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.
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.