Philippians, A Life Worthy of The Gospel - Philippians 1:27-30

I'm really excited that we're all here getting to meet

together and sit under God's.

Word with one another.

If you're joining us, we are currently going through the

letter to the Philippians. So if you guys would actually

open in your Bibles to Philippians. If you do not

have a Bible, Gabe in the back would love to

run you one, and it will be yours to keep.

So just go ahead and raise your hand if you

do not have a Bible, and Gabe will run you one,

and you'll get to keep.

It, take it home, and bring it back next time.

But we're in a series going through Philippians called Gospel

Perseverance Through Gospel Partnership. As Greg just kind of talked about,

we're looking for ways, how can we be active in

actively partnering with other Christians around the world or even

locally to partner and spread the gospel? Well, today we're

going to be in Philippians chapter 1 still. We're actually

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

going to finish out chapter 1, and what we're going

to do is we're going to read this, pray, and

jump right into God's Word for us this evening. But

I'm actually going to ask that if you're able, that

you would stand while we read God's Word to show

our reverence and respect for God's Word. We're going to

be reading verses 27 through 30. This is God's word.

It says, but also suffer for his sake. Engaged in

the same conflict that you saw I had, and now

here I still have.

Let us pray.

Lord God, we ask that as we read your word,

as we get to sit under it with one another

in this fellowship, Lord, that you would start to purify

us as your church, that you would conform us to

your image, that we'd look more like you, that you

would do your work through your spirit in all of

our hearts. Unify us, strengthen us, We give you glory

and thanks.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. All right, you may be seated. Now, some of

you might be familiar with this name. Some of you

might not.

There was a man a long time ago named Jonathan Edwards.

And he is considered one of the most renowned theologians

in all of America's history. He entered Yale at the

age of 12 and graduated... with his masters at about

22 years old. As he reached the end of his schooling,

he was considering and thinking about the future life that

he was going to have.

He was going to become a minister, and he was.

Pondering the years ahead and how he wanted to live

his life. And so over the course of about a year,

he came up with a list of about 70 resolutions.

And how he wanted to live his life.

Now I'm going to spare you and not read all

70 of them, but I have this little book here.

I'm going to flip through them because I want us

to get a little bit.

Of an idea of who this guy was. Number one.

Resolved that I will do whatsoever I think to be

most to God's glory and to my own good, profit,

and pleasure in the whole of my duration without any

consideration of the time, whether now or never, so many

myriads of ages hence.

Again, this was written a long time ago.

Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty

and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.

Resolved to do this whatever difficulties I meet with. However,

so many... and however so great.

Number four, resolve never to do any manner of thing,

whether in soul or body, less or more, but what

tends to the glory of God, nor be nor suffer it,

if I can possibly avoid it. Number six, resolve to

live with all my might while I do live. Number seven,

resolve never to do anything that I should be afraid

to do if it were the last.

Hour of my life.

17, resolve that I will live so as I shall

wish I.

Had done when I come to die.

25, resolved to examine carefully and constantly what that one

thing in me is that causes me the least to

doubt the love of God and so direct all my

forces against it. Resolved never henceforward till I die to

act as if I were any way my own, but

to act entirely and altogether as gods. 52. I frequently

hear people, or hear persons in old age say how

they would live if they were to live their lives

over again. Resolved that I will live just as I

can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I

lived old age. 57.

Resolved when I hear.

Or fear misfortunes and adversities to examine whether I've done

my duty and resolved to do it. And let it

be just as providence orders it. I will, as far

as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty

and my sin. On the supposition, this is number 63.

On the supposition that there never was to be but

one individual in the world at any one time who

was properly a complete Christian in all respects of right stamp,

having Christianity always shining in its truest luster and appearing

excellent and lovely from whatever part and under whatever character viewed,

resolved to act just as I would if I strove

with all my might to be that one who should

live in my time.

Number 67.

Resolved after afflictions to acquire what I am the better

for them.

What good have I got by them and what I

might have got by them?

So we kind of Flick through these different ideas of

what he said he wants to live like and how

he wants to live his life. He wants to live

his life very purposed. Even in there, he'll be like,

consider how much I eat and drink regularly. Some of

them are very simple like that, but the other ones

are like, I want to give consideration to the type

of life that I'm living. And before he got to

any of those resolutions, this is how he started the

entire thing. Being sensible that I am unable to do

anything without God's help I do humbly entreat him by

his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions so

far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ's sake.

So he was here considering the type of life that

he wanted to live for Christ's sake. Which in our

text today, Paul himself is urging the Philippian church to

to do the very same thing. Paul urges the church

in Philippi to live a life worthy of the gospel,

that regardless if he's there or not, he wants them

standing firm in one spirit and mind, striving together and

not frightened by their opponents. He says that, in fact,

that this is a sign to both the unbelievers and

the believers, and that what has happened, both their salvation

and their suffering, are not an accident.

What we're going to see in all of this.

Is this. How you live shows what you believe. How

you live shows what you believe. And it's because of

that that Paul in so many words is saying, as

what we're supposed to do with thinking like that, that

we are supposed to live a life worthy of the

gospel for Christ's sake.

So I've titled today's message, A Life Worthy of the Gospel.

Now, what's nice about Paul here is he doesn't leave

us guessing as to what that kind of life looks like.

Instead, he lays out what a life worthy of the

gospel looks like. He tells us.

That how we live is a testimony to both unbelievers

and to us. And so the thing he starts with

something that's very Paul, especially if you're familiar with his

letters to the other churches. He starts off in verse 27.

He says, Only let your manner of life be worthy

of the gospel of Christ. And if you're well acquainted

with Paul, you know that this is something that he

is passionate about when writing to believers. Look at these

couple of excerpts from different letters to the Thessalonians.

He said, For you know, like a father with his children.

We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and

charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God,

who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

To the church in Colossae, he said.

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit He says, I therefore,

a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in

a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called,

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one

another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the

spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body,

one spirit, just as you were called to the one

hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith,

one baptism, one God and Father of all who is

over all and through and in all. Paul is deeply

concerned with other believers walking and living a life that.

Is worthy of the gospel of Jesus.

And what's interesting here is the words that Paul uses

here actually paint this picture, this idea of a citizen

who is to conduct himself accordingly. Or someone, a citizen

who's acting like a good citizen, right? What Paul is

trying to say is that we, as citizens of heaven,

should be acting or living a life that reflects that

that is where our area code is from. Ephesians 2.19,

he says, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,

but you are fellow citizens and with the saints and members.

Of the household of God. As believers... As.

Citizens of heaven, we are to live in such a

way that actually reflects that reality. That others would look

at our lives and say, they aren't from around here,

are they? And many of us as Christians, I mean,

we've potentially experienced that. We started following Jesus. We stopped

doing some of the things we used to do. Started

doing things we did not used to do on a

regular basis. And people are like, what is going on?

We're called to live as lights shining in the dark.

We're called to be a city on a hill that

your life stands out from all the rest. Paul's going

to give us three things of what he expects to see,

what it looks like to have a life that's being

lived that is worthy of the gospel. It's these three things.

He says he's looking for them to be standing firm together,

striving together, and suffering unafraid together. So we're going to

look at these three things. First one is standing firm

in one spirit. Standing firm together. Meaning that whether he's

there or not, he hears that the church in Philippi

has an unshakable unity with one another. Which means that

when we look at our churches, when we look at

our own local church, we need to ask the question,

are we known for our unity? Are we known as

a people who stand together strong of one mind on

the same page with similar or same convictions and we

will not budge?

Because we are unified together.

We have the strength to stand on and for the

truth and do so together on the same page. And

that that is a sign of God's working among us,

his people. And these aren't mere suggestions of a way

to live for Christ. Paul is telling them to live

lives that are worthy of the gospel. And if we

find ourselves unstable, shaking, not unified, this should raise some

serious red flags for our church. Because what that would

mean is we're not living lives that are worthy of

the gospel. There's many of us who have built our

lives around Christ. firmly established on his word, rooted in

a church and Christ in his body. We've been growing

and maturing, firmly established amongst God's people. And we know

that the power that God has used through his church

to not only glorify God in our own lives, but

also build us up into looking more like Christ. If

you're trying to live the Christian life alone, outside Christ,

the context of a local church. Paul says that you

are not living a life that is worthy of the gospel.

And we actually see this even more so in the

next point. Because Paul says that we are supposed to

be striving together. The way he says it literally in

the text is striving side by side. And I don't

know if you've ever tried to strive side by side

with yourself, but that is very difficult. Paul is speaking

to this unity, and that unity is that there's many

parts that are on the same page.

There's many parts that are made one.

A body is many pieces that function and do a

lot of different things that are put together to make

one functioning body. It's not a body that's just meant

to be put on display forever. and never touched, but

a body that is meant to be used, a body

that is meant to do something, but be the active

body of Christ, to literally be his hands and feet

to complete and work his mission.

Through the church.

In Hebrews 10, we kind of get a cool snapshot.

Hebrews 10 says, let us hold fast the confession of

our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how to stir one another to

love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as

is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and

all the more as you see the day drawing near.

So the writer of Hebrews kind of gives us three

cool things here. He says that we should be standing

firm in our hope and that we shouldn't be doing

this life alone. That we need brothers and sisters in

our life spurring us on to love and good works.

Spurring or stirring up in us love and good works.

And then the famous, you need to go to church

every Sunday verse. Not neglecting to meet together.

What does he say? As is the habit of some.

What does that mean? It means... Some have made a

habit out of not showing up, and it should be

the opposite. Your general habit should be that you are

at the gathering where we're doing this, where we're standing

together under God's word, spurring each other on, stirring up

love and good.

Works, encouraging one another.

Christians are meant to regularly meet together, not when it

works out, not when it's convenient, and not when you

don't have anything else going on.

That this should be the first priority.

As the church, we should have the gathering regularly in

our life's rhythm. We should be in deep community with

other believers where we are actively working together, striving together

for the faith of the gospel. So I think a

fair question is, would you look at your life and

say you were striving together with other believers? Or would

you say that you've been trying to go it alone?

If you are striving together and standing firm with other believers,

praise God. Praise God that he is working in you

and that you would walk in a manner worthy of

the gospel. If you look at your life and you

see that you're doing it alone, Paul's plea here is

don't do that. Don't let that be you. Join with

a body, unified, striving together. You're not supposed to do

this alone. So as Christians, we shouldn't accept that that is,

or think that that's an acceptable answer.

That, oh, I'm just doing my own thing with Jesus.

Jesus doesn't even say that that's an option. If we're

going to do stuff with Jesus, we're going to be

doing this with his people, his bride, his church. And

one of the ways that we try to be intentional

about this, as we kind of talked about a little

bit earlier, is formal church membership. It's not just like, oh,

I go to that church sometimes, and I go to

that church sometimes, and I go to that church sometimes,

and I go to that church sometimes, because they kind

of have the best muffins, and the best worship, and

they kind of have the best Like, I really like

the guy who talks, or I kind of like this guy. Like,

I really like their community groups. Different churches are going

to excel in different things. But we're supposed to be committed.

striving as one, striving side by side. And so you

should find somewhere where you can show up and say,

I'm going to be rooted here. I'm going to put

down roots here, and this is going to be the

place where I plant myself, I plant my family, and

we grow, and we learn, and yeah, it's not going

to have everything I do like, and it does have

some things that I do like. There's going to be

a mix there, but that's also going to teach me humility.

It's going to teach me a lot of things. We

have formal church membership, so that also we aren't just

showing up here being like, oh, high fives, and then

we leave.

The formal church membership being.

That we as people, as individuals, come together to make one,

that we're deeply committing to one another as believers in

one local body to hold each other accountable, to say,

I know that I'm going to stray, as we sang earlier.

I know that I'm going to have this tendency to

try and do things my own way, and I can't

do this alone.

I need help.

I need people who love Jesus and his word just

as much as I do, who are going to hold

me accountable to it. But if they don't see me

on a Sunday, they're going to say, what's up with that?

Don't make a habit out of that. If they don't

see good works in me, they're going to be like,

I'm going to have to stir something up. Because what's

going on? Are you reading your Bible? Are you spending

time with Jesus? Are you serving others? Are you preaching

the gospel? We have church membership to say, we are

giving each other permission to be that in each other's lives.

That's a good thing.

A lot of us might go like, that sounds terrible.

I don't want that.

Why would I actively invite.

That into my life?

Well, I think the reason is because of what Paul's

saying right here. We shouldn't be doing this alone. What

it looks like to live a life worthy of the

gospel is that you are not doing it alone. You're

standing firm with other believers. You're striving together to with

other believers, and then you're doing something that actually seems

kind of crazy or impossible, but I think if you're

neglecting the first two, this other one is very hard

to do, and that is suffering unafraid together. Because Paul

says something crazy here. He says, and not frightened in

anything by our opponents.

Not frightened.

Paul says that to live a life worthy of the

gospel is not being frightened by the opponents to.

Christ and his church.

Now I do believe that it's possible that the strength

of Christ can be with us so that there are

times when we find ourselves by ourself. Maybe we're the

only Christian there. And that we can actually still be

unafraid and bold for God. But I believe the context

here is that as a church, unified, working hard, that

they would be unafraid of those who oppose Christ and

his church. That as we stand firmly, we are unified,

we are working for God to the point that nothing

can shake us as his people. And we need this

type of community.

In our life.

That as we begin to follow Christ and, well, I

don't know about you, if you've ever lost friends because

of Jesus. If you've had your family think you're weird

because of Jesus. But those are all things that the

Bible tells us to expect. And if you've started to

follow Jesus, it's very likely that in some way it

has cost you a relationship or an opportunity. But the

beautiful thing about God's church is that When we are

rejected by the world, we're not alone.

Christ's church is here.

That we'd be then welcomed into his family where there's support, love, reassurance, comfort,

encouragement to keep the faith even as your friends, as

your family, as your coworkers turn against you. Then look

what Paul says about that. When believers are standing firm together,

striving together, and struggling unafraid together, he's saying that speaks volumes.

He says that says something to the world around us.

Not only are Christians supposed to live differently in this world,

but believers are even called to suffer differently than the

world does. All of us love the story of the

people getting together. Though they have every reason to fear,

they band together and stand for what's right, full of courage.

Unafraid of what's going to happen to them.

And a lot of those stories that we like to

listen to, you'll see the enemies of those people who've

been doing everything they can to put fear into those people, bewildered,

going like, what's up with these people?

How can they stand in the face of this danger?

And we love those types of stories because I think

it speaks to the greatest story.

It speaks to the bigger story. As we look through.

Church history, the many Christian martyrs burned at the stake of.

And what were a lot of them doing?

Singing.

Singing while being burned alive. We're in a family service.

They're singing.

They're praying for those who are actively trying to shut

them up by killing them.

Stephen, one of the first people we see put to

death for the faith in the Bible.

As he's having stones thrown at him, he's praying for

his persecutors. That is not dying normal. That is not

being persecuted normal. That is not what the world expects

to see. They expect to go like, this will finally

do the trick. It never does. Even Jesus himself, hanging

on a cross, praying for those who put him there.

to the point where when he finally does die on

the cross, even a Gentile Roman centurion is like, that

was not just a normal guy. There was something different

about that guy. How we live, how we die, says

everything about what we believe. Look what Paul says about

a church living like this. and not frightened in anything

by your opponents, this is a clear sign to them

of their destruction, but of your salvation. When Christians in

the church live like this, Paul is saying it's a

testimony in and of itself to the world that something

different is going on. They're trying to quench the hope

we have in Christ, but instead we're standing firm striving together,

and not even afraid.

That's awesome. That's incredible.

And Paul says it's a clear sign to them of

their destruction, meaning they're on the wrong side. It's not

just a testimony to the world about its coming judgment,

but it's a testimony to us as believers of the

true salvation that God has granted to us.

That's what's crazy. God just is so amazing. The same sign.

That should be a warning sign to those who are

persecuting the church. It's also a great comfort. And we're

still talking about suffering. That it be a sign to

us that we are truly His. That He saved us.

That He set us on a firm foundation. That He

empowers us to strive side by side with other believers.

And that we can stand not frightened by those who

oppose God. And only He can do that in you.

How you live.

shows what you believe. Paul says something amazing here at

the end of the sentence. He says, and that from God.

The destruction to be brought on those in rebellion to God,

as well as the salvation given to Christ's church, is

from God himself. That this sign is given that God

is at work through his saving and working in his church.

Out of such a world.

That how we live our lives is a testimony of

to the world around us.

I don't think a lot of us think about it

like that. What your life is saying to your neighbors,

to your family, to your friends.

How we live our lives is even a testimony for us,

God's people, that God is doing something in you.

He saved you. He will judge the world.

We're assured of this as we follow Christ and we

see the world around us to begin to began to

treat us the same way that it treated him, which,

if you remember, was not great.

Paul reminds us of something that most of us don't

want to hear.

Maybe we overlook or we just flat out ignore, but

it is the clear teaching throughout God's Word and from

Christ himself. That is, what it says in verse 29.

For it has been granted to you that for the

sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him.

We all love that.

We say, praise the Lord. But then what does it say?

But also suffer for his sake.

We go, what? Hold up.

It's been granted for you not only that you would believe,

but that you would suffer, and all for Christ's sake.

So first, your salvation, first and foremost, isn't even for you.

It's for Christ, His glory, and His namesake. Second, even

the suffering ends up being for your good, for His glory.

But he's not hiding it from us. He says, this

salvation following me does come at a cost. Jesus doesn't

promise that you'll believe him and you'll have your best

life now. But all throughout Christ's ministry and the teaching

of the apostles after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven,

he makes it clear how we should expect the world

to treat us. And it's basically, if you're going to

follow me, they're going to treat you just like me.

This is a long text.

But Jesus kind of says it all for me, so

I'm just going to let him do it. When Jesus

was sending out the 12 apostles, this is what he

told them to expect. Behold, I'm sending you out as

sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as

serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, or beware

of men, for they will deliver you over to courts

and flog you in their synagogues, and you'll be dragged

before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness

before them and the Gentiles.

When they deliver you over, do not be.

Anxious how you are to speak or what you are

to say, For what you are to say will be

given to you in that hour. For it is not

you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking

through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and

the father his child. And children will rise against parents

and have them put to death. And you will be

hated by all for my name's sake. But the one

who endures to the end will be saved. When they

persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For

truly I say to you, you will not have gone

through all the towns of Israel before the Son of

Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher nor

a servant above his master. It is enough for the

disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like

his master. If they call the master of the house Beelzebul,

which is basically a demon, how much more will they

malign you or those of his household? So have no

fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not

be revealed or hidden that will not be known. What

I tell you in the dark, say in the light,

and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And

do not fear those who kill the body but cannot

kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both

soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold

for a penny? And not one of them will fall

to the ground apart from your father, but even the

hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore,

you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone

who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before

my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me

before men, I will also I also will deny before

my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that

I have come to bring peace to the earth. I

have not come to bring peace but a sword. For

I have come to set a man against his father

and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against

her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of

his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than

me is not worthy of me. Whoever loves son or

daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And

whoever does not take his cross and follow me is

not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it.

And get this, and whoever loses his life for my

sake will find it. It's a heavy text. But Jesus

just lays it out. He doesn't pull punches. He lays

it all out for those who would follow him. And

these are not the favorite coffee cup verses. But this

is the real Jesus speaking to his disciples. Telling his

disciples what it will cost to follow him. That if

the world rejected, opposed, and persecuted Jesus, then how much

more are they going to do the same to those

who follow him?

Paul, when he writes to Timothy, says the same thing.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim

in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,

my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch,

at Iconium, and Lystra, which persecutions I endured, yet from

them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire

to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Jesus tells his disciples the night before he goes to

the cross, in John 16, I said these things to

you that in me you may have peace. In the

world you will have tribulation.

But take heart, or take courage. I have overcome the world.

Paul tells us that It's been granted for Christ's sake

to believe in Him. And that also means that it

has been granted to suffer for Christ's sake. Jesus tells

us that we can expect trouble in this world. But

He doesn't tell us that to scare us. Because what

does He say? He doesn't say, boo. He says, take courage.

I have overcome the world. Jesus Christ has overcome the world.

That through his death, burial, and resurrection, where he paid

for the sins of all those who would believe in him,

who was raised from the dead, confirming him as the

Messiah and the Son of God, that for those who

believe in him, they can be saved from the wrath

due to their sin. They can be saved from the

judgment that is to come upon this world. As Jesus

said earlier, don't fear those who can only kill the body,

but fear him, that is God, who can throw both the.

Body and the soul into hell.

As I once heard a pastor say, he said, they

can kill the body, but they can't touch the soul.

This is great comfort, because Jesus has accomplished that which

we were powerless to do ourselves. God grants us to

believe in him, overcoming our deep hatred and rebellion to him.

The scales from our eyes, the deafness of our ears

are removed so that we would see and believe in

Christ and be saved. And even though there is suffering

in this world to be endured for following Christ, there

is a great purpose and encouragement we have as believers

in our suffering.

I need the band to come up, please. Romans 8, 18.

It says, For I consider that the sufferings of this

present time are not worth comparing with the glory that

is to be revealed to us.

Remember we are citizens of heaven.

We have a greater glory that is waiting for us

that far outweighs any suffering in this world.

What I think would actually be helpful is there's many

times that we.

Look back or we're told look back to the cross

and remember what Christ did. We should totally do that.

We're told look forward and look ahead to our future

hope to endure suffering and we totally should do that

But I also think it would be helpful to picture

yourself in heaven now.

Perfect peace, comfort, joy, unimaginable.

Picture yourself in heaven now, looking back at yourself and

the things you were going through. Because I believe that

when we are in heaven, no matter what we go

through in this life, we'll pale in comparison to the

joys we get to experience in heaven. And that's really

good news. They're not worth comparing, Paul says. So me

in heaven, I can look back and kind of go like,

worth it. No matter what I had to go through,

worth it. God also uses the suffering to refine us.

And like I said, can confirm that we are indeed Christ's.

And therefore, as the Bible would say, blessed. Which is

funny because how many of us equate suffering with your

level of feeling blessed?

Probably not a lot of us.

I've seen more, I got a free coffee today, hashtag blessed,

than I have, I just lost my job because I

love Jesus, blessed.

You don't see that. But that's not what the Bible says.

The Bible says that if we suffer for his name,

we are blessed.

Look at this.

Matthew, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you

when others revile you and persecute you and utter all

kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice

and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

For so they 1 Peter says, Do not repay evil

for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless.

For to this you were called that you may obtain

a blessing. A little bit later, but even if you

should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have

no fear of them, nor be troubled. The Bible has

a lot to say about suffering and how we're supposed

to respond to it. James 5, as an example of

suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in

the name of the Lord.

Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast.

You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you

have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord

is compassionate and merciful. 2 Timothy, therefore do not be

ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me,

his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by

the power of God, who saved us and called us

to a holy calling, not because of our works, but

because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave

us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

Back to 1 Peter.

It says, resist him firm in your faith, knowing that

the same kinds of suffering are being experienced.

By your brotherhood throughout the world.

And after you have suffered a little while, The God

of all grace, who has called you to his eternal

glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

These apostles are writing to the church of the promises

and blessings to come if we stay steadfast, if we're

not hypocrites. They themselves were not hypocrites. This is kind

of an encouraging thing. They're not just like, hey guys,

I'm going to write this letter to from a nice

cushy palace and tell you guys to enjoy the suffering.

But they themselves had suffered greatly for Christ's name's sake.

Look at this, Acts 5. And when they had called

in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not

to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.

Then they left the presence of the council rejoicing that

they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor.

For the name.

And every day in the temple and from house to house,

they did not cease teaching and preaching that Christ is Jesus.

That's awesome.

These apostles were living boldly for God, living lives worthy

of the gospel for Christ's sake.

Enduring all that would be brought upon them.

And when they were mistreated for Christ's name, they didn't

see it as a setback. They instead saw it as

a confirmation and a reason to rejoice because it was

just as Jesus had told them would happen. And if

Jesus was.

Good for his word about.

This, then we can also trust Jesus to be good

for his word about the promises for those who do

suffer well. Paul, at the end of our Philippians text,

says that they are granted to suffer in the same

way that they've seen that even Paul himself has been suffering.

And Paul wants them not to be discouraged by that fact,

but encouraged. He wants them to live lives worthy of

the gospel for Christ's sake, to be unified, striving, standing

firm together, not frightened as a church, living for God's glory,

no matter what they're going to face. And I believe

all of our situations are a little bit different. Washington

has its own host of problems. But even if our

situation isn't currently as hostile... the call.

On our life is just the same. To be living in.

Such a way that we are active and unified in

Christ's church, living unafraid of the world's opposition to Christ,

that we're standing firm and living out the light of

the gospel to the world that needs to hear the

good news before it's too late. And how we live

our lives today is going to show those around us

just how much they should take us seriously.

I think that's what we need to consider.

How you're living your life is going to tell those

around you how much they should take you seriously.

How much they should take Jesus seriously.

If we're flippant about God's church, if we're flippant about

God's word, if we're flippant about how we live our lives,

then no wonder people will.

Not take our message seriously. Seriously.

Because we're not taking it seriously. Which is why the

call for today is that you examine your life and

the things that we've looked at. Live your life worthy

of the gospel. Christ gave everything for you and would

you hold your life from him? We need this encouragement

today We need this challenge in our life. God's word

is here to remind us and encourage us and call

us to action. That means if you need to completely

restructure your life so that it would be actually revolving

around Christ, yes, it's going to come at a cost,

but it will far outweigh anything else you could live for.

Live your life worthy of the gospel for Jesus' sake.

Repent in the areas you need to. Believe in him

and set your life on him. Be active in the church,

living a life worthy of the gospel so that when

Christ himself returns, he will find us standing firm, striving together,

and unafraid, and all for Christ's sake. Amen?

Would you please stand?