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October 14, 2019 1:00 am
Paul is reminding the church, then in Philippi, that the news of Christ commissioning. Those words would still be ringing in their ears is carefully chosen words, Paul is reminding them and according to the scoreboard. It might not look like were were really making much progress.
I mean at that moment of your taping scar. It would be the world. 222 and the disciples zero.
It might not look like we are winning. But the truth is we already have in the secular world is winning.
When that happens, when it seems like the tasks God has called us to our not very much fruit God's word brings encouragement. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to encourage the church in Philippi and Stephen Davey is looking at that encouragement today.
In today's Bible lesson. Stephen returns to Philippians chapter 1, or in Paul's opening greeting to the church but it's filled with the rich theological truth. That's why Stevens calling this lesson, not just an ordinary hello let's jump in. We have trouble getting the right perspective on Paul's intention as he writes his letters to these first century churches. We assume that the churches on the scoreboard that the disciples are experiencing one undefeated game after another, or maybe since Paul started this church in Philippi 10 years earlier. It's been since then.
10 championship season one after another. Nothing could be further from the truth. At this very moment. Their leader, the apostle Paul is under house arrest to be dead in 24 months. The wrong perspective brings us to treat this letter as if it's some kind of formula for happy-go-lucky Christian who just want one victory after another of the truth is, Paul is going to refer to the way we should think perhaps even as we are taking a driving.
This is the battle which effectively begins in our minds will talk more about how we saying that how we feel. In fact, this letter is a spiritual call to arms is going to be a letter to challenge them to continue developing as a local church with an inner resolve to stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In a culture that will always be old. The biggest athletes and the strongest fan base and and boasts the more expensive programs and have the deepest pockets. The score on earth will never appear to be in favor of the Christian which is why Paul will write these kinds of words a little later on in the letter to the Philippian church because I want you to be children of God without blemish.
In other words, don't cheat in the game even though you're taking a beating be children of God, he writes, without blemish in the midst of this cricket twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights. Philippians 215 see what he's doing. Even in these opening lines is setting the record straight for the believer, no matter what the scoreboard might read the field turned back to his letter, we arrive at the last line of his opening greeting or salutation which is loaded with implication and encouragement to you need to know it will be helpful perhaps to know that Paul is following.
And yet, just ever so slightly, turning the cultural norm for beginning a letter in Paul's day, they signed their name at the beginning so if you look at the letter begins with simply his name. Paul and his co-laborer Timothy now according to the custom of the day you would follow your name up by saying something about yourself. So here he says Paul and Timothy slaves Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus. That alone would have gotten their attention is a different way to look at the game of life, so to speak. Next, in typical first century letters. The author would identify the people or person to whom he is writing. Notice Paul does the same thing to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi, including the elders and deacons and then Paul would use the typical word of his day. Verse two with the greeting Grace to you. The verb form of this word is translated greetings. Another way of saying hello. Over the years, archaeologists have excavated truckloads of umpiring from the nares stand as well as letters written by officials of the Roman Empire and literally thousands of them include the same word the same idea in the same formula whose writing, to whom their right.
Maybe a few comments by themselves in the writing and then hello, greetings that the Roman Emperor Claudius writing a few years after this letter was written uses the same letter opening formula nightly rates in the city of Alexandria because with his name is on the letter opens Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanic us comparator Pontifex Maximus never said that on a drivers license but he probably didn't need it back. I could help it. Read and think you know how your mother if you like my mother would funny you when you are in trouble. You get the whole name Stephen Duane Davey. This poor mother Tiberius Caesar Augustus Claudius Germanic us. By the time she got to the other. She forgot what she was angry which is I needed more name, just who is he, he would write his letter after all those names he wrote this holder of the tribunal nation power console designated other words on the guy with the power of the Roman Empire behind me pulses on the slate finally identifies a recipient of the city of Alexandria, and then just like the apostle Paul. He adds the word greetings, just your typical hello but here's a critical difference.
Paul isn't interested in writing just the typical hello so instead of using the popular verb form which is translated greetings or I send you greetings, Paul uses the noun form of the same words so that it is Carissa's translated grace doesn't write that the usual hello to you, he writes.
Instead, grace to you. She's going to transform the typical Gentile greeting and is afraid it is loaded down with gospel meaning. This is more than an opening clich� with the apostle grace as you may know it is defined as unmerited favor from God, and that the very outset of the letter he wants to remind them that they are recipients of the unmerited favor of God and thank you readers letters and you discover that grace is the origin of our salvation. For by grace you have been what saved.
Ephesians 28 grace is the source of our spiritual growth. For by the grace of God I am glad I am. Grace is the basis for our service. Ephesians 381 Paul writes I was made a minister of the gospel, by the grace of God me the least of all the saints.
However, I received this grace wherein I minister is also the source of this never exhausted, never failing strength for his grace will always be sufficient.
You second Sam Gordon writes in his commentary. Grace gives us what we do not deserve and what we could never pay back its students to where we are. I love the way he defines it.
Then he says this grace is everything for nothing. To those who don't deserve anything good isn't it.
Grace is everything for nothing. To those who don't deserve anything Paul got it and he wants the Philippians at the very outset of this letter to to be reminded.
He's not just saying hello. He's reminding them that they belong to Christ. They belong to each other they are serving together because of the grace of me just remind you that you are as were the recipients of grace no matter what the scoreboard read. There is one man's particular testimony, you've more than likely her life certainly share bits and pieces of it, who would become in the visibly linked with the words grace, amazing Grace, John Newton was raised in a Christian home in England during his early years, but he was orphaned at the age of six and lived with nonbelieving relatives who took great pleasure in mocking Christianity persecuting this little boy for following the faith of primarily his mother. At last he was old enough in his early teens to escape the horrible conditions of his foster home and he ran away made it to the British Navy Yard and became an apprentice and apprentice seamen in the British Navy. He served in the Navy for some time at his now growing rebellion is hatred for God is since his wicked lifestyle just got caught up with them. His drunkenness got him into trouble again and again so he ran. He deserted the British Navy escaped with a slave trader heading to Africa in his own biographical notations. He made it clear why he ran away to Africa, he wrote. I went so that I could see in my fill eventually joined the Portuguese slave trader was promised great riches in this horrible enterprise but ended up being treated almost as truly himself. He is was forced to work on this man's plantation and eat his food, he wrote quote from the dusty floor like a dog." So he ran away again.
He made it to the coast where he lit a signal fire ship was nearby, heading home to England picked them up the captain of the ship was disappointed at first and didn't have any ivory in his possession, cello because he knew something of navigation.
He was made ship's mate didn't last long. Thanks to Newton's drunken behavior.
He broke into the ship's supply of rum and distributed to the entire crew. They all got drunk, he fell overboard and nearly drowned. They pulled him back toward the end of that voyage near Scotland ship encountered heavy winds was blown off course began to take on water.
Newton was sent down into the hold.
Man those manual pumps and he was terrified. This was the worst place to be among all the crew. He was down there alone any work those pumps literally for several days without sleeping and as he worked, he came under deep conviction of where his life was going in this hopelessness before God. He remembered the gospel that he heard was a little boy that he says he recalled the memory verses that he'd been taught as a little boy down there below deck, he cried out to God and was transformed by the grace of God, he would eventually enter the ministry and become a powerful pastor teacher in England well known because of his testimony that exemplify the grace of God. But more than anything because of the poem. He composed to serve as an illustration for his New Year's sermon January 3, 1977 amazing Grace was there with me, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but now I see the truth is we are all in the visibly linked to the grace of God. All of us have been redeemed were lost in spiritually blind. We were founded by Christ and we found in him our spiritual pulled the something else here. He not only opens with a variation of the typical Gentile greeting. He also opens with the typical Jewish greeting. He's going to combine the two, because he is writing to a mixed Grace to you and peace now. Again, this concept of shalom uses the Greek term, but the concept here would be a concept. The Roman Empire was proud of you talk about TC talk about the Roman Empire that they thought they'd invented from 30 BC to 250 A.D. the Romans would boast that its emperors were the saviors of the world. The descendents of the gods and that they had brought peace to earth just six years before Paul writes this letter to the Philippians, the Roman statesman by the name of Seneca client of this Latin term Pax Romana piece of Roma Rome's piece we came up with it. We distributed we own it.
The Emperor's piece.
If you study the Empire came at a steep price for those who supposedly enjoyed it. Political oppression, religious crackdowns, suffocating taxation, widespread slavery was all a part of Rome's version of peace and people pay dearly for it but but here's the gospel, the peace that comes from Jesus Christ was paid for by Jesus Christ. He's the one who paid the price. He is the one who died, his grace pays for our peace, see the order of terms in this text is not coincidental. First, grace from God. Then peace with God, which is another way of subtly reminding the Philippians that people cannot experience it. Can they can experience lasting peace until they have experienced saving grace, grace first then its fruit peace. You don't pay for it. You don't earn it. You don't merit it.
You don't do enough good to deserve it.
He took care of it.
James Montgomery Boyce wrote that it was no coincidence that the first words Jesus Christ delivered to his disciples after he arose from the grave and and met the disciples in that upper room were the words peace be with you. The word Jesus used as a derivative of the word.
In fact would bring the minds of every citizen of Rome reading this letter and event in history and the lyrics of this particular word were as famous to that world.
Then as the lyrics of amazing grace are famous to us today tracks back to this famous battle called the battle of Marathon were grease crushed Persia the end of that victorious battle fight it but he is a champion runner threw down his shield and he raced toward Athens to deliver the good news of victory and he burst through the gates of the Acropolis for all the citizens that gathered in anticipation. It mixed with fear and he shall head this same word Jesus said, peace is the nuance of rejoicing in the fact that peace has been won by means of victory to hear the disciples are huddled in that upper room.
John records that they'd even locked the door. There, terrified of the Jewish leadership they don't want to be taken next and are also fearful of the Romans expect to hear the padding of Roman sandals on the stairs coming up toward that upper room because they had dared the break the Roman seal on the two which was the prevailing rumor resurrected Jesus suddenly appears in the middle of that locked room which is a wonderful author considers weirs be pointed out that in your greatest failure and despair. You cannot log Jesus out without the door ever opening suddenly appears and delivers this famous phrase effectively saying then you can start rejoicing now because I've I've won the victory and peace is yours. Verse two again grace to you and peace from from where from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Beloved grace and peace can only come to those who know God as their father. Do you know God is your father.
You come to know God as your father if possible. John will tell us, but as many as received him, that is, Christ to them. He gives the right. The privilege to become children of God to become his children, he becomes your father, so these gifts of grace and peace come to those who can call God. There father notice. Also, these gifts come to those who call Jesus Christ. There Lord.
I think in this context, given the fact that the Emperor claimed to be both Lord curiosities and saviors so tear that though those were titles of the Emperor everybody called him Lord and Savior. He was the one that brought peace to earth. Does that sound in any way familiar gospel.
I think that in this context, Paul is suggesting nothing less than treason were to take that name. The Emperor claims were going to attach it to Jesus Christ. He is your master. He ultimately is her Emperor, he is your Lord and when you know God as your father and Jesus Christ as your master grace and peace are his gifts to you that the construction here emphasizes the quality and oneness between God the father, Jesus Christ, God the father shares his essential divinity with with the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is equally divine, equally eternal, equal in essence with the father without a beginning.
He did not begin when God had sexual relations with Mary Todd by Mormonism and other cultures throughout the centuries. Jesus Christ is God the son had no beginning, equally eternal. In essence, equal with God the father subordinate in function. He comes to do the will of the father of the spirit.
Equally, God subordinate in function. He comes to glorify the son get equally divine without beginning or end. If you cannot call Jesus Christ in your Lord, your divine master. You will never be able to find grace and peace you will condemn yourself to search and never find fact in this letter Paul will perhaps more gloriously than any other letter explain the quality of Jesus Christ with his father. But one thing's for sure Paul is making clear these opening lines. There is no Christianity without Jesus Christ deity and deity does not have a beginning.
See, this is a lot more than just say hello. One of the more tragic stories that emerges from the world of football and sports is was the death of junior sale, junior sale was a well-known passionate intense emotional skillful leader of the San Diego Chargers.
Many of you are old enough to watch them play in his 13 year career before he retired.
He made the Pro bowl 12 of his 13 years. He was selected as NFL's 1990s all decade team is one award after another.
In fact, his career was one victory after but on May 2, 2012 at the age of 43 he took his own life in an interview with Sports Illustrated's former teammate and friend, Rodney Harrison, sort of transparently opened up surprisingly revealing that in sales last days. He said he was looking for peace, Harrison said Sal would tell me that the only time he really felt that peace was when he was with his children or in the surf, he would tell me when I'm on those waves. I have no worries, no problems. I just forget about everything junior sale person said with a touch of sadness was always searching for peace. I find it interesting that when Jesus Christ appeared in that upper room and announced this word peace. Peace be with you.
He quickly went on to add as the father has sent me. I also now send you. In other words, grace and peace aren't something were supposed to sit on the gospel of grace and peace isn't supposed to stay in here is not supposed to remain indoors we take it out there.
Jesus effectively said on delivering the news to you that we have one the eternal victory. Now you gonna take that news out there and stay there behind closed doors close, reminding the church then in Philippi, that the news of Christ commissioning. Those words would still be ringing in their ears. These carefully chosen words, Paul is reminding them and set log. According to the scoreboard. It might not look like were were really making much progress.
It might not look like we are winning. But the truth is we already have the people around you that seem to be winning only seemed they are in reality. If you can pull back the curtain on their hearts they are questioning their eternal destiny.
They are despairing first thing nothing lasts there guilty beaten they need to hear the victorious news genuine grace and lasting peace. We cannot menu sure we receive God we receive and the need to hear how to receive, they can have it. These incredible gifts of grace and peace when God becomes father, Jesus Christ, their master.
I hope that this encouragement from God's word was a what did to hear today.
You've been listening to wisdom for the heart. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is the senior pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. You might want to go deeper in your study through the book of Philippians. Stephen release the latest volume in his wisdom commentary series. The commentary takes you through the book of Philippians. This is a great resource for any pastor or teacher whose teaching through Philippians or any student of the Bible who wants to learn and study more about this wonderful book.
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