Philippians 1:27-30 | A Church Worthy of the Gospel
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, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Pastor Tim Keller says, “Because the gospel is endlessly rich, it can handle the burden of being the one ‘main thing’ of a church.” The Apostle Paul believed that. Just so far, we’ve seen his joy from their partnership in the gospel (1:4-5), his desire to defend and confirm the gospel by his life (1:7), his view of suffering as an advancement of the gospel (1:12), and as a platform from which the gospel was boldly preached (1:14). And here in this passage, he calls the church to a life worthy of the gospel and to strive side by side for the faith of the gospel (1:27). The endlessly rich gospel is to be the center of everything in the church.
So what is the gospel, and how is it so endlessly rich? The gospel is the news that our Creator God has taken our sin upon himself in his Son and granted us new life by his Spirit. How is the gospel so endlessly rich? Because it’s the message of the endlessly rich Savior. Jesus is inexhaustible. His grace is never-ending. His mercy is never-fading. His glory is never-ceasing. His love is never-failing. Jesus will never leave us, won’t ever forsake us, and promises to complete the work he began in us. Jesus is big enough for all our sin and failure. He unites us despite our differences, leads us despite our foolishness, serves us despite our unworthiness, and loves us despite our rebellion. Jesus forgives us completely because he saved us utterly, cleanses us thoroughly because he redeemed us wholly, and sanctifies us perfectly because he atoned for us sacrificially. In Christ, your salvation is secure and complete now and forever. What else is worthy of being the main thing in the church?
Only Jesus and his gospel is big enough to stake our entire life on, and that’s what Paul wants the Philippians to do—stand firmly upon the rock of Jesus Christ and never leave, showing the world just how big the gospel really is.
Of course, this isn’t easy. So much demands our attention and calls us away from Jesus alone. And when opposition and persecution and suffering confront us, as it did the Philippians, it takes courage to keep the gospel central. A gospel-centered church needs gospel-centered courage. As we continue to cultivate our gospel culture here at Refuge, we need to cultivate gospel-centered courage. That courage is formed in at least three ways.
A Courageous Church Stands Together as Citizens of Heaven
A Courageous Church Strives Together for the Faith of the Gospel
A Courageous Church Suffers Together for the Sake of Christ
A Courageous Church Stands Together as Citizens of Heaven
Look at verse 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.”
See the word “only” at the beginning? As Paul sat in his jail cell writing the Philippians, he thought, “You know, I might not make it out of here. If I don’t, what must they know about their life?” He said it’s this. “Whatever becomes of me or you, here’s the one thing that matters: live worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
What does it mean to live a life worthy of the gospel? How could anyone be worthy of the gospel? Isn’t the gospel about grace for the undeserving? Is Paul saying we can deserve the gospel? No, of course not. That would go against everything he said everywhere else. The Bible is clear: we do not earn our salvation; God gives it freely in Christ by his Spirit. So what is Paul saying? He’s saying we ought to live a life that, no matter what happens, is living proof that Jesus’s Kingdom is real—that Jesus is on his throne, everything is going his way, and he loves us—and come what may, we’re following him and him alone.
A church’s manner of life is worthy of the gospel when Jesus and his gospel is the biggest thing in the church. That happens by living as redeemed people—as citizens of heaven. That’s what the phrase “let your manner of life” means. It’s a Greek word Paul uses in Philippians 3:20, where it’s translated as citizenship. “But our citizenship is in heaven.” As John Piper summarizes, Paul is saying, “Bring your life into conformity with your true homeland: heaven.”
The Philippians understood this concept. They laid their head down at night in Philippi, but Philippi was a Roman colony, and Roman colonies had Roman citizenship. They were 800 miles from Rome and even further from heaven, but they’re citizens of both, and one wins over the other because it’s most truly their home.
Living as citizens of heaven is easier said than done, of course. It wasn’t so hard to stand as a Roman citizen. That afforded certain protections and rights. Paul was a Roman citizen, and that citizenship often got him out of trouble. But standing together as citizens of heaven required immense courage. Why? Because as Francis Schaeffer said, “The early Christians were not persecuted because they worshiped Jesus. They were persecuted because they worshiped Jesus only.”
The Roman Emperor claimed divinity and didn’t much care for King Jesus stealing his spotlight. But for the Christian, there’s no God but God alone. So in the face of demands for worship, the Philippians had to hold their ground as citizens of heaven. They couldn’t wait on Paul to arrive to be courageous for them. So Paul says to “stand firm.” That phrase was used of warriors or gladiators, spearmen fighting in close ranks who must stick together. And they must stand “in one spirit” which likely refers to the Holy Spirit, based on Paul’s use of the same phrase elsewhere.
Here’s the point. When other people demand our allegiance and our utmost affections, we must remember whose we are, that Jesus alone is worthy of our worship. We may be citizens of the U.S. just as they were citizens of Rome, but this is just our earthly home. We’re foreigners in a foreign land. We may love our country, but we can’t worship our country. We may align with one political party more than another, but neither can save us. We must refuse to let anything become bigger in our lives and in our church than Jesus and his gospel, and these days that takes courage, just as it always has. We may not live in ancient Philippi or in a kingdom where the King demands worship. But we live in a world with enough altars to foreign gods at every corner. We live in a day where our beliefs are increasingly viewed not as merely disagreeable but oppressive and evil, where our insistence upon justice is seen as too woke and our insistence upon traditional marriage is seen as too hateful. But we’re not against anyone, even if they’re against us. We’re just following Jesus. He’s the King. He sets the rules. He has the right. He’s God.
In our overly politicized world, the Church where the gospel is the biggest thing cannot find a home. That’s ok. We already have one. One day the Republicans and the Democrats will fade, this world will be rolled up like a garment, but Jesus and his gospel will remain. Politicians can be voted out, but Jesus can’t. Empires rise and kingdoms fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.
As this world continues to draw dividing lines between us, forcing us to take sides one against the other, Jesus and his gospel unite sinners into one Church, not because we naturally think alike or have a common background but because we share in one Spirit who makes us citizens of Christ’s kingdom. So we stand firm, courageous, back straight, smile on our face, proud of our homeland, ready to welcome more immigrants in to the only One who can never fail us and will always love us, Jesus our Savior.
A Courageous Church Strives Together for the Faith of the Gospel
Look at verse 27 again. “With one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”
We not only stand together; we move together. Jesus doesn’t call us to a holy huddle, inside the walls of some fortified city. He pushes us outward. Like a football team, the church advances by lining up side by side and running the play Jesus calls, and it works really well when everyone does their part.
So what are we advancing? We’re advancing the gospel! We’re taking Jesus’s message of life to a dying world. We’re infusing grace into a merciless society. In the same way a football team has a common goal and runs a play everyone knows, the church has a common goal and shares the same knowledge. That’s why Paul says they strive side by side for the faith of the gospel.
The word faith doesn’t refer to personal, subjective belief but to the objective truth of the Bible. So we look at the Bible and draw our marching orders from there. There may be some second or third degree areas of disagreement, but we agree on the most important doctrine—on how we are saved—and we lift Jesus high and advance his gospel. We do it in a million different ways. Some serve children. Some go to work faithfully and work hard. Some manage employees. Some share Jesus with Muslims. Some walk across the yard to the neighbors. And on and on. But mostly, you just let God love you and change you and do his work in and through you as you just say, “Yes” to his overwhelming grace and follow his specific call on your life.
We’re all called to some different specific ministries, but we are all also called to one mega-ministry, the advancement of God’s kingdom in this world by making Jesus and his gospel the center of our life. By letting his light shine in us, by focusing on him and him alone, by his grace and for his glory, we are a prophetic voice to the watching world that Jesus is alive, grace is real, and anyone (I mean look at us) can get in on it.
We do that side by side because we’re strongest that way. “Teamwork makes the dream work,” right? In a courageous, gospel-centered church, there are no passengers. We’re all involved. Yes, some unbelievers may be among us, checking Jesus out, and, yes, some people need to come in and rest for a while. But there is a big difference between a church that has pastors on staff to do the ministry and a church doing the ministry. Dustin and I love to preach the gospel, but you are fully equipped to preach the gospel where you live, work, learn, and play. Christ is in you! You don’t need to wait for us to go serve and love your neighbor for Jesus’s sake. You don’t need our permission to gather with another person and study the Bible. We want to lay out some pathways and make it easy for you to jump in, and we want to help you in any way we possibly can, but because the Holy Spirit lives in you, you are ready right now to take that next step, whatever it is. You do not have to ride the bench on Jesus’s team. He’s sending us all out on the field. We all matter for him!
Taking that next step will be scary, and that’s ok. That’s how you know you’re following Jesus! He takes us outside our comfort zone. But your brothers and sisters of Refuge Church are with you. We will help one other courageously follow Jesus. And maybe the faith in me is weak today, but it’s strong in you. And as I look at you courageously following him, my courage strengthens and I stand up and walk alongside. We move outward and upward, following Jesus and letting his grace and mercy go out into this tired world.
What we’ve looked at so far is the positive side of things: being together for the gospel. But there is also a negative side: standing against our intimidating foes.
A Courageous Church Suffers Together for the Sake of Christ
Soldiers standing firm and a football team advancing the ball will get beat up along the way. They will suffer losses. That’s just to be expected. It’s no different with the church. Anything good done in this evil world will cost something. It cost Jesus something. It will cost us too. The Bible says, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Living a life worthy of the gospel means persecution. Jesus is up front with us about that. He says following him is taking up our cross. He wasn’t talking about the little cross on your necklace but the wooden beam that they nailed you to and left you to die on. As the Philippians lived out their citizenship, the Roman world tried to force them to worship another. When they wouldn’t, the Romans wanted them gone, and if they had to kill them, well, they killed Jesus, didn’t they? This world, since the Fall, has been in rebellion against God. There is simply no way to follow Jesus without suffering. But Jesus went first, and we know where he’s leading us. So Paul says, “Don’t panic. Relax. Jesus is with you.”
So a courageous church suffers together. But, as Paul says in verse 28, we don’t need to be frightened. The word frightened means “an uncontrollable stampede of startled horses.” Can you imagine what that looks like? Horses running wherever they can. Scattering. Not unified. Every horse for himself. Absolutely panicked. Paul says not to be like that. He says don’t be frightened at all. Be courageous. How? Well, as we forge ahead trusting Jesus, something becomes clear. Look at the second sentence of verse 28. “This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” We tend to think that suffering means our destruction. But Paul says that’s not true. Suffering can’t ultimately destroy us; it destroys them—those who persecute us. When you suffer for Jesus’s sake, it is a sign of your salvation from God. It’s a sign that God is with you, not against you. That’s why Paul says in Romans 5:3, “We rejoice in our sufferings,” and in Romans 8:17 that as we suffer with him, it proves we’re his children and we will be glorified with him. The Apostles rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5:41).
Even as we move out from the Bible, we have a lot of history to draw from that the Philippians didn’t. Think about it. Where is that mighty Roman Empire today? They took a local rabbi and nailed him to a cross because he was claiming to be King. Because of their power, he was easy to dispose of. But what about now? Because of his power, Jesus’s movement is still advancing. And the Roman Empire? It’s nothing.
We see this in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final speech, just hours before being shot. He didn’t know what came next, but he said, “Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop…I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Seeing the glory of the Lord changes you. The powers of this world are intimidating but as we stand for Jesus in a world that stands against him, we don’t have to fear what they can do to us. We’ve seen what Jesus can do with death! They killed him and he got up three days later!
We don’t go looking for persecution or pick fights. Jesus told us to love our enemies, not hate them. As Dr. King said, we meet the forces of hate with the power of love. Maybe one day, we’ll go to jail for our stand for Jesus. If we do, let’s honorably grace the jail with our presence for him. Let’s joyfully follow Jesus, and when suffering comes at the hands of outsiders, let’s stand our ground with one spirit and one mind fixed our Savior and offer the gospel, and they will see in us something they don’t have within themselves. For example, John Chrysostom was a pastor in the 4th century. The Empress threatened him with banishment. Here’s how he responded.
“You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father’s house.”
“But I will kill you,” she said.
“No, you cannot, for my life is hidden with Christ in God.”
“Then I will take away your treasures.”
“No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven, and my heart is there.”
“But I will drive you away from your friends, and you will have no one left.”
“No, you cannot, for it have a Friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you, for there is nothing you can do to harm me.”
That’s biblical courage. She thought he was weak and she was strong but it was the opposite, and as she spoke to him, she saw it.
Or remember The Avengers: Endgame. The great and final battle between the Avengers and Thanos. Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor are beat up. Then a portal opens and Black Panther steps through. Then Dr. Strange. Then Spiderman. And so on. Then that great part where Captain America says, “Avengers! Assemble.” That’s a great picture of the courageous church. Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side, not frightened, living out their calling as citizens of heaven. We’re on the battlefield. Jesus has called us there. And we aren’t losing even if we’re dying. The powers on the earth can do nothing to those in whom the power of the resurrection dwells!
We don’t want to suffer persecution, but because this world has set itself against God, we know in following him, it’s inevitable. When it comes, where does our courage come from? Look at verse 29. “It has been granted…” That word granted means graced. “That for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” God’s given us two things. First, to believe in him. Second, to suffer for him. We don’t deserve either, but both are part of the life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Our faith in Christ is a gift of his grace and our suffering for him is also a gift of his grace, and it’s our belief in him that prepares us to suffer for him. So when he calls, we answer because he’s swept us up in his redemptive story, and we—amazingly—have a part to play.
Conclusion
There’s one more thing I want to point out in closing. Our courage really grows when we realize one mega-truth. Look at verse 29 again and notice what Paul repeats. “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” God lifted your life up to his purposes. Your life matters for his sake. Do you realize that? You matter for Jesus Christ and, more importantly, to Jesus Christ. This world looks at each of us for what it can get out of us. Politicians want our vote. Companies want our dollars. Employers want our labor. HOAs want our dues. Maybe they care about you beyond that, but not like Jesus. Jesus wants you. He’s placed you in the great battle he’s fighting for his glory in this world, to save sinners and sufferers by his gospel.
As we just live into that, we see we’re just like Paul and the Philippians. Look at verse 30, “Engaged in the same conflict.” This isn’t only a physical battle; it’s spiritual. Satan deeply wants you to believe that you don’t matter and your life doesn’t matter. Through fear, he’s trying to intimidate you out of living a life worthy of the gospel. But a regime that rules by fear also lives in fear. As the devil looks at you, he sees Jesus in you, and he knows that means his destruction. He’s seen what Jesus can do. He’s seen his redemption of sinners. He saw Jesus come down as a baby to live a perfect life and undo the mess we’ve made of ours. He saw Jesus faithfully endure the cross and die to pay the penalty for our sins. He watched Jesus get out of the grave to grant new life and ascend to heaven to await his return. Your life in Christ—your courage to take the next step in discipleship to him, to live as citizens of heaven—terrifies him. He knows what Jesus can do through a church that lifts him high. He knows he might lose soldiers in his army to the army of Light. So he fights. But you will win, because Christ won. He knows his days are numbered. Your life in Christ is living proof of that reality.
So take courage. Jesus Christ is in you. He’s in us as a church. There is a Promised Land he’s bringing down one day. We’re citizens there today, and as we let that settle upon us, and fix our eyes on him, the author and finisher of our faith, we become in his mighty hands a band of brothers and sisters of whom this world is not worthy.
Let’s pray.
