Identity by Conduct
Philippians 1:27-30
I used to work for a Japanese company. I started there before they began production so I saw a lot of Japs coming in and out to set up the equipment. They were not hard to tell from the American workers. They were all probably 5’6 or under. They all had black hair. They all had squinted eyes. They all wore the same type of clothes. They all spoke Japanese, and a bit of Japenglish. They all smoked cigarettes. They all moved about 90 miles per hour in everything they did. The point is. There conduct was that of a Japanese. No problem telling who they were affiliated with.
Our communities are filled with people who will not set there feet in the doors of a church because they have seen and heard churches who are filled with folks who have more conflict with one another than they have concern for anyone but themselves. Our churches have far too many folks who live like the devil on Saturday and act like a disciple on Sundays. Far too many people today bear the name of Christ, when there behavior is more like that of Capone! Lost men and women in our communities need to see folks in our church who live like they believe that the Gospel and the salvation provided to us through the blood of Christ can make a difference in our lives!
Paul told the Philippians how to have a conduct [conversation (KJV)] worthy of the Gospel. What does this mean? It means that they should behave like they believe he gospel. There behavior shouldn’t be like some in the church. We know that there was some conflict within the church at one time. In chapter 4:2 he writes, “ I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” Instead of embarrassing behavior within the church, the believers who make up the body of Christ should behave in a way that resembles one who believes gospel truths, submits to gospel laws, and depends upon gospel promises; and do so with faith, holiness, and comfort. Church members’ conduct should be as those who belong to the kingdom of God. The beginning of verse 27 literally reads in Greek, "Perform your duties as a citizen". Paul is stating that the Philippian people need to act like good citizens. And later on in the letter he tells them where their and our citizenship is, Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," The Philippians understood what Paul was writing to them about. They were Roman citizens. Philippi was a "little Rome." Veteran soldiers of Rome would retire in these cities and they would keep all their Roman ties–language, titles, customs, affairs, and dress. They refused the local influence at all costs. They were Roman colonists in a foreign environment. So Paul is giving the church at Philippi a good analogy. They are citizens of heaven. Therefore, they understood that they should speak the language of heaven, bear the title of heaven (Christian), carry out the customs of heaven (worship), dress as citizens of heaven
We can conduct ourselves worthy of the Gospel by applying three characteristics described in this text.
I. We Behave Like Christians When we Stand Firmly in One Spirit (V. 27b).
When Paul says to stand firm he is giving the impression of a soldier (Roman) standing at his post—a soldier who will not be distracted from his duties or lose focus on his task. I believe what he is getting at is to know what the Truth is and stand on it at all costs."In One Spirit" speaks of unity in the church. This means that their must be a consistency among the church in what they believe.
Buckingham Palace Guards example of standing firmly and never distracted.
1 Cor 16:13---Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Cor 15:58---Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (NIV).
Our world is full of Christians who say they will defend the faith, but when it is under attack they abandon it. If we have been changed through our relationship with Christ, which comes through the indwelling of the same Spirit, then we should be able to stand together in defending the Truth. Many in our nation would like to control what we believe and teach. We need to stand together on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, exclusiveness of Christianity.
II. We Behave Like Christians When We Strive Together with One Mind (V. 27c).
The expression striving together is one word. It means "to struggle with" or "to contend alongside" someone for something. It gives the idea of many people working together as one person for one purpose. It is a sports analogy of a team. This is also a call to unity of purpose for the church. Paul was telling the Philippian church that they needed to have the same goal established in their minds to ensure that they are working toward the same purpose.
Shortly after Herman Ostry bought a piece of property in Bruno, Nebraska, a nearby creek flooded his new barn with 29 inches of water. Herman’s son Mike started thinking about the problem. Mike counted the number of boards, timbers, and nails, estimating the barn’s weight at 19,000 pounds. Mike figured that 344 people would have to lift only 55 pounds each to carry the barn to higher ground. On June 30, 1988 Mike ingeniously designed a grid of steel tubing to serve as the barn "handles". Herman counted "one, two, three, lift!" The barn rose up off the ground like it weighed nothing at all. The 344 townspeople carried the 9-ton barn 50 yards up a hill in just 3 minutes!
1 Cor 12:12---For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
We need to come together and work toward the same purpose! In nearly every church there are those who are striving against the body rather than contending with the body. They would disrupt and discourage rather than lift up and encourage. I want you to examine your contribution toward the purpose of this church which is striving together for the faith of the gospel. Are you helping in what you do? How have you encouraged others?
III. We Behave Like Christians When We Suffer Fearlessly for One Savior (V. 28-30).
There was opposition in Philippi, even in the church, but Paul told them not to be frightened. We need to have the courage to face our fears as we serve Christ. We can when we realize that our persecutors are doomed, and we are to be saved (V. 28). We can suffer fearlessly because suffering for Christ is a privilege (V. 29). Another reason is because we are not alone (V. 30).
One summer morning as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he gazed out the window, and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Anover, OH home. He knew that downstream the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the drowning child. He hurled himself into the deep, churning water. He surfaced and was able to grab the child’s arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the culvert, Ray’s free hand felt something-possibly a rock-protruding from the bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. "If I can just hang on until help comes," he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire department rescuers had arrived, He had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard’s Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew. Ray Blankenship can’t swim.
Matt 10:28---And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
He may not be able to swim, but he has courage to rescue the perishing. When we are willing to do things that we are afraid to do in order to see people saved, then our conduct is worthy of the Gospel.
I started out by talking about working for Japanese. Now just about anyone could walk into Denso, or any other Jap company, and line up the Japanese based on their looks alone. Behavior can be a great identifier as well. You may remember hearing something like this, “It looks like a duck; acts like a duck; sounds like a duck. It must be a duck!”
When people see you and think about you, do they say, “Looks like a Christian, acts like a Christian, sounds like a Christian. Must be a Christian?” As Christians, our conduct should only bring honor to the Gospel of Christ, but so often it shames the church, the gospel and the name of Christ.
Our conduct is worthy of the Gospel of Christ when we stand firmly in one spirit, when we strive together in one mind, and when we suffer fearlessly for One Savior.
Friends if we are children of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, it should affect our conduct. When we realize who we are in Christ, it should make a difference in our behavior. How does your conduct shape up in line with what God has prescribed for the people of His church? Is your conduct worthy of the Gospel of Christ? Do people know that you are a child of God by the way you dress, act, speak, encourage, evangelize, serve others? Commit to conduct worthy of the Gospel, and let’s see God make a difference in our world through OGBC.
