Walking In Two Worlds
Text: Phil. 1:27-30
Introduction
1. Illustration: When you walk in two worlds
Hold your head up high,
When you walk in two worlds
Keep your sights to the sky,
Remember you're in this place
But of another race.
You move to a different pace,
The drumbeat of the sky,
Walking in two worlds.
2. As Christians we live with the great truth that we live in two worlds.
a. We live as a part of our society that is fallen, sinful, and hostile to the God that created us.
b. We also live as citizens of heaven whose real home is with God for eternity, but we live here in this world as His ambassador's.
3. Paul tells us that while we live here we are to...
a. Stand Together
b. Fight Together
c. In This Together
4. Let's stand together as we read Phil. 1:27-30
Proposition: We live as God’s ambassadors in a fallen world, and while we are here we must stand together in unity.
Transition: First, Paul tells us to...
I. Stand Together (27).
A. Standing Side By Side
1. If you've ever been to a foreign country you are familiar with the idea that everybody is watching you.
a. It's like everyone knows you're an American, and you feel out of place.
b. That is very similar to what it's like being a Christian.
2. It is because of this sense that everyone is watching that Paul tells the Philippian's, "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ."
a. Paul is making a word play on the fact that they live in two worlds.
b. They are citizens of Rome by virtue of the fact that they are live in Philippi.
c. This was something they were very proud of and it afforded them privileged status as a Roman colony granted them by Augustus Caesar.
d. But on the other hand they were citizens of Heaven.
e. What he is saying here is live where you're at by to do it in a manner worthy as a citizen of Heaven. In common terms we are to "represent."
f. What Paul had prayed for them in vv. 9-11, he is now insisting that they put into practice.
g. What Paul is referring to here is the ethical content of the gospel.
h. There is more to the Christian life than being saved; we have to live it out on a daily basis (Fee, 161-162).
3. Then Paul talks about standing together. He says, "Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side..."
a. The phrase "standing side by side" is more literally translated "standing in one Spirit."
b. While most English translations render this spirit as in the human spirit, it should be more appropriately translated Spirit as in the Holy Spirit.
c. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel" (NIV 2011).
d. First, because there was no precedence in Greek literature for it to be used that way.
e. Second, Paul uses the same language is several of his other letters as "in one Spirit" (meaning the Holy Spirit).
f. Third, it is impossible for a group of people to stand together without the Holy Spirit's help.
g. The Holy Spirit is the source of our unity. Only by standing in the one Holy Spirit can we have any hope of unity (Fee, 165-166).
4. Then Paul gives the reason for our standing together. He says, "...fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News."
a. The reason that we need to stand in one Spirit is so that we can "fight together for the faith, which is the Good News."
b. The word fight is the Greek word atheleo which is were our English word athlete comes from, and it means to engage in an athletic contest.
c. Often athletes will talk about fighting together in a sporting event, and occasionally refer to themselves as warriors.
d. We are to fight together and defend the Gospel (Fee, 166-167).
B. Unity
1. Illustration: In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group." The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned." "Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset. "But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been." They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together. What a picture of the body of Christ.
2. The only way we can survive in a hostile world is to stand together as a family.
a. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
b. There are many forces against us.
c. We have out enemy the devil.
d. We have an increasingly sinful and godless society.
e. By ones self we are doomed to failure.
f. But as a family, God's family, we cannot be defeated.
g. Let us stand together when the enemy comes against us.
h. Let us stand together when society comes against us.
i. Let us stand together when circumstances come against us.
j. Let nothing break us; let's stand together as one!
Transition: Next Paul says we should...
II. Fight Together (28).
A. Don't Be Intimidated
1. Illustration: A father told the story of his son’s first serious conflict at school. His boy was being picked on by three bullies. They would punch him, push his bike over, and generally made his life miserable. They told him that they’d meet him the next morning before school and beat him up. That evening the dad really worked hard to show his son some moves on how to defend himself, passed on a few helpful techniques, and even gave him some tips on how he might win them over as friends. The next morning, the boy choked back the tears knowing that the inevitable was going to happen. With a reassuring hug, the father smiled confidently and said, "you can do it, son. I know you’ll make out all right." The boy got on his bike and began the lonely, long ride to school. What the boy didn’t know was that every block he rode was under the watchful eye of his dad...who drove his car a safe distance behind, out of sight but ever ready to speed up and assist if the scene became too threatening. The boy thought he was alone, but he wasn’t alone at all. The father was there all the time.
2. Like that father, everybody knows the best way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them. That's why Paul says, "Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies."
a. Paul tells them to not be "intimidated in any way by your enemies."
b. This serves as the hinge between his call to unity and the mention of suffering which is the historical backdrop of this letter.
c. Although Paul does not specifically name the enemies his repeated use of "Lord," and "Savior" in the letter indicate that it was those in Philippi who were engaged in emperor worship.
d. These people were putting intense pressure on the Philippian church because their allegiance had been given over to a new Lord, Jesus, who had been executed by the Roman government (Fee, 167).
e. Do not let opposition startle you and frighten you away from your posts, but stand firm in unity of spirit and purpose to strive for a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.
(The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Pi-Rho, 4284).
3. Then Paul says, "This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself."
a. The reason this will be a sign to their enemies is the attitude that Paul had stressed earlier in the chapter.
b. Paul is encouraging the Philippian believers to live with the same attitude that he does that living is for Christ, and dying would be even better.
c. Anyone who lives with this type of mindset will convict those who stand against them for they will see the need to give their lives over to Christ.
d. Furthermore, this same lifestyle will lead to their own salvation.
e. Even if this would not be clear to their enemies, it would be clear to these believers.
f. To have the assurance that to leave this world means to be with Christ in the next adds boldness to anyone who truly believes (Fee, 169-170).
B. Defend The Faith
1. Illustration: In 1836 a band of fewer than 200 men defended the little mission in San Antonio, against General Santa Anna’s 6,000 Mexican troops. For two weeks they held the Alamo against impossible odds. Then, on March 5, the night before what would surely be the final assault, William Travis, the commander of the Texans, called a meeting of his men. Telling them he knew the enemy would break through the walls on the morrow, he drew his sword and cut a line in the sand. He invited those who wanted to stay and defend to the death to cross the line. Jim Bowie, who was sick on a pallet, asked to be carried across the line. And so today Jesus has drawn a line in the sand and he asks you to cross it. Will you stand united with him?
2. We are called to defend the faith entrusted to us.
a. Jude 1:3 (NLT)
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.
b. There are many bullies today that are attaching the Church of Jesus.
c. The intellectual community and evolutionists are attacking us.
d. The politically liberal community is attacking us.
e. The media is attacking us.
f. The gay/lesbian agenda is attacking us.
g. But we must not let them intimidate us.
h. We must stand strong against them.
i. We must defend the truth of Scripture.
j. We must defend the truth of the Gospel.
k. We must defend the faith.
l. Jesus said, "Upon this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!"
Transition: Finally, Paul says...
III. In This Together (29-30).
A. In This Struggle Together
1. The reality of the Christian faith is that since they persecuted Jesus they will also persecute us.
a. The previous topic of those trying to intimidate us is reason enough for us to realize that the Christian life will not always be an easy one.
b. The inevitable truth of the gospel is that we will at times have to suffer.
c. This is the reason we must stand together and fight together.
2. That's what Paul reminds us when he says, "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him."
a. We like the way the first part of this verse sounds. It's music to our ears to know that we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ.
b. The word "given" carries with it the idea of “to give graciously, freely, cheerfully.”
(The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Sigma-Omega, 5319).
c. So to given the privilege of believing in Christ is this life's greatest gift. Unfortunately,
d. Paul ruins the sound of this for us by adding that it is also a privilege to suffer for Christ.
e. We don't like to hear that part of the story. We like the grace of God, but we don't like to hear anything that would even make us uncomfortable, let alone the concept of having to suffer.
f. But if Jesus was persecuted then we will be persecuted also. We need to have the attitude of Peter and John.
g. Acts 5:41 (NLT)
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
3. Then Paul gives us a bit of encouragement when he says, "We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it."
a. Paul now encourages them by indicating that they were all in it together.
b. He starts out by saying that they are not alone in their struggle, but that he himself is right there in the struggle with them.
c. He also reminds them that this is the same struggle that they had witnessed him having before.
d. Remember that this was the place where Paul was imprisoned for setting the slave girl free from demon possession, and the jailer and the girl herself were recipients of this letter.
e. He also reminds them that he is still suffering because he is writing this letter from house arrest in Rome. They are truly is this together (Fee 172-173).
B. Unity
1. Illustrations: The year was 1630. The place was the Massachusetts Bay along the Atlantic coast near the place known as Plymouth Rock. On board the ship the Arabella John Winthrop, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company challenged the Puritan settlers to establish a new kind of Christian community. Winthrop said: We must be knit together in this work as one man, we must entertain each other in brotherly affection. . ., we must delight in each other, make others’ condition our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together. . ., our community as members of the same body, so shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us. Winthrop knew that they were in this thing together; no one could go it alone.
2. Our unity will show the world that we are in this together.
a. John 17:23 (NLT)
I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
b. We can only reach the world by being unified.
c. We cannot let small insignificant things separate us.
d. We cannot let anything come between us.
e. We are a family, God's family, and we must maintain the unity of the Spirit.
f. None of us can do it alone; we need each other.
g. We are in this together and we cannot let anything change that fact.
Conclusion
1. As Christians we live with the great truth that we live in two worlds.
a. We live as a part of our society that is fallen, sinful, and hostile to the God that created us.
b. We also live as citizens of heaven whose real home is with God for eternity, but we live here in this world as His ambassador's.
2. Paul tells us that while we live here we are to...
a. Stand Together
b. Fight Together
c. In This Together
3. Are we standing together?
