Just a few reasons why I am incredibly blessed to be serving as the college pastor at CCIW.
Pastoral Ministry – 5 Years “In”
After 2 years of pastoral residency at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, and with 2 years behind me as part of the pastoral staff at College Church in Wheaton, it seemed an appropriate time to humbly offer a few lessons from these initial years in pastoral ministry. I’m young, and I have much to learn! In fact, I am, in many ways, still learning for myself the “lessons” that I’ll offer here. Still, God is faithful, and so I offer these encouragements as a young pastor who knows he still has a long way to go.
First, three lessons regarding PREPARATION for pastoral ministry…
1. PREPARE BY ATTENDING, SERVING, AND JOINING A LOCAL CHURCH
Seminary years are wonderful years! You get to sit under brilliant professors, next to students who actually are excited about engaging in discussion about theological subtleties and the meaning of a certain Greek participle. Yet, if you take a 3 or 4 year “time out” from real deep engagement in the local church during your years of seminary, you are putting your heart – and perhaps even your soul – in serious peril. There was nothing that kept me grounded in my faith and alive in my walk with Christ during my seminary years more than life in the midst of a wonderful – yet imperfect – local church. Why is this?
Service and involvement in a local church during seminary years puts your training and learning to work – even as you are in the midst of it. It prevents you from becoming, metaphorically, an “out of shape” Christian – someone who carries around a load of Biblical and Theological knowledge, but never uses it for gospel ministry with real people. Second, service and involvement in a local church keeps you humble. This is true especially if you serve in a role where you are doing some kind of Word teaching, even in a Sunday school or small group setting. In most such gatherings, the participants won’t care whether or not you’re dealing with an infinitive of purpose or an infinitive of means! You will be forced toward clarity – and even simplicity (in the best sense of the word) – as you teach Scripture to the Christians of the church.
2. PREPARE BY STUDYING AND KNOWING YOUR ENGLISH BIBLE
One well-known professor at TEDS during my years there once lamented the fact that, while he taught many incredibly intelligent and gifted seminary students, very few of them knew their Bibles extremely well. In fact, some of his brightest students – who could discuss deep theological topics with him at an extremely high level – couldn’t demonstrate basic Bible knowledge (listing the books of the Bible in order, quoting the Lord’s Prayer, naming the 10 Commandments, etc.). I have found that there is no better way to prepare oneself for gospel ministry than to know the Bible extremely well. It sounds basic, I know – know your Bibles! Seminary students may be able to parse Hebrew verbs, but do they know all the main characters of the Bible? Bright young scholars may write brilliant papers on theological subtleties, but do they know the Scriptural reference for the Sermon on the Mount, or the Valley of Dry bones, or Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts? Nothing helps you in pastoral ministry more than a solid and comprehensive grasp of Scripture. The ability to find a biblical reference in the midst of a difficult counseling session. A sufficient knowledge of every book in the Bible – at least the basic structure, central characters, and main point. Rev. Kent Hughes – former pastor of College Church in Wheaton – was fond of saying: “You cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know.” Prepare for pastoral ministry by reading, studying, memorizing, and knowing the Bible!
3. PREPARE BY IMMERSING YOURSELF IN THE TRADITION AND TEACHING OF A PARTICULAR DENOMINATION
Years of training – in seminary, graduate school, or other ministry training programs – are years for general and broad preparation. It is good to be exposed to many different theological viewpoints and church traditions, especially to see the variance in the church that existed throughout the centuries, and exists today around the world. Still, I would strongly encourage pastors-in-training to go “deep” in one theological tradition and/or denomination as they prepare for ministry. For me, it was the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). This denomination has family ties for me, but I also line up most closely with its theology, tradition, church practice, and teaching. It was an opportunity for me to go deep into one tradition. While preparing for my ordination exams, I studied the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Book of Church Order. I was forced to learn the entire history of the development of the PCA, tracing its roots back to the English and Scottish Reformation – and even earlier than that. This was a very rigorous period of study and preparation for me, and I have never regretted one moment of it. In your years of training for pastoral ministry, get past simply reading books called “Four Views on…etc.” Steep yourself in a certain tradition and theological viewpoint.
Connected to this is another lesson/encouragement: take a position on theological matters (baptism, Lord’s Supper, eschatology, etc.). Do your work in the Bible, of course, but then land somewhere. Too many seminarians use their years of training to read widely (which is good!), but they never settle anywhere. They become lifetime “shifters,” never able to take a conscience-based and Word-grounded stand on a theological doctrine. I’m not saying you can’t change your mind on something, if you’re convinced by Scripture that you’ve been mistaken, but don’t be afraid to come down somewhere.
As I enter my fifth year of pastoral ministry, I will be the first to tell you that I have much to learn! Even so, by God’s grace, I have learned some important lessons during my first few years. So, I offer three important lessons – lessons that this young pastor is still learning – about Word ministry.
1. THE WORD DOES THE WORK
Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, takes time to remind his young protégée of the power, authority, and utter sufficiency of Scripture for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (3:16). His charge, which follows, is based on the power and sufficiency of the Word; Timothy is to commit himself to the preaching of that Word. Friends, the minute that we in pastoral ministry forget that the Word does the work, we are lost. It is God’s Word that holds power and sufficiency – power to touch and change people’s hearts by the power of the Spirit, and sufficiency to accomplish God’s sanctifying work in the lives of those same people. As pastors, we need to trust that God’s Word does the work. Our job is to preach it – and then get out of the way.
As a youth pastor, I’ve certainly felt the pull to let something else – really anything else – dictate what I’m teaching to my students. In fact, I told them on Sunday that if I did more “Sex & Dating” series, we might have a lot more students show up on Wednesday nights! Yet, I have humbly learned that God’s Word does the work; I need to get myself under that Word, and speak it faithfully. Our best teaching series in our youth ministry thus far was actually not even really a “teaching” series (and I don’t know what that says about my teaching!). It was essentially a “live” Bible study on Wednesday nights, in the book of Philippians. We spent 40 minutes each Wednesday night asking simple questions of the text together, and allowing God’s Word to speak to us. And God’s Word did its work in the lives of the students. I’ve heard from many of them that the Philippians study was by far their favorite – and most formative – series thus far.
2. THE WORD DOES ITS WORK BEST IN THE CONTEXT OF RELATIONSHIP
God’s Word does the work, yes, but what if no people show up to hear God’s Word? Deep relationships are necessary for God’s Word to take root in people’s lives. In our ministry, the students who have gotten connected, and have then grown in Christian maturity, holiness, and knowledge, have done so because of genuine relationships and friendships with others in the group. The relationships became the fertile ground for Word ministry to accomplish its purpose. The ministry of the Word and the growth of the gospel in people’s lives is the end game, but people almost always get there through relationships.
This point has huge implications for the commitment of a pastor to the personal work of gospel ministry. Preach the Word up front, yes, but engage in gospel ministry with people in smaller groups, and one-on-one, as well. For a beautiful example of how this can look in the ministry of a very ordinary pastor, read this wonderful little story (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/09/13/good-pastors-dont-let-you-off-the-hook/). David Helm, in his book “Reading the Bible One-to-One,” also offers some valuable insights and tools for the personal gospel work of the pastor. The point is this: pastors must be committed to the growth and ministry of the Word in the lives of their people. People get to that point through relationships. I need to commit myself to personal, relational, Word ministry.
3. THE WORD DOES ITS WORK AS WE WORK HARD
You may have heard it said that the pastorate is a place where lazy men hide. The saying is a bit harsh, but it is unfortunately true in some cases. The fact is, it is possible to be a lazy pastor! It is quite easy, actually, to create an illusion of extreme busyness, importance, and stress, all the while actually doing very little work. Friends, this must never be. Pastors – men called to the ministry of the gospel – must work harder than everyone else. We are called to excellence in gospel ministry, and while the results belong to God, shame on us if we do not spend ourselves for the sake of the growth of the gospel in our churches.
Perhaps the best lesson I’ve learned in this is about accountability in hard work – first to God, of course, but then to your pastoral colleagues. At our church, a question on this point is asked of all of us by our supervising pastors. Under the “benchmark” of HARD WORK, we are asked: “How are you working hard and maximizing your time for the sake of the gospel and the church?” This is a great question! As pastors, it is not somehow unspiritual to talk about things like efficiency and productivity. We need to get up and go to work. We need to work hard to get things done for the sake of the gospel and the growth of Christ’s kingdom. The results are His; the labor is ours.
So, there it is. These lessons are not profound, but I do hope that they ring true for those of you who are seeking to faithfully labor as Word ministers. By God’s grace, for as many years as He gives me in pastoral ministry, I hope to put myself under His Word, and allow it to accomplish His purposes in the lives of my people. I hope to do all I can to build and encourage deep relationships in my ministry – fertile ground where Word ministry can grow, thrive, and bear fruit. And I want to – for God’s eyes alone – work hard at all of this, spending myself for the wonderful Word work to which He has called us as gospel ministers.
Finally, a few lessons regarding the “FIRSTS” in the personal life of the pastor…
1. FIRST, I MUST BE A CHRISTIAN…THEN A PASTOR
Friends, this may seem like the most obvious lesson thus far! But, it is in fact the most important. I must first be a Christian, then a pastor. There is perhaps no better writing on this point than from Charles Spurgeon. Listen to his words from his lecture, “The Minister’s Self-Watch” (in Lectures to my Students):
“How horrible to be a preacher of the gospel and yet to be unconverted! Let each man here whisper to his own inmost soul, ‘What a dreadful thing it will be for me if I should be ignorant of the power of the truth which I am preparing to proclaim!’ Unconverted ministry involves the most unnatural relationships. A graceless pastor is a blind man elected to a professorship of optics, philosophising upon light and vision, discoursing upon and distinguishing to others the nice shads and delicate blendings of the prismatic colours, while he himself is absolutely in the dark! He is a dumb man elevated to the chair of music; a deaf man fluent upon symphonies and harmonies! He is a mole professing to educate eaglets; a limpet elected to preside over angels. … It is a dreadful position for a man to be in, for he has undertaken a work for which he is totally, wholly, and altogether unqualified, but from the responsibilities of which this unfitness will not screen him, because he willfully incurred them. Whatever his natural gifts, whatever his mental powers may be, he is utterly out of court for spiritual work if he has no spiritual life; and it is his duty to cease the ministerial office til he has received this first and simplest of qualifications for it.”
It would be good for all of us as pastors to go back to this lecture from Spurgeon at least once a year, if not more often than that! We must be Christians – changed men with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirits – or else we will find ourselves, not only disqualified from ministry, but disqualified from an eternity with Jesus as well. What does this mean for me as a pastor? It means that I need to be vigilant against sin. It means that I need to take care to nurture my own relationship with Jesus – as a Christian man. It means that I must be doggedly pursuing holiness, purity, and obedience, by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. It means that when I think about myself, I’m not “Jon, the Pastor,” but “Jon, the Christian.” I am a Christian – a sinner saved by grace – who is also called to be a pastor.
2. FIRST, I MUST PASTOR MY FAMILY…THEN MY PEOPLE
The above point tells us that, as pastors, the gospel of Jesus Christ must have its way in us. This point tells us that the gospel of Jesus Christ must have its way in our marriages and our families. As a pastor, I need to first pastor my wife! I need to care for her soul. I need to contribute to her sanctification, as I embrace my role as her husband to one day present her before the throne of God as my truest trophy of grace. My marriage will one day end, as I “hand off” my wife to her true bridegroom – Jesus Christ her Savior. Pastors, let’s pastor our wives. Let’s be shepherds of their souls. By God’s grace, I am still learning to do this, and I have a long way to go!
We also are called to pastor our families – our children. One dear friend and mentor of mine has expressed to me several times this sentiment: “How dreadful if I arrived in heaven, surrounded by hundreds of people I had helped to convert, and my kids were not among them!” Now, children do sometimes go astray, and if children reject Christ, it is certainly not always the fault of the parents! But, shame on us as pastors if we do not do everything we can to pastor, shepherd, disciple, and evangelize our children. By God’s grace, I want to commit myself to pastoring my family first.
3. FIRST, I MUST REMEMBER THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY
What do I mean by this? I mean that, as a pastor, I need to be personally returning to the cross – daily, regularly, humbly, worshipfully. I need to be constantly reminded of the miracle of my own salvation – that somehow, by the death of Jesus on a cross, I am actually accepted by God. There is no better fuel for gospel ministry than an intense and worshipful wonder at our own salvation. I need to be experiencing the gospel’s work in my own heart, so that I can further the gospel work – by God’s power – in the lives of others. Friends, I know from my limited experience that I cannot commit myself at all costs to something that has not profoundly influenced my own heart and life. We preach, teach, disciple, and lead as we are – and because we are – saved men. Saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, and growing daily in that same grace.
One of my most respected mentors expressed a sentiment to me the other day that rang very (and frighteningly) true. “There are many young men and women, these days, who are excited about the gospel – gospel preaching, gospel teaching, gospel centrality, and certainly gospel grace. I fear that what may be lacking in these young Christian leaders today, though, is the right biblical emphasis on holiness.”
I have certainly seen this to be true – at least anecdotally. Many of my peers have embraced their “freedom in Christ,” rejecting the legalistic leanings of their parents’ generation, and their resistance to the use of alcohol and tobacco products, as well as their strict views on dating and physical intimacy before marriage. But they’ve pushed the envelope too far, stepping beyond “freedom” at times, and into downright abuse and excess. Bible study groups and theological meetings have, for some, become more about the beer and cigars than about the Scriptures. Others are leading in churches, and spending their nights in the same bed as their girlfriends, justifying this practice with the “but we’re not having sex” argument. Crude language abounds as well, defended with pleas to cultural relevancy, and the desire to “become all things to all people.” An enthusiastic embrace of the overwhelming grace of the gospel has become, in some sense, a license – if not to outright sin, at least to extremely questionable activities.
I once sat in a large PCA church, and actually listened to the senior pastor wrap up his sermon in this way (I’m paraphrasing a bit): “Friends, you wouldn’t believe the ugly and sinful thoughts that I had in my heart this very morning. I’m a sinner just like you! But isn’t it wonderful that we have grace – abundant grace – and that Jesus accomplishes our salvation for us.” End of sermon. What??? I mean, yes, we have grace from Jesus, but what about a call to holiness? Is it acceptable that a minister of the gospel is filled with ugly and sinful thoughts? No one is perfect, surely, but where does the doctrine and the reality of sanctification fit here? We shouldn’t really be surprised at the excess and “freedom” of my generation; we’re hearing it from our pastors!
Now, I believe in salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. I know that I am a sinful wretch; all my righteousness is like filthy rags, and Jesus lived the life I should have lived, and died the death I should have died. My salvation is all a work of God – from beginning to end. And, I believe I have a good deal of freedom in Christ! But, I also believe that the grace of Jesus that saves me calls me to an intense pursuit of holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, while I should revel in the scandalous grace of God that, in Christ, “justifies the ungodly,” I should be launched forward by the experience of that very grace toward a life that is more and more obedient, more and more holy, and more and more conformed to the image of my Savior.
I know I’m not saying anything revolutionary here (at least for biblical Christians). And no one who I am addressing here would disagree with the theology being presented. The point is the emphasis. Sometimes, when grace is preached fully – and even truly – the emphasis on holiness for those who accept God’s grace is absent from the message. My generation is so reticent to anything that even smells like legalism, that the imperatives – and the warnings – of Scripture to Christians are silenced.
Take that pastor that I mentioned before. What he said was true; it is wonderful that, in Christ, we live under God’s grace, forgiveness, and His eternal smile. And yet, when we sin, our attitude should be: “By God’s grace, I will never go there again!” It’s the attitude of wanting to KILL our sin that may be missing in our Christian lives today. Listen to the old words of Richard Baxter on this topic:
Consider well of the office, the bloodshed, and the holy life of Christ.—His office is to expiate sin, and to destroy it. His blood was shed for it: his life condemned it. Love Christ, and you will hate that which caused his death. Love him, and you will love to be made like him, and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. These two great lights will show the odiousness of darkness.
Brothers and sisters, if we celebrate the gospel of grace, revel in the wonderful forgiveness of our Savior, and do not take the next step of hating “that which caused his death” – especially in our own lives – then perhaps we have not truly understood the gospel. To put it bluntly, the saving grace of Jesus should make us better people. And we should be getting better and better – growing in holiness and obedience as we follow Christ. Charles Spurgeon has some extremely challenging words on this point:
Professing Christian, is sin subdued in you? If your life is not holy, your heart is not changed; and if your heart is not changed, you are not saved. If the Savior has not sanctified you, renewed you, and given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, then He has done nothing in you of a saving nature. So-called grace that does not make a person better than others is nothing but a worthless counterfeit, for Christ does not save His people in their sins, but “from their sins.”
With this sobering warning from Spurgeon ringing in our ears, let me just offer a few suggestions for gospel preachers as they seek to preach the gospel of grace, and also the need for holiness in the lives of gospel people:
- 1. Don’t “punt” to imputation too quickly
When those of us who love grace, and understand human sinfulness and inability to perfectly please God, stumble upon a passage of Scripture that carries with it a clear imperative, our tendency is (as one pastor friend put it) to “punt” to imputation immediately. Take 1 Samuel 12, for example. It’s Samuel’s farewell address to the people of Israel, who have chosen Saul to be king over them. It is all imperatives! “Do not turn aside from following the Lord” (12:20). “Do not turn aside after empty things” (12:21). “Fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart” (12:24). The temptation for preachers who understand imputation will be to lessen the imperatival force that a passage like this is meant to have on God’s people. To say, for example: “You can never do this! But, the gospel word today is that Jesus does this for us. He is faithful when we are faithless. He doesn’t turn aside, when we turn aside so often.” That’s true, I suppose. Jesus is true Israel, and he alone lives perfectly as our divine representative. Nevertheless, the call in 1 Samuel 12 is to the people of God, and it is a real call. God’s people are called to not turn aside – to follow the Lord and be faithful to him completely. They do this by His grace alone, of course. But they are called – with imperatival force – to obey!
- 2. Don’t take the “teeth” out of biblical warnings
There is a tendency – similar to the one above – for gospel-grounded preachers to lessen the weight of a warning in a biblical passage. Consider, for example, the book of Jude. Jude begins his letter this way: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (3). Jude is offering a stern appeal – a warning, even – to the people to whom he writes. He wants them to contend for the faith they have received. He goes on, later, to give words with similar force: “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God” (20-21a). It’s, again, a call to work hard in order to stay in line with the love of God that has been shown to his audience. Now, it’s true that Jude ends with a wonderfully comforting benediction – “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (24). This is God’s work, after all! But we, as preachers, need to lean with equal weight on both of Jude’s emphases: we are to keep ourselves in the love of God, even as He ultimately is the one who keeps us. Let’s not take the “teeth” out of the warning to persevere, even as we rightly emphasize the role of God in our perseverance.
- 3. Don’t be afraid to preach morality to Christians
It is silly to call unregenerate people to clean up their lives – to stop having premarital sex, stop losing their tempers, and start serving others more. If they have not been washed by the blood of Jesus and made new through faith in Him, they are incapable of that kind of change. They need to hear the gospel first and be changed in their hearts; changed lives will come later. But, Christians – people who have saving faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – are capable of and called to holy and obedient living. We can, in other words, preach morality to Christians! In so doing, we are not telling them what they must do in order to be saved; they have already been saved by grace alone through faith alone. We are telling them how they must live if they truly have been saved, forgiven, and set apart for new life in Christ. This is not legalism! This is a stern (biblical) challenge to Spirit-filled believers to live up to the calling they have received. Christian preachers should not back down from this kind of call, even as they affirm again and again the gracious gift of salvation that comes through Christ’s work alone.
Let me summarize this discussion in this way. We who are at peace with God through Christ are forever (at least in this life) called to be at war with sin. Let’s commit ourselves, as gospel ministers, to preaching both the “peace” and the “war” of that sentence. Let’s preach gospel grace – fully and joyfully. And let’s challenge ourselves and our people toward gospel-grounded holiness – holiness empowered only by God’s Holy Spirit.
RECAP from BIG GROUP (12/7/11)
TIMEOUT!
It’s been a great semester together in HYACKs. I have especially loved our times on Wednesday nights – both in Big Group and in Small Groups – studying the book of Philippians. It is an old letter, surely, but one that we’ve seen to have incredible relevance and power for our lives today. That shouldn’t surprise us, really; it’s God’s Word, and God’s Word is “living and active!” God speaks to us – here and now – through his written and inspired Word. I think we’ve witnessed that together this semester.
Tonight, as we prepare to begin studying the final chapter of Philippians in the coming weeks, I want to call a brief “timeout” in our study. Tonight is a chance to recap all that we’ve been learning through the book of Philippians thus far – to stop for a moment to gather and collect our thoughts before moving forward into chapter 4. We’re going to do that by looking at some of the major themes of the book that have begun to emerge clearly before us – the main emphases of Paul as he writes this letter to the church at Philippi.
Before we do this, I want to say to all of you – on a personal note – that I have been personally benefitting from this study in God’s Word together with all of you. I’m the teacher/discussion leader, yes, but I have been learning much from you all – through your comments, insights, and applications of the text. I feel like I understand the book of Philippians more clearly because of our work together in the Word this semester. So, thank you all!
THEMES
As we said at the beginning of our study this semester, the Apostle Paul is writing to a church at Philippi that is relatively healthy. He thanks God for them enthusiastically (1:3), and we’ll see that he has received their support with great gratitude (4:18). Nevertheless, we’ve observed together that Paul certainly sees some problems among the Philippian believers. The church at Philippi, we’ve seen, is a church that is experiencing:
- 1. LOST UNITY
Listen to Paul’s words to the church in 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” Paul’s concern for the church is that they possess a “oneness” in the gospel. That’s what he wants to see…the church having “one mind” as they serve Jesus together. That is obviously not happening in the right way.
Paul picks up this same idea in 2:1-4: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Here Paul tells the Philippians that his own personal JOY over them hinges in some way on their unity. He longs for them to be a community of Christians who have the “same mind” together as they serve Jesus and labor for the gospel. This kind of mind would demonstrate itself by their counting others more significant than themselves.
Finally, in chapter 4 (which you’ll study in Small Groups next week), Paul actually calls out by name two of the (perhaps many) culprits: Euodia and Syntyche. Can you imagine being one of those women? The letter is being read out loud to your church…and all of a sudden you hear your name? Here’s what Paul says in 4:2-3: “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Paul gives at least one clear example of a relationship that lacks unity, and calls these two women to “agree in the Lord.”
So, there has clearly been a loss of UNITY in the church at Philippi. What is Paul’s solution to this loss? Look up at what he says in 4:2-3 again. The women to whom he appeals have “labored in the gospel” together, and their names are written in the “book of life.” Paul’s answer to disunity is to seek GOSPEL unity. Paul does not appeal to these women on the basis of their friendship, their personalities, or their family connections. He appeals to them on the basis of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ – their common salvation in Him and their consequent service on His behalf. The foundation for true unity for Christians is the gospel itself. That is Paul’s solution to this problem.
- 2. LOST JOY
The church at Philippi, it seems, had lost its joy. And it seems that this had happened for a fairly obvious reason: they had “fastened” their joy to circumstances, which are ever-changing, and therefore their joy was going up and down with the changes of life. It seems that one of these negative changes that had gotten them so down was the abuse of their beloved Paul by competing preachers while he was imprisoned. They loved Paul; they surely hated to see others take his imprisonment as an opportunity to get “one step ahead” of him in ministry. Paul’s answer to this? Listen to 1:12-18: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Paul refuses to lose his joy in the midst of the rivalry of his enemies. His joy is rooted in the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ – even through its advance through the efforts of sinful and competitively-minded men. It’s almost as if he’s saying to the dejected Philippians: “Don’t worry about me! The gospel is still moving forward; I’m happy!”
If the Philippians were upset about Paul’s imprisonment, they were most certainly down in the dumps about his imminent death (which Paul talked about frequently, it seems!). Again, Paul does not let them off the hook; there is no reason, for Paul, to lose joy because of physical death. Hear again his well-known words in 1:21-23: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” No reason here for lost joy! If Paul lives, he will work for the gospel and for Jesus. If he dies…that’s even better, because he gets to actually BE with Jesus.
If you’re not already convinced that the Philippians had lost their joy, then scan again the letter, looking for the words “joy” and “rejoice.” They show up a lot! Paul, sometimes seemingly in the middle of a thought, keeps telling the church to “rejoice” (2:18, 3:1, 4:4). It’s definitely a focal point for what Paul thinks they need to hear.
What is Paul’s solution to lost joy? It’s to find – and then hold onto – GOSPEL joy. It’s to stop “hooking up” your joy to ever-changing circumstances, and to “ground” your joy in the Lord God. Remember, Paul’s command is not simply to “rejoice,” it’s to “rejoice IN the Lord.” In other words, rejoice in God – in all He is and all He has done for us in Jesus. That is something that will never go away; it is the key place to find and keep permanent joy.
- 3. LOST DRIVE
The final “problem” that the church at Philippi is experiencing is something that I’ve called “lost DRIVE.” That is, they seem to have lost a passion for “pushing forward” in their faith, their obedience, and their relationship with Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul’s exhortation to them in 2:12-13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” While Paul certainly does not ignore that fact that the one ultimately responsible for our spiritual health and growth is God (2:13), he does call the Philippians to “work out” their salvation – to put EFFORT into it, and to deal with their souls with great care, in light of the holy God they serve and follow.
This call becomes even more explicit in chapter 3, when Paul uses his own approach to his relationship with Christ as an example that the church at Philippi should follow. Here’s what he says in 3:12-15: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way.” Paul, the incredible man of God and faithful apostle of the gospel of Jesus, essentially says here: “I’m not there yet!” His attitude personally is one of “straining” – pushing forward with great effort to know Christ more and to reach the glories of heaven by God’s grace. He ends by saying that those who are “mature” should think like this! That is, for Paul, Christian maturity is – at least in part – tied to an “I’m not there yet” kind of attitude…an attitude that pushes forward with humility to grow in Christ, know him more, and seek heaven with all energy and effort. This seems to be something that the Philippians had missed.
Well, what is Paul’s solution to a loss of drive? This is getting a bit predictable, but I think his solution is to adopt a GOSPEL drive. In other words, the gospel of God (and the gospel that Paul preaches) is certainly a gospel of grace; we are saved completely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection on our behalf. But, for Paul, the necessary and right response to the gospel is not to “stay put” and relax – it’s to PUSH forward with all effort, energy, passion, and discipline. It’s to “strain” to know Christ better and to make Him known. Gospel GRACE for Paul leads to a gospel DRIVE.
THE GOSPEL IS THE ANSWER
Friends, for Paul, the gospel is always the answer. The gospel is the answer to the main problems in the church at Philippi. It’s the answer to their lack of unity; they need gospel-grounded oneness. It’s the answer to their lack of joy; they need permanent, gospel-grounded joy. It’s the answer to their lack of “drive” – they need a drive that comes from the true experience of gospel grace. Disunity, discouragement, depression – these problems meet their solution in the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ!
FOR US TONIGHT
I want to ask you a few questions as you continue to apply this scripture to your heart and life:
- Are you at “war” with people around you? Do you fight, hate, insult, or gossip about other brothers or sisters in Christ? Paul’s response to you if you do: find UNITY in the gospel with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember that your names are written with theirs in the book of life. You were saved at the foot of the same cross, washed in the same blood, and united through faith to the same Savior. Serve HIM together with one mind.
- Are you struggling to find permanent joy? Have you harnessed your joy to your circumstances, so that your joy goes up and down literally every single day of your life? Attach your joy to the LORD. Find permanent joy by making GOD – and his gracious salvation to you in Jesus – your rock on which you build your joy. If you are in Christ, your greatest problem – SIN – has been dealt with. You are a new creation. You have in Christ the basis for a deep joy that literally no circumstance can ever touch or destroy.
- Are you standing still in your relationship with Jesus? Have you put your faith on cruise control? Push forward to know Christ more! Work harder to obey your Savior and make Him known to the people around you! Respond to God’s grace to you in Jesus by straining forward to serve Him, know Him, love Him, more…and one day be in his presence forever.
PHILIPPIANS 3:12-16
The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3:10-11, has just recited what could be considered his motto – his vision statement for his life: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” This was Paul’s driving vision – the main motivation behind everything he did as he lived and worked for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
NOT THERE YET
But then Paul, in verses 12-13, startles us with some very surprising words: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.” Let’s summarize these comments in a simple phrase; Paul is saying: “I haven’t arrived.” He’s not there yet. Paul is not “done” in his spiritual growth, his knowledge of Jesus Christ, and his grasp of the resurrection power of his Savior.
What? Paul? The great Apostle? Remember, this is the man who could easily be considered the greatest Christian who has ever lived. At the time of this letter’s composition, he has already been walking with Christ for more than 30 years – faithfully, boldly, and amidst great persecution, suffering, and hardship. Paul – not arrived? This is a shocking statement, certainly!
But that is exactly what Paul says: he hasn’t yet arrived. He’s not done yet. The resurrection of Jesus has already happened – but Paul’s resurrection has not. Here is a man who – after years of faithful service to Jesus Christ – recognizes that the struggle against sin and the onward disciplined march to know Jesus better continues until the day we die. Paul – this great, old, faithful warrior for the gospel – is saying in these verses: “I haven’t arrived yet.”
PRESSING ON
As you listen to Paul’s next few words, take note of the kind of action words he chooses to use. They are words of fight, struggle, effort, and sweat, as he describes his continuing commitment to press on toward knowledge of Jesus and, ultimately, the glory of heaven and eternal life: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13b-14). Did you hear the verbs? “Straining.” “Press on.” Notice the absence of any sense of relaxation, contentment….retirement.
Again, consider the situation of Paul. He is now old, tired, and, of course, imprisoned. He is nearing the end of his life. We might expect to hear signs of resignation – perhaps even a little self-pity. Yet we hear none! Paul’s focus to know Christ and to march onward toward the heavenly prize that is his through his Savior continues unabated. He is single-minded in seeking Christ and the eternal prize of knowing Him.
THIS IS MATURITY
Notice, then, what Paul says in verse 15: “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” After telling us that he is not “done” yet in his relationship with Christ, and describing his continuing passionate pursuit of his Savior, he then ties that kind of attitude to Christian maturity. Let those of us who are “mature” think like this! In other words, let them remember that they have not “arrived” yet. And let them strain, struggle, sweat, and press on each day of their lives to know Christ more, to love him better, and to reach the joys of heaven in His eternal presence. If anything is a mark of maturity in Christ, it is this kind of attitude. It is an attitude of humility – recognizing that we are not “done” yet in our spiritual growth, our love for Jesus, and our knowledge of his Word. It is a life of disciplined struggle – to “press on” in our faith in Christ with the eternal goal of heaven ever in our sights.
OUR LIVES
If someone took an honest look at your life – your relationship with Jesus – how would they describe it? I fear that for many of us (myself included), words like “relaxed,” “sedentary,” “lazy,” and “passive” might be used in a description. How many of us could be described as people who “press on” to know Christ more and to spread his marvelous gospel? How many of us would be accurately described as Christians who are “straining forward” to the goal of heaven and the prize of the upward call of Jesus?
As we all look at our lives and hearts today, let’s assess our maturity. And let’s do it in the way that the Apostle Paul suggests. Do we sometimes think to ourselves: “I’ve arrived”? Or do we consciously, humbly, admit that we are not “there yet” in our knowledge of God’s Word and our love for Jesus Christ? Are we relaxed – retired – in our pursuit of Christ? Or are we “straining” to know Jesus better, to hate sin more, to serve God’s people more fully, and to seek our heavenly home with our Savior? Let those of us who are mature…think this way!
PHILIPPIANS 2:19-30
It’s been a great semester so far in HYACKS, as we’ve been studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I’ve been encouraged by the enthusiasm that the students have for digging into God’s Word. Most of the group has memorized the five “C”s that we’ve been using to study each passage. In this recap from our last Big Group meeting, I’ll try to capture the discussion from our “live” Bible Study, which was guided by those five “C”s.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
CREEP (make observations, note surprising things, pick up on details, etc.)
We notice, with just a quick glance at this passage, that there are two main characters – two men to whom Paul calls the Philippians’ attention: Timothy and Epaphroditus. These are men that Paul seems to value, respect, and even need. There is a distinction between them: Paul is keeping Timothy with him during his imprisonment (he is not sending him yet to Philippi), but Paul is sending Epaphroditus to them (2:25). Another interesting observation is that it seems likely that Epaphroditus is actually the one carrying Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi; Paul calls him “your messenger” in verse 25, which seems to imply this. We also note that Timothy has been like a son to Paul, and has served with him “in the gospel” (2:22). Epaphroditus has likewise served like a “fellow soldier” to Paul, and has recently recovered from an illness that almost brought him to death.
CONTEXT (surrounding verses, historical situation, etc.)
Just a few verses before this passage – in 2:5-11 – Paul has given a beautiful picture of the incarnation, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate example of humility and “counting others more significant” than himself. Now, just a few verses later, Paul seems to be turning to two human examples of humble, gospel men: Timothy and Epaphroditus. Paul seems to be directing the Philippian church to the example of these two men – men who have been true, faithful, and steady friends to Paul for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s remember (as we have all semester), that Paul is writing from prison. Many friends have assumedly turned away from him; these men have stood by him in every way. While he can’t stand to lose Timothy’s friendship and encouragement, he does want the church at Philippi to be encouraged by Epaphroditus, who is a gospel man and a true friend.
CHRIST (focus/function in the passage, role in the verses, etc.)
We first see a focus on Jesus in this passage in the context of Paul’s hope regarding sending Timothy; he hopes “in the Lord Jesus” to send him soon. Then, Paul describes Timothy as someone who does not seek his own interests, but “those of Jesus Christ” (2:21). Finally, Paul says of Epaphroditus that he nearly died “for the work of Christ” (2:30). The men that Paul describes in this passage are clearly men whose lives are bound up with the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They seek Christ in all they do. They risk their lives to further the work of Christ’s kingdom. The centrality of Jesus Christ in these two men’s lives is what makes them truly great, faithful, and honorable in Paul’s eyes.
CRUX (main point, big idea, major theme of the passage, etc.)
At the risk of sounding a bit mushy…this is a passage about friendship. We see in these verses the Apostle Paul putting forward two men who are true friends in the gospel. They are examples of loyalty, faithfulness, and steady encouragement – because of their love for Paul, but even more, because of their love for Jesus and their loyalty and love for their Savior. So, our crux (to boil it down to a brief sentence) might be something like this: True friends bring great encouragement and support through partnership in the gospel and a common love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is friends like these that even the great Apostle Paul leaned on in his affliction. It is friends like these that Paul knows will encourage the discouraged church at Philippi. And it is friends like these who are worthy of our “honor” (2:29).
CALL (main application, what we do about it, the “so what?” of the passage, etc.)
This is a good passage to prompt us toward the question: Who are my friends? In other words, do we have “gospel” friends? Do we have friends who seek always the interests of Christ, and therefore the best interests of our hearts and souls as we seek to live for our Savior? To flip the question around, we might also ask ourselves in light of this passage: What kind of friends are we? Are we “gospel” friends? Do we “serve in the gospel” with those near and dear to us? Would our brothers and sisters in Christ refer to us as “fellow soldiers?” It is gospel friends that bring true encouragement, and it is Christ-centered friendships that endure. We might summarize our call in this way: Seek to be a “gospel” friend to others. In other words, let your interests in your friendships be guided by the interests of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood on a cross in order to reconcile sinners to God for all eternity. Let’s be “fellow soldiers” with one another as we live in light of that good news.
Philippians 2:5-11
HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!
In verse 5 of the passage, Paul tells the Philippians to “have this mind” among themselves. That word – “mind” – is a familiar one (or it should be, if you’ve been paying attention as we’ve gone through Philippians!). Look back at 1:27; Paul has told them that his hope is that they would be with “one mind” striving side by side for the gospel. Then, just a couple verses before our passage (2:2), this word comes up again: “Complete my joy by being of the same mind.” Unity among Christians – for Paul – seems to have something to do with the mindset, or attitude, that people embrace. Here, finally, we have a full explanation of what that mind must be. It must be the mind of Christ the Savior.
In other words, the call here from Paul is to follow the example of the Savior. This is the only imperative in the passage, and so we should pay careful attention to it. The beautiful “hymn” about Jesus that follows this command is given primarily to back up this imperative – to “have the mind” of Christ.
We should note the final phrase of this verse, which is translated in the ESV as “yours in Christ Jesus.” This is, in other words, a passage to Christians. It is a call to those of us who are in Christ to model our mindset and attitude on the mind of our Savior. It is a mindset that – because of our salvation and new life in Jesus – already belongs to us!
FOLLOW JESUS IN HIS DESCENT!
As verse 6 begins, Paul launches into what can best be described as a “hymn” about Jesus. It is quite possible that Paul himself wrote this hymn – even perhaps specifically for the church at Philippi. It is rich theologically, as it lays out the essence of both Jesus’ humiliation and his exaltation. But, we must not lose sight, again, of the controlling imperative of this passage: to HAVE the mind of Christ. This hymn is the basis for our life with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul directs us, in the first half of this hymn, to the striking descent of Jesus that he underwent for the eternal good of others. Read these verses out loud:
[Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Can you see Jesus’ descent spiraling lower and lower? This hymn is intentionally and explicitly developing the descent of Jesus – his humiliation – which was ultimately the accomplishment of our salvation. He did not “grasp” at his divinity; he didn’t take advantage of it for his own gain. He became human. More than that, he became obedient. More than that, he died. More than that, he died on a cross – the most humiliating and painful form of execution during his time. Jesus’ attitude was one of voluntary humiliation – for the sake of his people’s salvation.
It is in this descent of Jesus that we see the ultimate fulfillment of verses 3 and 4! Read those verses again – verses that Paul directed to the church at Philippi as he instructed them regarding their relationships with each other:
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Has anyone ever done this better than Jesus Christ? No! And that is precisely Paul’s point. By humbling himself to death on a cross to save sinners, Jesus Christ became for his people the ultimate example of counting others “more significant” than himself. He became the ultimate example of looking to “the interests of others” – even the eternal interests of others! To have the mind of Christ in us is to follow him in his downward descent of humiliation, service, and possibly even death – for the eternal good of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
FOLLOW JESUS TO GLORY!
The entire “hymn” about Jesus takes a turn in verse 9 with a word that can be very important: “therefore.” Listen to the way that the descent of Christ results in an upward slope to glory and exaltation at the right hand of the Father:
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The “therefore” in verse 9 indicates to us that Jesus’ exaltation and glory at the right hand of God is in some way as a result of his humiliation for our salvation. God exalts Jesus because of his humility and sacrifice for his people. Humiliation and service are, then, not ends in themselves. This passage ends with great glory and exaltation for Jesus. The hymn of Jesus takes a striking “V” shape – downward toward humiliation, sacrifice, and death, and then back upward with a glorious finish in exaltation and praise from all creatures.
We should note, too, that the glory – specifically the “name” – of Jesus here is of the kind that is reserved for God himself. Look back at Isaiah 45:24, and you’ll notice that Paul probably has this passage in mind as he describes Jesus receiving the kind of honor that is reserved for Yahweh alone.
While we first need to find ourselves with every “tongue” that will confess Jesus as Lord, and fall down on our knees to worship him, this passage does remind us that, with Christ as our example, we too look forward to future glory as we are united with him. Our lives – as we follow Christ – are to be lived in sacrifice for the eternal good of others, in the hope that we will one day share in glorifying Jesus forever and sharing in his eternal joy in heaven.
SAVIOR…AND EXAMPLE
It can’t be ignored here that while Jesus is of course our Savior, he does function primarily as an example for us in this passage specifically. Yes, verses 6-11 are incredibly theologically rich (and they share the essence of the gospel), but this “hymn” of Paul is meant to ultimately motivate gospel people to unity, humility, and sacrifice for the good of their brothers and sisters in Christ. The path of glory, too, must not be ignored. The passage doesn’t end at verse 8; our humiliation for others’ sake (remember verses 3-4 of chapter 2) is the path to our glory and eternal exaltation as well, as we live out the “mind of Christ” in our relationships, and share one day in his glory.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A FEW MONTHS BACK…
Over the summer, we engaged in a series called “Get Rhythm,” in which we tackled the disciplines of the Christian life that are key to steady growth in Christ. One of those disciplines – consistent engagement in the sacraments (baptism and communion) – sparked a lot of interesting discussion, particularly about the nature of the church. From that sprang the idea for a 2-week series in HYACKs on “The Church.” This is part 1 of that series.
YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD…
Do any of these comments sound familiar? “I love Jesus, but I really can’t stand Christians.” “I want to follow Jesus, but I don’t want to be a part of anything ‘institutional,’ like a church.” Or how about: “I’m a part of the universal church; I don’t need to be part of a local church.” If you haven’t heard comments like these…you will! There is a lot of cynicism – and misunderstanding – surrounding the definition of the church, and the role that the church should play in the lives of people who want to follow Jesus.
A CHURCH IS…
We’ll start by, first, looking at what the Bible has to say about the church. Here are a few ways that the Bible helps us understand the church:
- A PEOPLE, NOT A PLACE
Listen to these words from 1 Peter 2: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ….But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” The church is not a place; the church is the people of God. College Church is a beautiful building, with a beautiful sanctuary. But, without the people of God gathering together…it would not be a church!
- SOMETHING JESUS LOVES
Ephesians 5 is a beautiful chapter of Scripture that includes some beautiful teaching on marriage. But, within the teaching on marriage are some insights on the relationship between Jesus and the church (which we’ve already identified as God’s people). Listen to what Paul says: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Jesus loves the church. Jesus died for the church. Jesus wants to one day present the church to himself to be forever holy and perfect. The church is something that Jesus Christ – our Savior and Lord – loves dearly.
- THE BODY OF CHRIST
Many times in the New Testament, we see the church being described as the “body” of Christ. Ephesians 1 is one such place: “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Let’s not brush over this important description of the church. The church is over and over again called the body of Christ. Jesus Christ is identified as the “head” of that body. There are huge implications for this as we think about the church, but let’s consider just one briefly together. Remember that last comment that I asked you to consider as we began this discussion? “I want to follow Jesus, but I don’t want to be a part of a church.” Take the imagery of the church as the “body” of Christ and Christ as the “head” of the church very literally as you interact with that comment. What is that person making the comment doing? What does a person do when they attempt to take Jesus and throw away the church? They are – in essence – tearing apart the body of Jesus. They are decapitating him. What may have seemed at first to be an almost righteous-sounding statement becomes fiercely sinful and disrespectful, and it flies in the face of everything the Bible tells us about the relationship between Jesus and his church.
GOD’S MAIN WEAPON IN THIS WORLD
We don’t often think of the church in this way – as a “weapon” in the hand of God. We too often see the spots and wrinkles that often distract us from the great purpose and calling God has given to the church. Paul seems to have a big vision for the church in mind when he writes these words in Ephesians 3: “Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Did you catch that final sentence? The “manifold wisdom of God” is to be delivered through the church! The greatest message in the world – the mystery of the gospel – is entrusted to the church. There is no greater weapon God could have committed into his peoples’ hands. There is no higher calling – and no more powerful weapon – in the world.
- THE ONLY ETERNAL INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD
There are lots of different kinds of “institutions” in the world. There are governments, corporations, laws, and organizations. But there is only one institution that will last forever: the church. Listen to the Apostle John’s vision of the church – God’s people – at the end of time: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” That is the vision of the church when this world passes away; it will endure. The church is eternal, because God has eternally committed himself to its welfare. The church – God’s people – will never pass away.
GETTING CLEAR…
It’s time, now, to get a little bit more specific with our definition. We’ve been talking thus far about “the church” – meaning the “universal” church…the people of God. The universal church, in other words, is made up of every believer in Jesus Christ who has ever lived. This is also referred to sometimes as the “invisible” church, since no human being has the capacity to determine the eternal destiny of the people in the world now, much less all the people who have ever lived.
The “local” church, then, has a more specific definition. I want you to begin thinking about the local church, not as a completely different category than the universal church, but as a subset of the universal church. The local church is, in other words, a localized and organized manifestation of the universal church. This means that everything we’ve been saying about the “church” in general can also, in general, be applied to the local church. A local church is not a separate category from the “big” church. Let’s explore this a little more deeply.
THE LOCAL CHURCH
We can see that, from the earliest days following Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, local churches began to develop and become organized. Look at Acts 18, for example, to see the beginning of the church at Corinth. There are many conversions as Paul preaches the gospel there, and he stays there for 18 months to plant, begin, and found the church there. So, as the universal “church” grew in the 1st century (through conversions; more people believing in Jesus and getting saved), local churches also were established and began to grow. This is why the New Testament usually will call a local church: “the church at x city.” It is THE church – localized in a particular way in a particular location.
These local churches began to take on leadership and government; they were led by pastors/elders (which I believe, biblically, are the same category). Paul tells Titus, for example, to “appoint elders in every town” as a way to establish godly leadership at the various local churches (Titus 1:5), and then gives him the spiritual qualifications for these kind of men. These leaders provided vision and governance for the churches, as well as church discipline and guidance. We see, in addition to having church government, that churches began to be characterized by 2 core activities: the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments. Under these two core activities came other aspects of corporate worship as well, notably: prayer, public Scripture reading, offering, singing, and fellowship.
We have come, I think, to a clear definition of a local church. A local church is: A localized manifestation of the universal church that meets regularly for the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments, under the leadership, direction, and discipline of pastors/elders.
FINAL WORDS
Let me just say again as we draw this discussion to a close: the church is Jesus’ “thing.” He loves it. He cherishes it. He died for it. We who claim to follow Jesus need to love, value, and cherish the people that he holds so near to his heart. The church needs to have a priority in our lives, as it does in Jesus’ life.
On that note, let me add that it is in my view impossible to claim to have a love for the “universal” church without having a love and commitment for the “local” church. Our priority must be for a local manifestation of the universal church – a part of the “body” of Christ that we can love, see, touch, struggle with, give to, and serve. In part 2 of this series, we’ll take a look at what this means for the value and meaning of membership in a local church.
PHILIPPIANS 1:27-30
A DISCOURAGED CHURCH
The more we study the book of Philippians together this semester, the more I think we’re realizing that this is a pretty discouraged group of people. That’s why Paul keeps telling them to “rejoice” – it’s why he mentions “joy” so many times in the book! They are discouraged. They need to be reminded of the eternal joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul sets out to encourage the church at Philippi.
Some of us, I think, are too easily discouraged as well. Some high school students, on Wednesday nights, look like they walk in with the weight of the world on their shoulders. And some of you are carrying very heavy burdens. You have difficult family situations that consume your thoughts. You’re having issues with your friends at school. There’s that one AP class that is really getting you down. We, too easily I think, lose our joy in the gospel. We need to be encouraged.
PAUL’S ENCOURAGEMENT
I think Paul begins to encourage the believers at Philippi at the beginning of chapter 1. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,” Paul begins, “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (1:3, 5). The Philippians may have been discouraged because they weren’t sure how Paul felt about them; he encourages them by telling them how much their gospel partnership means. He is overwhelmingly thankful for them.
It seems that the Philippians were a bit discouraged by Paul’s imprisonment. We would have been too! Their “father” in the faith, Paul, has been thrown into jail for the sake of the gospel. That’s discouraging. Paul responds by encouraging them regarding his imprisonment: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (1:12). He says, in other words, that they shouldn’t be too discouraged about his being in jail, because it has actually resulted in the gospel of Jesus moving forward!
Finally, we can guess that the church at Philippi was a bit fearful about losing Paul. He was, after all, probably an elderly man by the time they received this letter, and being in prison didn’t help his chances for a long life! The Philippians were probably concerned – discouraged – that Paul might soon die. And Paul encourages them on this point as well: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21). He reminds them that, as long as he has breath, he’s going to be busy working for their “progress and joy in the faith.” But if he dies and goes to be with Jesus, that will be “far better” (1:23).
The Philippians were discouraged because of uncertainty regarding their standing with Paul, because of Paul’s imprisonment, and because of Paul’s potential death. Paul encourages them specifically on all these three points! And do you see the common thread that weaves together Paul’s encouragement? It’s the GOSPEL. He commends the Philippians on their gospel partnership with him. He tells them that being thrown in jail actually served to advance the gospel. He reminds them that, because of the gospel, to die is gain. Paul takes care to specifically encourage the church at Philippi on every point of their discouragement.
“PEP TALK”
But, it seems that Paul’s tone shifts a bit in verse 27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” He is done patting them on the back. He is done giving out hugs. He is moving on from encouragement to a hearty “pep talk.” His encouragement to them has all been in light of the gospel; he will now turn to remind them to live worthy of the gospel – the very gospel that is to be the source of their joy!
GOSPEL LIFE (1:27-28)
You should notice that all of the supporting phrases following that first imperative from Paul – “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel” – are subordinate to it. Everything in verses 27-28 flows out of that command – to live worthy of the gospel. The sense here in that imperative, as most of you can see from the footnote in your Bibles, is that Paul is calling them to “behave as citizens worthy” of the gospel. It’s an idea that Paul picks up later in the letter when he reminds the Philippians that their “citizenship is in heaven” (3:20). The call for them is to live like they are from “Gospel Town.” They are to remember where there home is – and the one who is their eternal King. From that central focus for their lives comes everything else in these two verses: unity in the gospel (v. 27), no fear of opposition (v. 28), and the clear sign of their unity – their salvation and the destruction of their opponents (v. 28).
Paul is, after doing some encouragement, now giving the Philippians a little “kick” in the pants. He is saying: “Get up, get to work, remember what town you belong to, be unified, don’t be afraid…and remember where you’re headed!” He’s encouraged them in light of the gospel; now he’s reminding them to keep living in light of the gospel.
GOSPEL SUFFERING (1:29-30)
These next two verses continue in the same tone of this “pep talk” that Paul has begun. He is now reminding the Philippians that suffering will come – as it came to Jesus, and as they have seen it come to Paul in his life. First, he seems to subtly be reminding them of the great privilege it is to follow Jesus – in both belief and in suffering. Paul tells them that it has been “granted” to them that they believe in Jesus and suffer for his sake. It is a gift, in other words, to believe in Jesus and suffer for him! In other words, stop feeling sorry for yourself – you have a great gift that has been given to you. Second, he reminds them to look at his life. They are going through suffering that is not unlike the “conflict” that Paul had to endure. “Philippians,” Paul is saying, “It’s a gift to believe in Jesus and suffer for him…and, by the way, you’re not the only ones suffering!”
PAUL’S ANSWER FOR DISCOURAGED HEARTS
If you’re discouraged today, I pray that you’ll see that there is real encouragement in the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you belong to Jesus – if you have repented of sin and put your faith in Him as Savior and Lord – there is real eternal joy that can and should be reigning in your heart. You need to pray that God would give you “gospel joy” – a joy that can’t be touched by ever-changing circumstances. We should be encouraged by the example of Paul – who rejoiced that the gospel of Jesus was moving forward even as he was chained up in a jail cell. We’re forgiven people, brought into a relationship with the living God of the universe through the blood of His Son Jesus. We have eternal, lasting joy!
Sometimes, too, those of us who are discouraged need the words of Paul in this passage we’ve just been looking at. Get up! Live as a “gospel person,” working – “striving” – for the gospel with your brothers and sisters in Christ. And remember that it is all such a gift – a gift to know Jesus, and a gift even to suffer for His sake.
Other College Church Bloggers
Dawn Clark
Indispensable
Garrett Nates
Uncontainable Beauty
Jeff Brewer
Live With A Mission
Jon Nielson
Something More Sure
Josh Moody
God-Centered Life
Music and Worship Team
Knowing the Score
