedly, both of these references, the one in Peter and the one in Philippians, both of these references have in you the anguish and extremity that comes to us because we are numbered with Christ, whom the world hates. The Scriptures singularly, that is, with one voice, call us to rejoice in such afflictions, since in them we understand, we know, that we are actually being conformed to the image of Christ.

As our Lord suffered and was oppressed, so we who are his servants likewise suffer and are oppressed. As he was hated, so too we are hated. The situation hasn’t changed since the first century. The world does not anymore like us than it liked Christ.

But even more now, as we get to the bottom of Paul’s interest as he speaks about the afflictions of Christ which are being filled up by him. The afflictions of Christ that yet need to be realized in our lives are not only those that come to us involuntarily because of the world’s hostility. Rather, at the deepest level, here are afflictions that must be consciously taken up, voluntarily chosen, as we, for Christ’s sake, give ourselves in the service of others, just as Christ gave himself for us.

It is not then merely the involuntary sufferings that come to us, but those afflictions which we must voluntarily choose that are in view when Paul speaks as he does in Colossians 1.24. Paul says in that first chapter, the 24th verse, that his own sufferings are for you, the Colossians. He says that he is willing to undergo afflictions on behalf of the body of Christ. In this, then, These words from Paul in that 24th verse, we have a further extension of Jesus’ own words, when in the 16th chapter of Matthew, 24th verse and following, he said, if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for myself, my sake, shall find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” I know how those words have been ordinarily interpreted, those words from Christ. The interpretation usually moves along the lines of personal private holiness. But that’s all that Jesus has in view, personal private sanctification.

But their meaning, the meaning of these words from Jesus, is found explained, explicated in Paul’s statement in Colossians 1.24. And in the life of this man who has so surrendered himself to Christ that he, like Christ, willingly and consciously takes up suffering for the sake of others.

But what kind of a message is this? Have you turned on a media evangelist lately and heard such a message as this? Is this the message that is certain to sell amongst the religious American empires of our day. It won’t wash. It won’t bring in a dime. How can Paul really seriously think. That this message of his this message of suffering. will go over in colossi, or anywhere else. And how can Jesus, at the right hand of God, seriously think that this message is going to go over in 20th century America?

Yet the Apostle knows that in the cross and the afflictions of Christ, ironic as it may sound, he has found the source of deepest joy. Not just that the cross of Christ is God’s means of forgiving his sin, as glorious as that is, as incomparable as that is, but this as well, that the cross of Christ is the divinely appointed sign of maturity and fullness in which the believer finds his deepest joy.

Paul is able to say at the beginning of that 24th verse, I rejoice in my suffering for your sake. I’m moving back to the Philippians. He tells the Philippians at the opening of that second chapter, his joy is made complete when he sees the same Christlikeness in them that is coming to expression in him. This is the background of his commendation later on in that second chapter of Philippians, his commendation both of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Because such joy is found in both of them, that is a willingness to give themselves over to afflictions and sufferings. For the sake of others, they knowing that in this their affinity to Christ is discovered.

Is that affinity with Christ known by you? or will you whistle through life, content to sing yourself a song of self-importance as the world around you goes to hell and you declare you couldn’t care less? Move us Lord by your spirit. By the sufferings of our Savior. is incomparable sufferings for our sake, that our sins might be forgiven. But also, Lord, move us by the pattern of those sufferings, that we might discern within them the pattern for our own life. And may we consciously and willingly, voluntarily, take up those sufferings and those afflictions so that others may be served, so that they may be helped. Oh God, may the very light of Christ come to us, and may we not be denied the deepest joy. that is found in the cross of our Savior. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

January 19, 1992
Sending a Kindred Spirit

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 22, 1991.

About this sermon

Paul’s own rejoicing in the Philippians shapes why he sends Timothy specifically, naming him both ‘kindred spirit’ in 2:20 and ‘son’ in 2:22, terms chosen to demonstrate Paul’s real integrity toward them. Luke’s annunciation narrative supplies an older instance of God sending someone to prove his love concretely. God proved his love, finally, by sending Christ himself, the pattern behind every lesser sending that follows.

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Sermon transcript

Morning, we are turning to Luke’s Gospel, chapter one, Luke’s Gospel, chapter one. And we are reading from the twenty six verse. Here, the word of God. And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God.

And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also, this holy child which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.” And the angel departed from her. Then turning to Philippians chapter 2, beginning with verse 17.

Yea, and if I be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state.

For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the Father he hath served with me in the gospel. Him, therefore, I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that he had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore, the more carefully, that when ye see him again ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.”

Let’s pray together. Our hearts have been willing, Lord, made willing by you, for by your Spirit you have indeed introduced us to the marvels of your mercy in your Son. Our God, we rejoice in what your word has done in us and for us. May we delight greatly in what it is accomplishing for our brethren who are in the world and in this present circumstance, this present evil age with us. May we with them persevere, endure, faithful to the end.

May you be pleased our God with our stand as we buy your spirit confess your name Paul is in jail He is in jail in the city of Rome. And he is in this circumstance in about the year 61, A.D. 61, some thirty years after the death of Jesus. And while in this situation he writes letters to churches. And one of those letters is written to the church in the city of Philippi, a city of Macedonia, north of Achaia, some 1,200 nautical miles distant.

He writes this letter in order to express his great love for this beloved congregation. In this letter, he will tell these people about the extent to which he is willing to go in his love for them. Here is how he puts it. And even if I am being poured out upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” Verse 17 of that second chapter. Paul is saying in these words that he is willing to go the limit, and that he will go the limit gladly.

So now he communicates with these Philippians his gladness and his joy in his service for them. But Paul has been educated in the covenant. He understands the reciprocal nature of the bond that exists between God and his people. And he brings the reciprocal nature of that covenantal bond to bear upon this relationship that exists between him and these Philippian believers.

So it is, he doesn’t hesitate in the 18th verse of the second chapter to urge these saints also to rejoice. He is rejoicing in his service to them, and now he is urging them to rejoice as well in their service. Yes, they’re very willing to rejoice in their service for him, but Paul wishes them to rejoice in their service, even their sacrificial service, for one another. And even more, Paul presently longs to hear about them, that they are in fact rejoicing in their sacrifice for each other. He so longs because he realizes that when the communication comes to him from Philippi about the willingness of these servants to live in this manner, there will be then the confirmation of his bold confidence with respect to them.

Then Paul will see in clearest light how much Christ has been formed in these folks. It is then against this background, you see, that Paul sends out Timothy. Verse 19. For he wants from Timothy, and Timothy’s ministry amongst these Philippians, he wants from Timothy a report, a report of encouragement with respect to the conditions that exist that exist within that church. Precisely, quite pointedly, just how well these people are serving each other.

But I want you to know, the manner in which Timothy is dispatched For the deputation of Timothy will convey the very spirit Paul wishes to impress upon the Philippians. It will not merely be the letter that he is sent by Epaphroditus, who is mentioned later here at the end of this second chapter. No, it will not merely be the letter which Paul has sent by way of that emissary. It will be the sending of Timothy itself that conveys the very spirit Paul wishes to impress upon these believers.

This means, then, that Timothy’s visit to Philippi will not be some sort of administrative or ecclesiastical junket. you know, the sort of thing that churches and organizations take up for the sake of extracting information, information that they may be able to use to their advantage. Paul is not sending Timothy in order to spy upon the Philippians. His interest is not keeping the troops in line. Instead, Paul is sending Timothy as a marvelous proof to these Philippians of the Apostles’ integrity. Now you have to understand, in following this thought through, the magnitude of the sacrifice Paul makes in sending Timothy. Do you hear him as he speaks? to the Philippians about Timothy?

No one else, so says Paul, no one else presently in Rome with him, not even from amongst the ministers who have multiplied in that capital city. No one but Timothy qualified. And the reason why no one qualifies but Timothy is because no one but Timothy has the heart of the Apostle.

This means then that when Paul sends Timothy, he is sending the one person, the one person who affords him the greatest personal support and comfort. Here is the one so close to the apostle that Paul even mentions him at the very beginning of the epistle in his greeting. Here is one so close to the apostle that Paul is able to say in the 20th verse of that second chapter that they have, as it were, the same spirit. Not even going further, they have the same soul. Here are true soul brothers. He goes even deeper, as is suggested by the 22nd verse.

Paul goes so far as to compare Timothy with a son, not just a son, rather a faithful son who is shared with him steadfastly. the ministry. When Paul sends Timothy, then, he sends the one dearest to him, the one who is the greatest source of consolation in his present circumstances. In other words, Paul could not be making a greater sacrifice. But why should Paul make such a sacrifice as this? Why should he give up such a great source of consolation and personal joy.

Is it not true that our tendency is to hold on to those persons and those happy circumstances that bring us great joy and comfort? Would we not be especially concerned to do this very thing, to hold on to these persons, if we were under pressure, if our situation cried out for those very things, for comfort and joy. How tragic it is, as we look about us and as we look within us, and perceive that tendency to hold on to people, even to succumb to manipulation in order to hold on to them because of their advantage to us, because of what they mean to us. And how tragic it is when these expressions within ourselves become explicative of the most unattractive attitudes, the desire to control, the will to power, expressive of jealousy and envy, expressive of a destructive possessiveness.

How many marriages have been destroyed on these grounds alone. How many children have been scarred and emotionally crippled because they become the objects of their parents’ possessiveness. How many children have become the center of domestic wars as parents have vied for the affections of their children? and treated their children as if they were, in fact, possessions. How many companies had been run aground? How many ships of state had been ruined because of a demonic possessiveness spurred on by jealousy and envy? How many social and professional relationships have been destroyed.

Over against our built-in desire to hold on to control for our own benefit, for our own selfish ends, stands the figure of the Apostle. He is prepared to give up the comfort and joy he finds in this son of the faith, Timothy. and that for the benefit of the Philippians, whom he lost. As a matter of fact, Paul, who finds such great comfort and joy in Timothy, will find even greater comfort and joy in giving Timothy away to the Philippians. as a gift. He is willing then to send Timothy, and Timothy becomes an expression, one more expression, an expression in the realist sense of deepest and greatest significance, an expression of Paul’s own selfless love. Here, then, is one as close to Paul as a son, whom Paul sends out as the proof of his integrity and the genuineness of his affection.

But where does such love come from? Does it arise from within the apostle naturally? We have already reviewed what arises within us naturally. Does it rise out of a mere sense of duty, a determined, dogged devotion to principle, which the Apostle is determined now to set before these Philippians in order to prove himself right and even admirable? My, my, what a man of principle.

He’s willing to sacrifice so much for principle. Well, the key The key to the source of Paul’s love comes in that 22nd verse where Paul mentions Timothy as his own child. For Paul’s sending of Timothy to these Philippians, a love for them parallels the sending of another son. There is another father-son relationship that stands behind the relationship between Paul and Timothy. And this scene from a Roman jail reminds us of all that.

And Gabriel, the archangel, said to Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason, the Holy Offspring shall be called the Son of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

For God loved the world in this way. He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. But God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law in order to redeem those who were under the curse of the law here in his love. not that we love God, but that God loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Paul is constrained. He reads his entire life against the backdrop of the gospel. It informs his every thought and his every action, and he is determined to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Jesus. He is constrained in his love for these Philippians by the love of God, that love that is revealed when God sends forth his Son, giving his all for his own. of the integrity of Paul’s love is seen in the clear selflessness of his sacrifice for them. Just as the proof of the integrity of God’s love for us is seen in the clear selflessness of his sacrifice for us. Paul gives up his greatest joy and comfort in his son Timothy, but he has learned such behavior from God the Father, who gave up his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. It is this then that clarifies for us the opening words of the nineteenth verse in Philippians 2. words that have caused some difficulty for translators.

The King James reads, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy. The New American reads, but I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy. What is Paul speaking of here? Is he speaking of his own personal faith that he hopes in the Lord Jesus, that he trusts in the Lord Jesus? Is it a declaration of personal faith that Paul has in view here? Some translators, in order to bring the sense through, have retranslated the opening words of that verse this way, I hope through the Lord Jesus Christ, or through the Lord Jesus, rather to send Timothy to you. What is the force? of Paul’s words.

What is the sense of this statement? What Paul means is that he will send Timothy in and through the living reality found nowhere else but in Jesus. And that living reality is nothing other than the magnificent self-sacrificing disposition that is expressed in him as he now sends out his Son, as Jesus himself, the Son, was sent out.

But you will note that in this prepositional phrase, Jesus is called the Lord Jesus. And that has significance as well. For Paul here calling Jesus the Lord Jesus indicates the fact that Jesus Lordship is carried out presently by precisely the kind of behavior and in precisely the kind of spirit that Paul is exhibiting.

That’s the current mode of Lordship. That’s the way Christ exerts his power presently in the world. That’s how he presently manages his kingdom. There is no other way. You see, for Paul, Christmas is not a season. It’s a way of life. It’s a way of life.

We would have more perfectly formed in us, Lord, the full implications of the mind of Christ. And we desire our God that consistency within ourselves that preaches so eloquently the fact that we are citizens of heaven. May it be our Father that the Lordship of your Son would come to expression in us in precisely the same manner in which it came to expression in the Apostles. May we be imitators of Him, even as He is of Christ. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 22, 1991
Preaching Christ, Living Christ

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 15, 1991.

About this sermon

Biblical ignorance runs deep in the contemporary church, and it comes from underestimating the depth of Paul’s Biblical Theology in 2:14-18. Preaching Christ is common enough, while living Christ as Paul did is rare. At the chapter’s close, Paul answers that rarity by sending Timothy.

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Sermon transcript

morning from Philippians chapter two, beginning of verse seventeen. Philippians chapter two, verse seventeen. Listen to the word of God. If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. for the same cause, also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But you know the proof of him that has a son with the father. He has served with me in the gospel him. Therefore, I hope to send presently so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. Yet, I suppose it’s necessary to send to you a paphrodite is my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered to my wants.

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him, therefore, the more carefully, that when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service For me.

Paul has been opening his soul in this letter to the Philippians. He has taken us deep within his own soul by what he tells us about himself in the first chapter in this epistle. And he has taken us still deeper now with verses 17 and 18 in this second chapter. But he will go deeper still as he opens up his soul even further by what he has to say in verses 19 through 30 of this second chapter. In these verses, we find the proofs of the man’s integrity.

You see, Paul goes at his ministry with more than just rhetorical flourish. He goes at his ministry with more than just fine words and great lines. Language, for some, is an art form at which they work very hard in framing fine lines and great words.

To my own way of thinking, the seventeenth verse of this second chapter in Philippians achieves great wine status. The King James reads, “…yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.” The New American Standard reads even better. to me, but even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. What makes this a great line, simply from a literary point of view, is Paul’s twofold play upon the idea of sacrifice. the Philippians sacrifice and his own. The power of the image he uses with respect to himself, portraying himself as a drink offering with its suggestion of his own death.

And the poignancy of his expression of love for these Philippian believers. And notwithstanding, in the English translation, the nice way the phrase, the sacrifice and service of your faith reads. All of this adds up to a great line, literarily. This is a first-rate classic.

Paul, however, is interested in more than scoring points with the Philippian church with his literary ability. by the same token. Paul goes at his ministry with more than a doctrinal competence and a biblical, theological expertise. Please don’t misunderstand me at this point.

I am the first to acknowledge the crying need of the church presently. The fact that she is suffering from a doctrinal and a biblical malaise. The crying need within the church in our time. is that the church would cast off its ignorance and be freed from the shackles of the tyranny of that ignorance. We are wallowing in one of the worst periods of doctoral and biblical ignorance. It’s almost as if the Protestant dark ages have come upon us. And sadly, we aren’t helped much by those who should be helping us the most.

Recently, I read an essay by the president of a conservative reform seminary. He was joining the chorus heard now in America, chiding the educational establishment with the fiasco that has overtaken this land in its schools. But he went on, and he railed against the Church and against Christian parents for their part in contributing to biblical and doctrinal ignorance. I was anxious to read the conclusion of his essay. How did he end up? Predictably, I’m afraid, that’s right, with an appeal for funds.

Because his seminary, amongst all the seminaries, had been doing such a good job in stemming the tide. For as it turns out, His seminary has been doing such a good job in curbing Christian ignorance that it no longer requires its students to learn the original biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek. A real model for us, indeed. We should all be inspired by such examples. What would be more helpful is a willingness from someone like this president to lead us in repentance for the mess to which we all, including him and his institution, have contributed.

So when I say Paul pursues his ministry with more than a doctrinal competence and a biblical theological expertise, I trust you understand I don’t wish, by this, to denigrate doctrine or biblical literacy in either the Apostle or ourselves. As a matter of fact, if Philippians 2 verse 17 exhibits Paul’s literary ability, verses 14 through 18 establishes mastery of doctrinal and biblical material.

I have pointed these matters out to you before, but in the space of these few verses, we move through references and allusions to Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Daniel, and the Gospel of Matthew. All of that crammed into those few verses. We touch upon creation, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the wilderness experience of the people of God, the institution of the Levitical system of sacrifice, the captivity of Judah, the promise of the servant of the Lord, the glorification of the elect, and the arrivals of the new heaven and the new world. And in doctrinal and biblical summary, in short, we can say that Paul treats this Philippian congregation as if it were the new Israel of God, the center of God’s new creation, to whom belongs the previous revelation from God and the precious promises that are pertaining to that revelation which he gave.

As far as verse seventeen is concerned, the Philippians do not offer up lambs from their plots or produce from their fields at a central altar in Palestine, but they offer up the fruits of their faith. and offering, not adorned with the customary flask of wine, but with the loving sacrifice of the Apostle, who, with Christ’s likeness, places himself at the disposal of these saints, even to the point of pouring out his own life’s blood for them.

Fine words. Finer theology. But so what? So what? Words are cheap. Even when they drip with sincerity. Church throughout her two thousand years has never lacked for fine words. She has even been blessed from time to time with truly great theology. But what is at a premium? Beyond all those artistically crafted liturgies and exquisite prayer notes. Beyond that company that actually believes that they will be heard for their fine words. Beyond all those thoughtful theologians with their impressive theology that masks hollow souls. What is at a premium is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is never content with preaching Christ, but must, because he preaches Christ sincerely, honestly, with integrity.

To see how that sets Paul apart from those who were his distractors in Rome. Remember the first chapter where he’s talking about those who preach out of envy and strife, verse 15 of that first chapter. Those who do not preach out of love, those who preach from impure motives, who preach out of selfish ambition. In verse 18, Paul says that he will rejoice even though these preach, because they preach Christ. But what sets Paul apart is what we find in verse 21 of that first chapter. Not only will Paul preach Christ, he tells us there he will live Christ. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is We meet, therefore, in the Apostle Paul, one who is fully capable of a great line, one who is zealous for the doctrines of the Word, but more than this, one who fights to administer his affairs so that those he says he loves With the doctrine he is so concerned to maintain are not forgotten or even worse, reduced to a mere constituency. You see what the Apostle Paul is up to them in chapter two verses nineteen and following.

To be sure, he has just spoken eloquently with doctrinal cogency to these dear saints about his joy in serving them, even if it means his death. But now he prepares to send to them Timothy to determine if they are ready to crown their faith with joyous sacrificial service, not just for him, but for one another. And only this will encourage him. Since only by this means will he be assured that Christ is formed in them as surely as Christ is formed in him.

The apostle Paul would have little regard for the present-day itinerating ministries that have overtaken the evangelical world. The apostle Paul was no whistle-stop evangelist. breezing along from city to city, pumping audiences for decisions and dollars, then turning them over to an impersonal follow-up campaign. The Apostle Paul was driven by Christ to give himself completely, to offer himself completely to those he served. He was driven by Christ to be satisfied with nothing less than Christ shining in them in these folks proved through their own self-sacrifice. In fact, they would offer themselves up on behalf of one another. There’s another point.

As Paul is no whistle-stop evangelist, neither is he a mahogany desk executive. Nor is he a steel desk official, from officialdom. And it’s almost as if Wandering into these latter verses of the second chapter of Philippians, we have set before us by God the divine answer to arrogant managerialism and unresponsive bureaucracy. It’s a marvelous antidote. Think about that managerialism Think about bureaucracy. Those monsters of efficiency that are brought now into the church, and when they are, they so effectively rout genuine love for the very people they so self-righteously claim to serve. In the hands of managerialism and bureaucracy, These dear souls, for whom Christ died, become a faceless mass, names on a computer list, potential donors, statistics to be employed for selfish ends. But Paul sends Timothy.

Nothing less will do than that personal contact, a demonstration of the love that this one bears to those to whom he sends this emissary. And shortly, Paul says, I plan to come myself. Paul knows because of God’s own involvement with us in Christ. God himself was not guilty of managerialism, presiding over an immense bureaucracy from his mahogany desk in heaven. He sent his son And in sending his son, he sent himself. And for the Apostle Paul, nothing else will do. Here, as we move into the latter part of the second chapter of Philippians.

Is God’s answer? To those things that have now begun to play even the church. She endeavors to do what is right in serving the same. Intimacy that is demanded. The sacrifice. That is demanded. The law. Is called for. that must be expressed. All of this now being concretely demonstrated before our eyes as Paul sends out this emissary, Timothy, with the promise that he shall shortly follow. Our God, we do rejoice in the love that you have shown us. would deal with others, and especially those whom we say we love, that we would be pressed by this devotion which you have shown, whereby we would be willing to offer ourselves as sacrifice in the service of our Savior, to the end that others may be helped. deal with our selfishness, our self-centeredness, deal with our unwillingness to be of help, to be of comfort, to be a strength and an encouragement to those we profess we love. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 15, 1991
Holding Fast to the Word of Life

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 8, 1991.

About this sermon

Holding fast to the Word of Life, Paul’s own charge, requires the mind of Christ and a willingness to suffer gladly as a servant, more than merely intellectual assent. Numbers 28’s Old Testament offerings supply the pattern behind the Philippians’ own gift, discussed later in chapter 4. Even here, though, Paul has real chastisement for their grumbling, refusing to let affection replace correction.

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Sermon transcript

Our scripture reading begins this morning in the book of Numbers. This is Numbers chapter 28. We begin in Numbers this morning, the 28th chapter, the first verse. Let us hear the word of God. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire for a sweet savor unto me shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire, which ye shall offer unto the Lord.

Two lambs of the first year without spot, day by day, for a continual burnt offering. For one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even.

And a tenth part of an ephah, a flower, for a meat offering, mingles with the fourth part of a tin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire under the Lord. and the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of a him for the one lamb and in the holy place that shall cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even as the meat offering of the morning and as the drink offering thereof thou shalt offer it a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. On the Sabbath day, two lambs of the first year without spot and two tenths meals of flour for a meal offering, a meat offering, mingled with oil and the drink offering thereof. This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath beside the continual burnt offering and his drink offering. And in the beginnings of your months, ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord, two young bullets and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot and seven ten deals rather three ten deals of flour for meat offering mingled with oil for one boy and two ten deals of flour for a meat offering mingled mingled with oil for one ram and the several ten deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb for a burnt offering of sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

And their drink offering shall be half a hen of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of a hen unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hen unto a lamb. And this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.”

I’m turning over to Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verse 17 and also 18. This is Philippians 2, 17 and 18. Yea, and even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye rejoice, and rejoice with me.

Let’s pray together now. Our Father, remind us of our responsibilities in the world. Encourage us in our service to you in the midst of humanity to seek the good even of this nation in which we dwell. Strengthen us, Lord, in our resolve to do what is right, and that for the benefit of those around us. And help us, Father, in that we would rely upon that heavenly citizenship which you have granted us by grace, that we might be good citizens of this land in which we presently live. Our Father, we do ask for our nation, for our leaders. We pray, our Father, that there may be a consciousness of righteousness and a turning away from sin. We ask, Lord, that we might be an encouragement in this direction by the strength of character which is developed in us by your mercy. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

As we look at the seventeenth verse of Philippians chapter two, we are confronted with the unlikely, the uncommon devotion of the Apostle. Seeing things as they are, from the perspective of the Apostle, confronts us with just how upside down things seem to be from his point of view. The way in which he approaches matters, the way in which he approaches life, the way in which he approaches others, seems to be so unnatural. Here then is an uncommon, an extraordinary expression of devotion and piety, as that devotion and piety is directed towards these people to whom he presently writes.” By Paul’s contention, looking at the previous verse, verse 16, and reading into that seventeenth verse, Paul’s contention is this.

He seems to be saying that his joy in the day of Christ will be affected by the progress in sanctification amongst these Philippian believers. The progress that they make in their own devotion, in their holiness, in their responsiveness to the gospel. Now, working beneath the surface of his words, The Apostle is appealing to these folks on the basis of their great love, their unquestioned love for him. And he is saying that because of that love, they would not wish to be a disappointment to him, nor cause him any embarrassment on the day in which Christ returns. He charges them to hold fast the word of life in that sixteenth verse, to the end, that in the day of Christ they may have cause to glory, because I did not run in vain, nor toil in vain. But even more, even more than their love for him is their love their professed love for Christ. And Paul is suggesting in the language that he uses that this love that they bear to him and this love that they bear even more for Christ should be constraining them to live in such a way that they prove no embarrassment either to Him or their Savior when their Savior appears. But this they most certainly will do. They will, in fact, prove to be an embarrassment to the Apostle, to Jesus Christ, if they fail to hold fast the word of life, the opening words of that sixteenth verse. Now, what does the apostle mean when he implores these Philippians to hold fast the word of life?

Well, in actual fact, these words that begin the sixteenth verse round out, sum up, and complete a long list of statements that began back in the twelfth verse of the second chapter. Beholding fast of the word of life from verse sixteen, has the same essential properties as the working out of your own salvation with fear and trembling in verse 12. In other words, the apostle is driving at one and the same thing. Failure to hold fast the word of life equals a failure in working out your salvation with fear and trembling. But note the progression as you move from that twelfth verse towards the sixteenth verse. For one phrase will build upon another. Our failure to work out our salvation will also mean that we fail with respect to God’s good pleasure coming to expression in us. there will be the failure of the realization of the will of God in us. Verse 13.

And moving on, put in negative terms, then in verse 14, this spells itself out in the multiplication of grumblings and disputings amongst these Philippian saints mentioned in verse 14. As the grumblings and the disputings multiply, there is the failure, the compounding of the failure of these Philippians to work out their salvation in fear and trembling, to have the good pleasure of God realized within them as well as His will. This means, then, that the people will contradict, by their lives, by their behavior, the blamelessness and the innocence which is theirs as the children of God, as lights in the world, mentioned, spoken of by the Apostle in verse 15. Thus it is, as we move from verses 12 through verse 16, considering this concatenation, this chain, of descriptions and imperatives that are laid out in front of us, we are face-to-face with the prospect of robbing Paul, and even more, Christ Jesus Himself, of their joy in the last day. Having looked at verse twelve, having gone back that far, we haven’t gone back far enough, have we?

Because even more specifically, these Philippian Christians will disappoint their Apostle and disappoint their Saviour, causing them shame in the end if they fail to exhibit that mind of Christ, that attitude of Christ that the Apostle has spelled out for them in verses 5 through 11.

Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Now, it’s important here to pause momentarily, that we do not misunderstand what Paul is driving at. For he is not here speaking about something that you don’t have. Rather, he is speaking here of something that you do have and have been given by grace. Think of what he says in another text, 1 Corinthians 2, verse 16, where he tells those Christians, we have the mind of Christ. So when he encourages the Philippians to have that mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, he is merely telling them to have in themselves fully developed that which was given to them by grace.

Now, most specifically, the apostle here is calling upon these saints to demonstrate amongst themselves a loving unity. That’s how he builds up to that fifth verse in the second chapter. He wants demonstrated within them, within their midst as a congregation, this loving unity that should be peculiar to the people of God. Therefore, the particular exposition or explanation of all that he enjoins upon them in verses twelve through sixteen arises out of this attitude of Christ, which he has set before them in verses five through eleven.

Here is the explication, the explanation of the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is working itself out specifically as these people work out their salvation with fear and trembling. And the explanation of that salvation, which they are working out with fear and trembling, is nothing less than the mind of Christ, which is expressed in them. And what is that mind of Christ?

Well, read about it. Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, nor emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. So working out of your salvation is the making of yourself a servant, like unto Christ, for the sake of others.

The Father’s good pleasure is nothing less than this. Verse 13. His will is nothing less than this. Grumblings and disputings contradict, essentially, at the very root, this attitude and mind which is found in Christ. The blamelessness and the innocence of the children of God is expressed specifically here, as they, like unto Christ, become servants for the sake of others. It is precisely in this way that they appear as lights in the world. Verse 16. It is precisely in this way that they hold fast the word of life. But you see, these saints at Philippi are suffering from severe internal problems. An infection has invaded the body. And this infection threatens the saviors and the apostles rejoicing over them at the end of the age.

Here’s how it’s working itself out. These people love Paul. No dispute about that. They love Paul. And they possess a love for Jesus Christ. But they are having a great deal of difficulty loving one another. Now note just how much they have loved Paul. This church is commended by the apostle. It has been generous, generous to a fault. It stands out above other churches in its generosity.

You might turn over to the fourth chapter, the fifteenth verse, where Paul says this, and you yourselves also know Philippians that at the first preaching of the gospel after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone.

Here is the description of the singular interest these Philippians have taken in Paul’s ministry. Such has been their loving involvement in this ministry that Paul, even at the beginning of this epistle, the first chapter, the fifth verse, commended them because, he says of them, they participated in the gospel’s proclamation from the first day until now. And by that he means that they have contributed to his ministry. These Philippians, therefore, have been a model of benevolence. They have given specifically to Paul and to the cause of the gospel.

They have shown themselves to be servants of the Apostle, and presumably servants of Jesus Christ. But their attitude toward the Apostle and toward Jesus is one thing. Their attitude toward one another is something else altogether. To be sure, times are rough. At the end of the first chapter, Paul is acknowledging the persecution that has come to the saints at Philippi. They are now suffering for the sake of the gospel. He recognizes that. They are now victims, being assaulted by unbelievers. But in the midst of their distress, they have turned on each other.

Paul is telling them, as you have proved to be servants to me, and as you wish above all to be servants of Christ and servants of God our Father, so you must be servants of one another, even to the point, hear him now, hear him now, this is the crucial issue. even to the point of suffering gladly in your service to one another, remembering all the while your Savior, who suffered gladly for you. Here, then, is the summary of the apostle’s appeal leading into that seventeenth verse in the second chapter of Philippians. And now, how marvelously, how incredibly he presents himself in relationship to these whom he loves. He tells these Philippian believers, beloved of him in graphic language, just how far he is willing to go for them. For all of them.

You hear his words? The New American Standard gives a good reading of this verse. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You see why I read from numbers chapter twenty eight this morning. You catch a glimpse of what the apostle is doing with this sort of vocabulary. These words are taking us back to that Old Testament text and its description of the morning and evening sacrifices and the sacrifices of the weekly Sabbath and the monthly sacrifices and even the periodic festival sacrifices. Did you know, as we went through the reading from Numbers chapter twenty-eight, how each one of these sacrifices are spoken of in relationship to an accompanying libation or drink offering. Description of things as he uses this image out of the Old Testament.

He will make the Philippians those who are performing the service, who are actually offering the sacrifice out of their faith. It is the sacrifice and service of their faith, that sacrifice by which they demonstrated their faith in their gifts to Him. You can go back to the fourth chapter of Philippians and look at what Paul says in the 18th verse there, where the sacrificial language is used once more. But I have received everything in full, he says, and have an abundance, and I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. So, the sacrifice and service of the Philippians faith is nothing less than the offering that they have presented on Paul’s behalf. But in this scenario, their offering is the chief offering. Their offering is tantamount to the whole burnt offering.

While Paul now portrays himself as the drink offering, he portrays himself as a minor aspect of the sacrificial service that is being performed, that aspect of the service that was meant merely as an adornment to the chief offering, the whole burnt offering. as something that was merely meant to be an aid in that offering, in order that the sweet aroma that went up to God might be enhanced.

Now, I want you to note in this the remarkable humility in the man. He is making himself the least, even in the sacrificial service. Surely the most important part of the sacrifice is that then which is attached to the Philippians and their service on Paul’s behalf, that Paul makes himself the mere drink offering, the mere libation. He is willing then to look upon himself as a minor part, a mere adornment to their sacrifice.

That’s how far he’s willing to go in his love for them. But how ironic. For the pouring out of that wine as the drink offering at the sacrifice for Israel was indicative of the pouring out of blood. So, while Paul’s language suggests to us that the apostle is merely presenting himself a minor aspect of the sacrifice that belongs to the Philippians, he is doing the full nine yards. To the point of being willing to be poured out with respect to his life and his life’s blood on their behalf. The man is willing to die for it.

If you have not addressed that question, you cannot love. I will be perfectly blunt about it. You will spend your life looking for love. You may spend some time even thinking that you found love. But love isn’t found unless there is a giving up of one’s life. What compounds Adam’s sin in the garden? It was his unwillingness to die for Eve. He wouldn’t do it. Do you want to know if you love someone? Will you die for them? Will you give your life up for them? Don’t bother me with your language about love if you’re not willing to do that. I’ll say it bluntly. You are a liar.

How ironic, then, This man is willing to make the supreme sacrifice, his very life, and yet he sees that sacrifice of himself as subordinate unto and in the service of these whom he loves. How unlikely, how upside down how uncommon, and yes, from the appearance of things, how unnatural. How out of keeping with the common course of affairs, the common way of thinking, Paul’s attitude is. What do you think of this guy? What about the natural response for someone who finds himself in the situation that Paul finds himself in?

These Philippians had proved to be congratulatory of him. They loved him regardless of what they thought of one another. Wouldn’t it be enough that they loved him after all? So why in the world would I damage, even threaten to damage, my relationship with them? Why would I even bring up matters like this? Why would I make an issue of their behavior? How many then go through life contending themselves with the flattery that is heaped upon them? and refuse them to criticize those who so revere and worship them.

My friends, this is no kindness, and most certainly it is not love. It is pure, absolute, unadulterated vanity. It doesn’t consider sings in the light of the coming day of Christ, but is merely content with and dotes upon the worshipful adulation of fond supporters. It is important that we mold our constituency, that we keep our constituency happy. Therefore, you don’t want to get too direct with them. You don’t want to speak about their failures or their sins.

You see, the apostle refuses, out of his love for these people, to allow matters between him and them to descend to such a level. but further in this of central and most important consideration. The apostle refuses to allow his present disappointment with these Philippians or his concern for their standing in the future day of Christ to mitigate his present service for them. He isn’t going to serve them any less, because there is this threat to him in the day of Christ. He isn’t going to serve them any less presently, because they are proving to be, in some respects, a disappointment to him.

And how is it with us? Isn’t it true of you that when you are faced with disappointment in others, that your zeal and your commitment to those people seems to dry up? Your interest in serving them is absolutely and completely submerged within you? And what about the threat that we might not get anything out of the deal in the end? that there is the prospect that we might run in vain or toil in vain, then are we not doubly drained of any zeal for service on behalf of these people who are so ungrateful and unresponsive?

And look at Paul. His response is so uncommon, seemingly unnatural. His response is supernatural. Christ is seen in this man. The Christ who is not deterred by a band of disciples and their multiple failures. A Christ who is not himself threatened by the diminishment of his joy in the last day. But despite present disappointments and that threat, nevertheless, out of a pure faith and confidence in his father’s purpose and out of a pure and faithful love, offers himself up completely for the sake of his people. We’ve talked about love. I’ll end with liberty. You want to be free? Let me direct you to a free man. Completely unintimidated by the threat of death and the fear of failure. Completely. What a trophy to God’s grace.

Wouldn’t you like to be like him? Even more, don’t you want to have the mind of Christ? What a gospel is ours, how rich the love, how broad the freedom, that you confer upon those you love, O God. May we delight to the full in this which you have given to us, namely, a love that comes from above and a freedom that is born in the Son of God himself. Hear us, our Father. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 8, 1991
A Salvation Dependent on Their Prayers

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 1, 1991.

About this sermon

In 2:16 and 1:19 Paul makes the striking claim that his salvation depends on the Philippians’ prayers for him, and he means it. Christ’s own ceaseless prayer shows itself in Paul’s ceaseless praying, in the Philippians’, and in ours. Prayer always reaches beyond one believer’s private discipline.

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Sermon transcript

We begin our picture reading this morning in Philippians chapter one. Chapter one. Verse twelve. Here the word of God. But I would, ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places, and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ, even of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill. But one preached Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For to me, To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

And then in the second chapter, beginning with verse 12, “‘Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasures. do all things without murmurings and disputing, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain. Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all, for the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.”

I call your attention to the 16th verse of Philippians 2, where Paul says, as read in the New American Standard Version, “…holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory, because I did not run in vain, nor toil in vain.”

I want you to listen carefully. to what Paul says in that verse. Paul speaks, it seems, as if his joy, as if his thanksgiving in the day of Christ is in jeopardy. Do you hear what he says? He wants the Philippians to hold fast the word of life so that in the day of Christ he may have cause to glory or he may rejoice because he did not run in vain nor toil in vain. The suggestion seems to be that somehow His rejoicing in the day of Christ is threatened by the behavior of these Philippians.

He loves these Philippians. He writes to them out of love, but he is very straightforward. He is very direct. He speaks as if His delight at the end will be conditioned by the sanctification of the saints to whom he writes. Most pointedly, then, from this 16th verse, we see that Paul is contending that their success, these Philippians’ success, at holding forth the word of life will impinge upon his joy and sense of accomplishment in the great day.” Now, this sort of language from the Apostle is not something new. We hear him speaking this way in other places in his epistles. We even hear him speaking this way in another place in this epistle. And that is why I return to the first chapter of Philippians for our scripture reading. Do you notice that 19th verse in the first chapter?

Paul, in speaking about the predicament that has come upon him, says this, “‘For I know that this shall turn out for my salvation through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.’” He speaks in this text as if his salvation or his sanctification under the plight of his imprisonment would be accomplished through the prayers of these Philippian believers.

Now let me ask you, does our salvation, does our sanctification, The outworking of our salvation depend upon the prayers of others? What about the means of grace? What are the means of grace? do we not all know what the means of grace are? The Word, the sacraments, and prayer. But with respect to this latter means of grace, prayer, is it our belief that it is only our personal prayers for ourselves that are an effectual means of God’s grace to us?

Or is it rather that we stand even desperately in the need of the prayers of others? Now, in order that we might not miss the point, the apostle puts this whole matter in the strongest language possible. He talks in that 19th verse of the first chapter as if nothing less than his salvation depends upon the prayers of these friends of his in Philippi. If you don’t pray, I’m not safe. Now I want to ask you how different your prayers would be. If you saw clearly that the salvation of those for whom you pray depends upon your prayers.

How great the humility, even of this one, the Apostle, as he so expresses himself. His language declares a dependence upon others, and it generates within him a thankfulness for such devotion shown by them on his behalf. At the same time, you will note in this 19th verse of the first chapter how great a demonstration of Christ we find here.

You ask yourself, how is Christ demonstrated in these prayers from the Philippian saints on behalf of Paul? Will you notice the conclusion of that verse? What Paul does with the prayers of these Philippian believers, he actually places their prayers at the level of the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Do you see how these two things are there set in tandem? For I know that this shall turn out for my salvation through your prayers, one, and through the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, two.” These Philippians then in their ministry of prayer are actually elevated to the level of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. That’s how the apostle views them.

Paul, therefore, in his severe need in his imprisonment which he is undergoing, that even more in his self-recognized and self-confessed need of salvation and sanctification, is utterly dependent upon the intercessions, yes, the intercessions of that one who continually makes intercessions for his own, the Lord Jesus Christ. But now the Philippians pray without ceasing for Paul, and in that activity of prayer on behalf of this one they love, they take upon themselves the form of Christ’s own prayer. Their ministry of intercession on behalf of the apostle flows forth out of the intercessions of Christ. And as Christ prays without ceasing on behalf of his own, so these Philippians are praying without ceasing on behalf of those that one they love.

In fact, we can put it even more strongly. The perpetual heavenly intercessions of Christ are expressing themselves in the faithful intercessions of the saints for one another. As God has ordered things, just as you are dependent completely upon the intercessions of Christ from the right hand of God, you are dependent upon the intercession of one another. This then is what will indeed help your prayers. When you see them as but an expression of the prayers of Christ and his faithful intercession on behalf of those he loves. Will you not then likewise But the pattern we find here in chapter 1 verse 19 is asserting itself in chapter 2 verse 16. But you’ll notice how things are changed a bit here.

For it is not the salvation and sanctification of the apostle that is in view, rather it is the salvation and sanctification of the Philippians that are in view. Note verse 12 of chapter 2, where the apostle speaks specifically about the salvation of these Philippians. He says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The salvation of these Philippians then is in the balance. Their salvation as expressed through their sanctification. The Apostle speaks further about this matter as he presses home this issue of salvation and sanctification in verse 14, when he speaks to them directly about the grumbling and the disputing that have arisen among them because they’re having a very difficult time getting along with one another. And further, in verse 15, as he calls them to remember that they are blameless and innocent, that they are the sons of God above reproach, that they shine as light in the world in the midst of a perverse and wicked generation. But now Paul concludes his description of their salvation and sanctification in verse 16. calling upon them to hold forth the word of life. And then he states, with respect to the whole matter that he has been addressing, he states his joy, his rejoicing in the last day, in the judgment day, will suffer if they fail to persevere in their salvation and their sanctification. He will undergo disappointment. In fact, he will be subjected to shame, because it will appear that he has run in vain and he has labored in vain.

The apostle here shamelessly presumes upon the love these believers bear toward him, even though they are having a very hard time loving one another. The Apostle shamelessly presumes upon the love these believers bear toward him by making his joy, his rejoicing in the day of Christ at the last day, hang upon their continuance and progress in the faith.

Paul is appealing to their love for him, They then would not wish Paul, whom they loved so much, to suffer any disappointment in the day of Christ. And because that is true, they then will apply themselves without reservation to their calling in Christ, and the manifestation of love, one toward another, without demand. But of course, you know, Paul’s interest is not simply, or even chiefly, that these dear people, dear to him, would act out of their love for Him. For behind and beyond the Apostle, these folk must see Jesus Himself, the One whose joy in the day of His own appearing will reflect upon his people’s faithfulness. If these people would not wish to disappoint Paul in the day of Christ, how much less would they want to disappoint Jesus?

You don’t want to disappoint Jesus. in the day he appears to you. This one that you love so much, even more than any apostle, even more than any preacher or leader, this One whom you love so much, you don’t want to disappoint Him, nor do you wish to be a disappointment to Him when He appears. You do not wish him to be denied the joy that is his, which he is to find in you.

Rather, may you do everything as you work out your salvation with fear and trembling, as you demonstrate the fact that you are blameless and innocent children of God above reproach, shining as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life as you do everything you can, maintaining then Christ’s delight in you for that great and incomparably wonderful day. Give us grace, our God. May we live fully in the grace that you have supplied us, your wonderful love and mercy, your undeserved favor. And Lord, we pray that as we apply ourselves with respect to the salvation that is ours, that there would be no occasion for the disappointment of our Savior when he comes. O Lord, strengthen our resolve, build us up in our prayers, and in the demonstration of our love one for another, for surely Christ’s own life is coming to expression in us, and we are being ministered unto by his life as it is expressed in others who would serve us for his sake. We thank you, our God, for the richness and depth of your revelation, and of this salvation which is given us by you. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 1, 1991
Light Without Activism

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, November 17, 1991.

About this sermon

Being the ‘light of the world’ means something other than political activism, as the OPC’s official position affirms, and activism tends to fall into two errors. Matthew 5 uses the same image. The goal is Christlikeness, servanthood and submission, over influence or visibility.

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Sermon transcript

We begin our Scripture reading in Matthew 5, verses 13 through 16. Listen to the word of God. But if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men. that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain, yea, and if I be offered as an offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. And the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.”

Father, we would desire to be where you are present to meet with your people. Our God, reveal the beauty of holiness to us. minister to us by your word. And we are conscious, Father, of the blessings that we desire in the service rendered to us by others. And therefore, our God, give us godly leaders, strong and faithful elders. Bless those who serve us We who are living stones, we who make up this building of the Lord, grant to us our God, godly elders and deacons, strength here and for your people around the world, that your people might be ruled and served rightly. We ask our God that each one of us equipped with the Word may fulfill that service that is right for us. We ask for strength in the Holy Spirit. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen. Every day it becomes more and more imperative that we look carefully at, that we look more deeply into the words we find here at the end of the 15th verse of Philippians 2.

The words, ye shine as lights in the world. One pressing reason for this necessity is that these words and those which we find in Matthew 5, verse 14, where Jesus calls his disciples the light of the world, one pressing reason for this necessity is that these words are too often mishandled by Christians. mishandled even by those who are reformed in their conviction, Calvinist in their confession. And the sad fact is that our failure at this point contributes to an increased confusion, the outcome of which is frustration. and even anger within the Christian community. But it goes without saying that Paul’s words here in Philippians 2 and Christ’s words in Matthew 5 are concerned with the relationship that Christians sustain to the world. Paul says, ye shine as lights in the world. Christ says, ye are the light of the world. So clearly, both Paul’s and Christ’s words are concerned specifically with the relationships that Christians sustain to the world.

And not one of us can deny the importance of this particular matter, this issue, our to the world. There are those in the Christian community, when approaching these texts, have a concern for personal piety. There are those in the Christian community who have a primary interest in personal piety, and yet are admitting that there is then this concern that weighs heavily upon us, namely, how does our Christian life impact the world around us? This whole matter is becoming greatly important. especially as we have witnessed the present unprecedented avalanche of violence within our society.

While things in a former era were not as bad as they are now, we might well wish for the good old days. And we cannot leave ourselves off the hook by merely saying that things now are as bad as they have always been. It is not true. There has been an unprecedented avalanche of violence within our society. Are you getting a little tired of the evening news? Are you a little distressed as your daily newspaper becomes increasingly similar to a tabloid? This matter of violence in our society is very apparent to those who have a particular interest in personal piety, for they are greatly concerned about the wanton slaughter of the unborn. And that rightly so. Does violence beget violence? Women in our society guilty of violence against the child they carry in their womb? Surprised that violence should be unleashed against them in their homes, in their bedrooms?

In addition to this, the utter disregard for responsibility and restraint in sexual matters. This inclusive of the development of a fierce belligerent subculture organized under the banner of sexual preference. Those concerned about a personal piety are also disturbed because they have witnessed the surrender of this society’s philosophical, moral, and religious responsibilities, not to the government, not to the educational establishment, but to the media. The media is now molding philosophical, moral, and religious conviction.

And because of this onslaught of pagan barbarism, conservative Christians are more than disturbed, they are outraged. who are so outraged that they’ve hit the streets, banners in hand, waving their placards, sporting mottos. They might even have a text on their placard or on their banner that reads, ye are the light of the world. as a comment as to what the Christian’s responsibility in society ought to be. So even the Christians, now the conservative Christians, are coming out of their closets, and they’re on the march, they’re mobilizing, they are politically active. Now to be sure, some have continued to concentrate their energies upon world evangelization. But at the same time, there is this movement that has taken hold now, in which conservative Christians are expending a great deal of their energy toward the political front. They feel that the answer that is needed is found within the realm of politics, and they must take a stand.

Some going so far as to say, we must claim this country for Christ. Christ must be recognized at every level of government, and that in an official way, in our official documents. Some are concerned for the enactment of what they call Christian legislation. Some, in this regard, to the point that they support the imposition of the Old Testament legal codes upon our present form of government. Many are concerned to elect Christians, only Christians, to public office.

And almost every one of these conservative Christians, concerned as they are for personal piety, have set a high priority upon the reversal of Rovers’ way. Here, they say, is the answer to our society’s collapse. In these matters we will find a resolution to the onslaught of pagan barbarism. And here is the certain interpretation, the certain and sure interpretation of Christ’s and Paul’s words when they speak about us as being whites in the world.

But these conservative Christians, these interested first of all and foremostly in personal piety, are not the only Christians around these days. More are those who say they have equal claim on Christ’s name, who offer a different approach Rather than starting with the primacy of personal piety, they begin with the primacy of public policy and morality.

They start there. The place at which they begin is the government itself. It’s not that they’ve decided to get involved in politics, they have already and always been in politics. They are much concerned about the business community, the attitude of business toward labor, and they are concerned about the labor establishment.

Here is a group claiming the Christian name, that is outspoken about urban and welfare problems, the needs of the poor and the homeless, the rights of the oppressed, whomever they may be, the rights of racial minorities, the rights of women, and even the rights of the gay community. We folks mobilize around environmental issues, they mobilize against nuclear energy, they mobilize for world peace and social justice.

So there you have it, right and left. the right’s interpretation of Christ’s and Paul’s words, the left’s interpretation of those very same words. And it is within this atmosphere now that the Church herself, both conservative and liberal, is becoming thoroughly and completely politicized. without the pressures that the church now faces. Whether she be conservative or liberal, she is pressured to establish political platforms, to comment upon party platforms, to comment on candidates, to endorse and even censure politicians, to make pronouncements of every kind. It is not just the liberal established churches that are wont to make political pronouncements in our time.

A few years ago, the PCA General Assembly decided that it was time for them to say something about North and South Korea, the political arrangement in that part of the world. And maybe you’ve noticed that the Roman Catholic bishops in this country seem to have something to say about everything. Even the OPC has felt the pressure to pursue a political identity.

Two years ago at the General Assembly in San Diego, we had an overture before us. We were asked to erect a standing committee whose job it would be to review public matters and to suggest courses we might take with regard to these political and social issues. We turned it down. We all had to be released. So how in the world, given this scenario, how in the world are we to keep our wits about us? We have the worsening social picture, and at the same time we have all of these pressures brought to bear upon us and they will continue to mount. These pressures brought to bear us, forcing us, it seems, to embark, in response to this worsening social picture, on a course of Christian activism.

You may have thought that you were going to get some help with the appearance of the latest issue of New Horizons magazine. You might have turned to Gail Bennett’s article expectantly, an article entitled The Christian Activist. You might have said to yourself as you moved into that article, well, here’s a Calvinist, here’s an OT, here’s a very bright woman, certainly she will be helpful for us. What is she?

She does cite the texts that interest us, Matthew 5.14, Philippians 2.15 by extension, She cites those texts and she says that we Christians as salt and white represent Christ to the world. Well, so far so good. Then she becomes quite specific about what she means.

Here in her judgment, In Matthew 5.14, in Philippians 2.15, here in her judgment is a mandate for Christian activism. What she has in view is an active, energetic program by which we Christians will achieve our chief goal. And what is our chief goal, you might ask? For according to Gail, it is the redemption of the creation by bringing every aspect of creation into subjection and obedience to Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer King.

She assures us at the conclusion of her article that Christian activism of this sort will bring healing and correction to this godless world. That may well be that when you concluded that article, you jumped to your feet right away, ready to march to the music she was playing. But I want to say something to you before you go too far, and if you’ve heard her message this morning and you feel the same way, you’re about to jump to your feet and make your way to the door, let me have a word with you before you go.

The argument isn’t over what it means to be a citizen of this country. The argument isn’t over whether or not we do what is right as citizens of this land, do what is right politically, pursue what is correct morally, stand for what we believe is correct, and that even in a political setting. That is not the issue.

The point at issue is rather whether or not we can hang our particular political philosophy and our political agenda on Matthew 5.14 and Philippians 2.50. Gail admittedly presents her case well in that article. She writes well. But by the time we are done with her article, we are clear as to two matters.

She makes serious errors and goes glaringly in light of the clear intention of Matthew 5.14 and Philippians 2.15. First of all, Joel is mistaken about the Christian’s posture toward the world. Her assumption is this, that sometime in the world’s history, the situation Jesus describes in Matthew 5, the circumstances that Paul describes in Philippians 2, will cease to exist.

That means the opposition will evaporate. The persecution will be over. It will no longer be necessary to suffer for Christ’s sake. We then are to labor for world change, and we labor in confident expectation that at some point the world will change, because we Christians, as salt and light, will no longer be subjected to the hostilities of the world and the persecution of those who oppose the truth.

This means that in Paul’s language the time will come, according to Gail, when we can no longer call the world a crooked and perverse generation. The focus then that Gail has for herself and would lay before us is one that is well trained upon the world. It is a worldly hope for which we labor, forgiving that both Jesus and Paul are focused upon the heavens.

Do you hear Christ’s message in Matthew chapter 5 as he speaks to his disciples? He is expounding for them the gospel of the kingdom. How is that kingdom identified? In verse 17 of chapter 4, Jesus says this, “…repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The language there is deliberate.

You note in verse 3 of chapter 5, “…blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You notice in verse 10, “…blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You note in verse 12, “…rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.” for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” And in verse 16, you note, “…let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The orientation of Christ is towards heaven. The goal, the objective, is heaven. It is not the earth. And as it is for our Savior in this regard, so it is also for the Apostle.

In the first chapter of his Philippian epistles, he tells these Philippians that his desire is to depart and to be with Christ. Don’t you want to hang around for the revolution, Paul? What’s the matter with you? And specifically it is this hope of glory which the Apostle holds out to the Philippians as he speaks very pointedly about Christ’s exaltation. Do you think that when Paul says in verse 9 of chapter 2, therefore also God highly exalted him and bestowed upon him a name that is above every name, that he has merely in view a chapter in the history of Christ’s own personal ministry?

No, he holds that out before these Philippian saints because that is their hope as well, glorification with Christ in glory. The point to which Paul presses repeatedly in the Philippian epistle is the day of Christ, chapter 1, verse 6, for I am confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ. 10, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” Then chapter 2, verse 16, “…hold fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory, because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” The orientation of the Apostle is unmistakable.

Doyle’s message, then, in her article The Christian Activist, is mistaken about the Christian’s posture to the world. But secondly, Doyle is mistaken about the Christian’s posture in the world. You see, she is dedicated to an agenda. in which she envisions Christians taking over.

The objective is to take over the world. The objective is world control and domination. The end in view is power. Political power. Social power. Economical power. But what else could we expect? when the earth so dominates the perspectives. Our goal being an end in this world must then become the scene for Christian exaltation. This must be then the goal for which you strive. Your dominance and the world’s subordination. You are Lord and everybody is serving you. You on top and everybody else underneath.

Does that sound like the New Testament to you? It doesn’t sound like the New Testament to me. Does that remind you of the posture of Jesus in the world? It doesn’t remind me of the posture of Jesus in the world. Does that remind you of the Apostle Paul and his posture in the world? No. What is that posture?

That of being a servant, even though abused. not have self-sacrifice even while others are taking advantage it is the posture of love people talk about love but they never quite get the point because they never seem to grasp what Jesus is all about. The position outlined by Gail Bennett is very appealing. We all want power, we all want to be empowered. We’re tired of being kicked around.

For Jesus and for Paul, the issue is Christ-likeness. That’s what Jesus is doing when he delivers his Beatitudes to his disciples on that mount. He is actually setting before them the life that is found in him. Paul will do the same. He will set forth the life that is found in Christ by way of his own example before the faces of these Philippians. He will declare to them, for to me to live is possible. He was set before them that matchless imperative, have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

The one who was Lord became servant, that those in great need might be served and saved. What is our posture in the world until the day of Christ? He is that of Christ himself, the posture of a faithful, suffering servant, not an aggressive, dominating warlord. Oh God, how seductive power is, and what a temptation it is even to your saints. You remember Jesus when the multitudes tempted him with power, they would take him by force and make him king. And our Christ withdrew from them, for he knew the true nature of the kingdom and had devoted himself to that truth. Bless us as those who would follow him, our God, and may we not be seduced by the promise of political empowerment so that we might lord it over others. We pray, our Father, that we might be Christ-like in the world, given over to your service, that we might, in fact, shine forth brightly as lights in a dark place. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

November 17, 1991
Shining Like the Sun, Already

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, November 3, 1991.

About this sermon

Paul draws a real line between the Philippians and the world around them, deeper than a difference of belief alone. Daniel 12:3 promises that the wise will shine like the sun, and that promise is already and not yet, fulfilled now in the good works Christ does through his people. The shining is already underway, well before any future unveiling.

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Sermon transcript

Listen to the word of God. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of my people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time my people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that fleet in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn away many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book. even to the time of the end, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man closed in linen which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swear by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half. And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my God, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel, for the worse shall close up and seal to the time of the end. Many shall be purified and make white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, that go thou thy way till the end of days. For thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot. at the end of the days. And then turning over to Philippians chapter 2, verses 14 through 16.

Do all things without murmuring and disputing. that ye may be blameless and harmless to sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

Our Father, your word comes unto us and we are revived. Each of us, our God, could recount times in which your word came to us as salvation itself. Now, our God, we are assembled before you, and your Word comes forth from you, so that we might be strengthened. And, Lord, we are also mindful of the fact that your Word comes forth from you to regenerate the lost. We pray, our Father, that your word may save the lost, even as it is proclaimed today. Hear us, Lord, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

I’m calling your attention to verses 15 and 16 in Philippians 2 this morning. And I want you to note, first of all, how clearly Paul distinguishes these Christian believers to whom he writes in Philippi, how clearly he distinguishes them from the world.

On the one hand, Paul calls the believers, that is the church, blameless. He calls them innocent. He calls them children of God, above reproach. He calls them rights in the world. As I tried to express last week for you, this man is absolutely serious in his worship. He means every word of it. Yes, indeed. Without any kind of glance away from the nature of these Christians who assembled, without as much as batting an eye, the Apostle calls them blameless, innocent children of God above reproached whites in the world.

On the other hand, he calls the world a crooked and perverse generation. A word there in the King James’s nation, but it is better translated, generation. It’s easy for us to see in these descriptions a common theme, and that theme is one of progeny, lineage, and family ties. The Philippian saints are called children of God. The world is called a crooked and perverse generation. Underline the word generation. Thinking of it once more, the believers are the generation of God. That is, they have been generated by Him. They are born of Him. Those of the world are generated from elsewhere. Now, why do you say that? before you.

I want you to move along with me in the Apostle’s description of the Church. So the Apostle, after describing the Church as he does, with words reflecting upon the believer’s generation from God, goes on to add to this theme of lineage or family tie, that of illumination. For these believers are sons of God, but as such are described as lights in the world.

Now this latter description bears some explanation. It is one that we find repeatedly in the New Testament, used by Paul and others, but it has its roots in the Old Testament. And that is why we read this morning from Daniel’s prophecy, the twelfth chapter. It is in that twelfth chapter that we find, then, the root from which this image used by Paul groaned. A word of disclaimer at the beginning. I’m not going to explain to you the entirety of Daniel’s poem this morning, but we will be looking at verse three. When this prophecy is cut short, there are many mysteries and there is great obscurity in everything. This prophecy as a whole demands our attention. As we focus on this twelfth chapter, and particularly on that third verse, certain things should be clear to us. this above all, that the prophet is speaking here about the end.

And in light of that end, the prophet speaks about those who are called the sons of God. The sons of your people, in verse 1, These who have been written down in the Lord’s book. And Daniel is assured in his vision that they will be rescued, even though through the fire of tribulation. The resurrection will come. The vision goes on, verse 2. And in that resurrection, the bodies of the dead will be raised. followed by the glorification of the elect, who will shine as the brightness, that is, as the sun, as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars forever and ever. Surely the description of our end could not be more wonderful than that. We have here then in this third verse of Daniel 12 a marvelous picture of the coming exaltation of the children of God.

Now what Daniel says in this portion of his prophecy may strike a responsive chord in you because You remember what Jesus himself has said on one of those occasions when he was delivering parables to the multitude in the hearing of his disciples. I have in mind what we find in Matthew chapter 13. Jesus has given the parable of the wheat and the tares in that 13th chapter of Matthew. And that parable of the wheat and tares is like Daniel 12 concerned about the end of the world, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of the wicked, and the glorification of the righteous.

Well, at the conclusion of Jesus’ explanation of that parable to his disciples, Jesus tells his disciples that the wicked will be burned like hairs. And then he says in the 43rd verse of Matthew 13, the righteous shall shine forth as the sun. in the kingdom of their Father.

Here is not merely a wonderful picture, but a glorious one. But I don’t know how many of you want classical music. But I ask you if you have not heard that the Earl of Hollywood, no, not by Paul McCartney, but by Felix Mendez, called the writing that you would take an afternoon or an evening to soak that idea. Felix Mendelssohn himself was a believer, who was converted from Judaism and embraced Christianity enthusiastically. And his faith comes out when he writes, when he composes.

But of all the members, the wonderful members, that defined the network for me, there is one, a tenor soloist, He says these words of Jesus in Matthew 13, verse 43, to me. Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in their heavenly bodies now. And let me tell you, when you hear it sung, you sing.

So then, we have here as background, Paul’s statement in Philippians 2.15, Daniel’s remarks of his religion as a church father, and that’s also reinforced in the Scripture in Matthew 13, verse 43. But I want you to know, in the 50th verse of the 2nd chapter of Philippians, how Paul answers what is said by Daniel and by Jesus. Daniel and Jesus give us that magnificent and overwhelming description of our future. The present records were both of their remarks in the future.

But as you look at the 15th verse of Philippians 2, you notice that Paul is here not speaking about the future, rather he is speaking about the present. It’s not that these saints in Philippi will become knights in the world, People like the sun shining forth brightly, he is saying that they are lighting already. They are already shining. They are already so to fly.

Paul Hill on Daniel. Paul, in building upon Daniel, is perfectly aware of the future reverence in Daniel’s prophecy. But having that as his foundation, nevertheless he says to these Philippian saints that they are right present. Now it’s important for us to understand, so that we can get to the bottom of Paul’s thinking here, just what Paul doesn’t have in mind.

He is not saying that we will be white in glory then, and we are also white presently. No, that’s not what he’s saying. What he is saying is What we will do, we have already begun to do now. He is saying that the future glory that is promised to us has already begun to shine in us and through us.

Even before we come to the end, Even before the literal resurrection of our bodies, the light of resurrection glory has already broken out upon us and is shining in and through us. which would be the greatest blessing to us, now has an effect, an impact upon the world. Is it not clear to us that Paul encases The superlative blessing meant for us in heaven above, and speaking about it in this context, we understand how we are to be of service in the world while we are here. We have the blessing then. The promise and the certainty of the sons of God, those who shall shine forth brightly as the sun in the kingdom of heaven, we then are a blessing to the world precisely because of our relationship to that light that is promised to us. We are a means by which God then conveys his word to the world. Do you see what he says in verse 16? Our being life in the world means that we hold forth the word of life unto the day of Christ. Is the Apostle Paul here coming up with his own doctrine? Is he being inventive at this point? Is he being imaginative? Is he even romantic in his explanation to the saints of their relationship to God and life in the world?

Well, possibly you’re already ahead of me, and know that our Lord, Jesus Christ, has said the same thing, the very same thing. Pharaoh twice in Matthew 13, 43 speaks about our future glorification in terms of our becoming white. He also speaks about our already having been the light of the world, so designated and so defined. If you remember this word, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 14, we are the life of the world.

The 16th verse of that fifth chapter of Matthew explains further what Jesus has in mind. Let your life so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father. which is in heaven. It is at this point, then, that we have a match to what we find in Paul. For Jesus, like Paul, features at the coming future glory, of which he and Daniel speak, is in present reality in the vines of the same tree. But Jesus tells them again and clarifies what precisely is meant by being a light in the world. His words have to clarify even what Paul means when Paul says that we are to hold fast the word of life since Litman’s series 16.

Jesus has specifically in mind when he speaks of the saints as being like the light of the world, he has specifically in mind those good works which they, the saints, perform. But once again, to understand more deeply the character of those good works which Jesus has in mind, we have to do a little bit further. What are these good works of which Jesus speaks? What are the good works that come before you as you survey what Jesus has said in the sermon on the Mount to that day? where the good works specifically as they come before in the Beatitudes and in what Jesus says about the want of the righteous in the world in relationship to the world that is hostile to the gospel. Look at those Beatitudes for a minute, if you will. The first four Beatitudes, verses 3 through 6, express the lot of the faith of the Lord in relationship to Christ.

Because he is bound to Christ, he is therefore described as one who is poor in spirit, he is one who mourns, he is one who is meek, he is one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. and each one of those descriptions are as they are because the people of the Lord are beset upon by those who are the enemies of God and the enemies of the gospel.

Why are you described as the poor in spirit? Because you’re the victim of those who are rich in spirit. Why are you those who are mourned? Because you are the victim of those who laugh and scorn. Why are you described as to meek? Because you are the victims of those who exploit themselves at your expense. Why are you the hungry and the thirsty? Because you are the victims of those who are fat and poor. What is your response to those who treat you in that way? Verses 7 through 9. You are merciful. Even to those who abuse you. You are pure in heart. That is, you do not lose your focus. And you persist in being a peacemaker. Even though others are making war on you.

And when you come to verses 10-16 of Jesus’ message there in Matthew 5, what do you find but Jesus’ commentary on the Beatitudes themselves? You first of all have verses 10-12 which talk about the persecuted lot of those who belong to Jesus. And Jesus’ words to them, who are being reviled and persecuted, His word to those against whom all kinds of evil are being spoken, evil is being spoken falsely on account of him. The final words to them, Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

That is what then corresponds, verses 10-12, that is what corresponds to verses 3-6. in the Beatitudes themselves. Jesus then goes on to say in verse 13, and that’s this chapter, you are the salt of the earth. Verse 14, you are the light of the world. And verses 13 through 16, then next, verses 7 through 9, they are explained by what Jesus has said about the merciful, the pure in heart, and the faithful.

The specific words of kindness, the specific good works which Jesus has in mind are those that are performed precisely in response to the hostility and the cruelty of the world. Now why is that so important? Because that is exactly what Jesus did. which we are going to do this society, we have to be conformed to Jesus. We were ones that are enjoying the colonospora of a peace with Christ’s own, who when abused and insulted persisted in showing mercy, demonstrating purity, and persevering in the mounting of peace. For him who is the light of the world, for Jesus himself, who is the light that is to shine in us, by which we stand over again a crooked and perverse generation. By which, in the words of Daniel, you return money to righteousness. And in the words of Jesus, money runs free in these good works that glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Our God, how we thank you for the marvelous promise that we will shine as the sun in glory. But Father, we are also called the light of the world. And Lord, may the light shine wonderfully in us as we hold firm the word of life. May it be obvious to us that the Word of life is found in Jesus. And O Lord, that we will be performed to Him. Bless us, then, Lord, when we are persecuted. Bless us, then, Lord, as those who are enemies to the world that despite the hostility, we might persist in mercy, that we might be pure in heart, that we might insist upon the making of peace. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

November 3, 1991
A Wilderness Generation

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Philippians” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, October 20, 1991.

About this sermon

Philippians 2:14-18 warns against grumbling, and a string of Old Testament passages shows the Philippians as a wilderness generation facing Israel’s old temptations. Biblical-theological reading makes that connection visible where moralism cannot. Grumbling against God incurs real and just wrath.

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Sermon transcript

This morning, we are turning to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And we begin reading at verse one. Here are the word of God. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud. and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were for our example, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day free and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed as serpents. neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

Wherefore let him that thinketh, he standeth, take heed, lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful. He will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

And then turning over to Philippians chapter 2, Verses 14 through 18. Philippians 2, 14 through 18. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as whites in the world. holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.”

Let’s pray together. Our Father, we come unto you knowing that you will feed us. We do ask, Lord, that we might be fed, fed with your word, for your word is life. May it be plain to us, we ask, just where our life is to be found. We pray, our Father, that we would have discernment then with respect to the words of men. We ask our God that we might not be led astray, but insofar as their words do in fact match the word of life, that we would hold fast that word for our good. Do encourage us, our Father, as we listen, as we take in your word, and may this mean our satisfaction in You. We pray this for the sake of Christ, who is Himself the living Word of God. Amen.

Now I could hope that you all have your Bible open this morning. And even if you don’t know the person next to you, they have a Bible while you don’t, you just scoot over and look on. This is one of those texts that is important to have opened in front of you, because it is so explosive. I have in mind here verses 14 through 18 in Philippians 2. In the space of a few verses, the Apostle Paul has packed together material so suggestive, so reflective, so instructive, as to leave us all reeling when, in fact, these verses are unleashed. I want you to consider, as you look at these verses, the Old Testament references and allusions that are laid within the lines. They all are obvious. The first one is plain and clear.

We shouldn’t have any difficulty identifying the murmurings and the disputing. Those murmurings and disputings mentioned in verse 14. Our mind does race back to earlier portions of scripture We could begin reading the story of the children of Israel at chapter 5 in the book of Exodus. We could read through to the conclusion of Deuteronomy, and there has a chronicle of the murmurings and the disputings of the children of Israel.

The background of Paul’s statement there in verse 14 is all that. You might want to specifically mark texts like Exodus 15, verse 24. Exodus 16, the second verse. You might want to look at Numbers chapter 11, verse 2. Again, Numbers chapter 14, the second verse, where we have pointed descriptions of Israel’s attitude in the wilderness. It’s going on, then, to verse 15.

We have that phrase appearing there, a crooked and perverse generation. Now, I know that there are a number of times in the New Testament where that phrase appears. Jesus himself used that terminology. But those words are actually lifted from Moses. You may want to check out Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 5, where Moses uses those words explicitly in reference to the generation of Israelites with whom he had the deal. And the sentiment expressed by Moses in the 5th verse of that 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy is reflected on again in that same discourse in the 20th verse so as to bring the point home, the 20th verse of Deuteronomy 32. So twice, Moses makes mention of it, like the people missed the point.

Many have found connection between Paul’s remarks at the end of this 15th verse where he speaks about these Philippians being lights in the world, they have found a connection between Paul’s words there and a most remarkable text. Now, I don’t have in mind what Jesus says in Matthew 5. I have in mind what Daniel says in Daniel 12, verse 3.

There the prophet speaks about the saints of the Lord in their wisdom, shining as the brightness of the firmament and as stars in the heavens forever.” A remarkable text. Powerful in its own right. And some, with respect to these words at the end of that fifteenth verse, have seen a further tie in the creation story, running us all the way back to Genesis chapter 1, and God’s command with respect to life, let there be light, and that followed in verses 14 through 17, with God’s placing of the lights, the sun, the moon, the stars, in the firmament. Then verse 16 of chapter 2 in Philippians. Here things become a little bit more obscure.

But this verse contains references to the latter chapters of the prophecy of Isaiah. When Paul speaks of his hope of not laboring in vain, There is, as background for that, the Song of the Servant in Isaiah 49, verse 4, a passage where that servant of the Lord expresses his own personal strain and agony in his devotion to the Lord, but concludes in the overwhelming confidence that the justice due to him was safe with the Lord, who would keep his reward, if not be his reward. You may want to look at that prophecy of Isaiah, the 49th chapter, the Song of the Servant, as the servant expresses himself both with respect to his distress and also his magnificent hope But this language, with regard to futility, laboring in vain, reappears in Isaiah at the conclusion of the prophecy, the sixty-fifth chapter, the twenty-third verse. And here it’s not with respect to the servant of the Lord specifically, but rather with respect to all of God’s children.

And these are now viewed in the setting of the new heavens and the new earth. The new heavens and the new earth spoken of in verse 17 of that 65th chapter of Isaiah. And in the context of those new heavens and new earth, these children of God will rejoice, rejoice incomparably. Verses 18 and 19, they will give life in the ends for which they have labored. Verses 21 and 22, and they will live in an environment that is surrounded by and secured within peace itself, verses 24 and 25.

And still with all of this, in a few short verses, Paul isn’t done. We move on to verse 17, and I would like to read that verse to you from the New American Standard, the sense of it doesn’t come out as well in the King James Version, but here from the New American Standard, that even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. Do you see what is in the background, then, of the Apostle’s words? He’s building upon figures that arise out of Numbers 28, verses 1 through 8, and the description that you find there of the morning and evening sacrifices. Sacrifices which were always to be accompanied with libation, with drink-offering, which were to be burned then with the sacrifices being offered up to the Lord. So as you move through verses 14 through 18, you can see that these verses are simply packed.

They are packed full of references to, allusions to, matters that arise for our consideration out of the Old Testament. We are not a people who embrace merely the New Testament, we follow the lead of those servants whom the Lord has given us. We hold together the Old and the New Testament understanding that the background for the New is the Old, and much of the imagery that comes to us in the New actually arises out of the old.

Here you are, then, merely in terms of the book’s reference to the story. Here you are moving from Genesis to Exodus to Numbers to Deuteronomy to Isaiah to Daniel. But as well, you are moving through the wide sweep of biblical declaration and revelation. You’re moving from creation to deliverance for Israel from Egypt, you’re moving into the experience that the children of Israel had in the wilderness and the institution of the sacrificial system. You’re having placed before you once more the captivity of Judah and the promise of the servant of the Lord, the glorification of the elect, and the coming of the new heavens and the new earth.

Philippians 2 verses 14 through 18 is an extraordinary text. It says, “…if it compressed a mountain into a symbol.” These verses, then, are a veritable goldmine for biblical theologians. I know that some of you understand what I mean when I speak of biblical theologians. Those theologians who are especially interested in understanding the relationship between portions of Scripture, between Old and New Testaments, and seeing the connections that are there unearthed or discovered or seen seeing those connections in light of the grand and glorious goal which God has set in his wondrous plan of salvation. It all fits together. It all coalesces. It’s a marvelous, integrated whole, this plan and purpose of God.

But how do we handle all of this? It’s one thing to let it all out from the page and spill it out in your presence, but how do we then gather it up together and make use of it? How do we do justice to a text, a passage like this? How do we get at all the riches that are here for us, for our benefit? How do we look at this particular text, wishing to delve into the riches that are here, and keep in mind the Apostle’s intention at this particular point in his letter? It’s not an easy task. We will only begin it with mourning. in verse fourteen. What does he mean when he says, do all things without rumbling or disputing, without murmuring and disputing?

It is clear to us, I’m sure by now, that the Apostle Paul has in mind at this point some correlation with the experience of the children of Israel in the wilderness. We recount that experience. We go back over that history. And we recall how disappointing that history was How, in fact, God overthrew many in the wilderness, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10.

In the broadest terms, then, the Apostle Paul is saying to these Philippian saints, and through these Philippian saints to us, the Church of this day, don’t be like them. The children of Israel did everything with grumblings and disputings. And we are to do nothing with grumblings and disputes. That in the broadest terms, then, is his intent. Don’t be like that. But is there something here deeper than merely this? imperative don’t be like them. Paul wants you to see something here more than the fact that these.

Wilderness Israelites are an example to. Philippians Christian. By using terminology like this, the Apostle Paul is actually suggesting to us that the Philippian Christians, the Philippian saints, are themselves a wilderness generation. No, even more than that, these Philippian Christians are THE wilderness generation. They are, in fact, that generation that is in between, quote, in between, unquote, in between their liberation and their introduction into the promised land, in between their redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then their reception in their resurrection bodies into glory. They are the in-between generation, the wilderness generation.

Now, this fact upon which the Apostle is playing is both exhilarating and sobering. For Paul sees them, the Church of Jesus Christ, as the true and final Israel of God. Don’t let anyone dislodge you from that conviction. I know there’s a lot of excitement about things in the Middle East. I know there’s a lot of excitement with respect to what is happening in Palestine presently. But please keep this spiritual perspective in mind from a Jew who knew.

The Apostle Paul is writing against the background of a conviction that he has with respect to the Church of Jesus Christ, and the fact that that Church is the true and final Israel of God. She is what the Old Testament Israel credited to, and the Old Testament Israel finds her fulfillment in her. in the church.

So keep this then in mind. It’s not merely the fact that the apostle Paul is saying to the Philippian saints, don’t be like that wilderness generation of Jews so many centuries ago. Instead, he is saying, you are the wilderness generation. Truly, strangers and pilgrims here, wayfarer, in between your liberation through the death and resurrection of Christ and your reception in your resurrection bodies into glory.

But secondly, this deal, true, the Church must always be on her guard against murmurings and disputing. Because it was specifically those murmurings and disputing that incurred the wrath of God in Israel’s case and brought her over. You could make a case for Israel’s idolatry, but an equal case could be made for Israel’s murmuring and disputing evidence of her dissatisfaction with God and the redemption that He provided. In fact, the two go hand in hand, don’t they? People who are dissatisfied with God Those who are dissatisfied with him and the redemption that he has provided will, in fact, look for other gods.

But we want to ask ourselves one more time, what is the precise nature of these murmurings and disputings of which Paul speaks? The precise nature of them as he speaks of them in the context of this Philippian congregation. Now, it may well be that in answering this question, we have before us an explanation that would take more time than we have this morning to give it and develop it.

But let’s get started on it, nonetheless. Get pointed in the right direction. Let’s rule out a few things, first of all. Obviously, it is not as some have interpreted it. It’s not as if the injunction here is meant as one against all debate, all argument, and all militancy. Christians are nice, they don’t argue. Oh. Or, Christians are nice, they shouldn’t argue, and therefore all arguing is wrong. Oh. I was just at a presbytery meeting. Were we all sinning? Maybe. Some have interpreted the text that way.

In Christian circles, from Christians, then all debate, all argument, all militant is out of place. But isn’t it true that in other places in Scripture we are actually commanded to contend, the word is contend there, contend earnestly for the faith? Jude, verse 3. Is it not a plain fact that Jesus and his apostles argued, debated, not only with their opponents, but also with each other?

The whole notion of a church court, or a governing body, is predicated upon this point. So no, this text is not the justification for doing away with sessions, or consistory, or classes, or presbyteries, or general assemblies, or synods. Deliberative bodies are given to debate and argumentation, and that rightly. Note, then, the point The pause-making lies elsewhere.

And in the most general sense, it lies with the parallel that exists between that Israelite wilderness situation and the present church situation for the Philippians. Do you remember against whom the Israelites grumbled? could say they grumbled against God, and ultimately that was true, but in the first instance they grumbled against Moses. Now why is that important? Because you see, Moses was their head. He was for them, an Old Testament type of Christ, and that is why you are told in 1 Corinthians 10 that the Israelites were baptized into Moses and into the sea. The Israelites were crumbling against their head, their covenantal head, their leader, In grumbling against Moses, they were actually grumbling against Christ, who stood behind Moses and in him. The Israelites were grumbling against this One who was set over them in the Lord. and they were grumbling against their identification with him. And all that that identification meant. They were grumbling and disputing against their union with Moses.

I think you know where I’m going. The specific point at reference then, when Paul comes to the murmurings and the disputings that have arisen within the Church at Philippi, is this. The Philippians, in some way, are grumbling, that is, murmuring and disputing against Christ, their head in their wilderness of present suffering. They are murmuring against their union with Him, with Christ. But think a little bit further on this point.

Paul isn’t here specifically concerned that these Philippian saints might be grumbling against Christ because of the suffering that has come their way, because of identification with Him, that is, with Christ. although that tangentially is in you. Therefore, the grumblings and disputings are not because of the suffering these people are experiencing at the hands of those who are outside and enemies of the Church. Instead, he has in mind that suffering that is born of the self-sacrifice of these individual Christians in their posture, one toward another, as members of the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul has in mind specifically that suffering that is the product of self-sacrifice towards those who are of the body of Christ. Don’t murmur, don’t grumble, don’t dispute against your identification with Christ, this one who calls upon you to offer yourself as a sacrifice in service for others. just as he offered himself in service for you upon the cross.

You will have to sacrifice when the demands are made of you. It will be very, very painful. And you will have to put yourself last for the sake of the one you’re serving. We could have a testimonial here this morning in this congregation. We could have individuals stand up and tell of the cost to them of serving someone in dire need. But such service is that is not to be extraordinary.

It is to be common amongst the people of God so that at all times we are offering ourselves up as sacrifice for the service of others in imitation of Christ who sacrificed himself for us. You agree, do you not? Amen. Our Father, that Christ would become more and more evident in us and that our selfishness would be shelved. Oh Lord, light unto him then, in whom we are found, that we would not insist upon our position, but actually give ourselves up, that others might be served, and you may be honored. So then, Lord, bless us in the Spirit, so that this congregation is characterized through and through, from the oldest to the youngest, by this attitude. That attitude, which is found nowhere else but in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

October 20, 1991