The Letters – Philippians

In this series, we walk through the book of Philippians—Paul’s letter of encouragement, perspective, and steady joy. Throughout the letter, Paul returns to a key idea: our mindset shapes our lives. His call is clear—learn to think like Jesus so we can live like Jesus. Philippians invites us into a way of thinking that leads to humility, unity, and lasting joy, regardless of circumstances.

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part 6

part 7

part 8 Sermon notes

Part 1, Philippians 1:1-11

The Letters of the New Testament Message: Think Like Jesus

Intro

What a joy it is to be back with you this Sunday! If you are joining us for the first time after Easter, I just want to say thank you for coming back, and I pray that as a whole, this body of believers, Friends Church would be a blessing to you as you grow in understanding your God through His word. One of the big deals about who we are is in the way we value the word of God and the ways of Jesus. One of the verses in the bible that comes to mind is Psalm 138:2 where we learn that God has done something very special: For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. -Psalm 138:2 This is largely significant because of how we can then understand God is through His word. We are a people that delight in God. and one of the ways we delight in God is to delight in His word because it is magnified above His name.

We are starting a new book of the bible today in a series through The Letters of the New Testament. And today we start the book of Philippians. I am so thrilled about this book. It is by far my best known book in the New testament, and I pray that our love would abound more and more as we learn it together. To help us introduce the book is an amazingly produced video by the Bible Project team, let’s watch it!

Prologomena

What an amazing video, thank you, bible project! There are a few key things I want to discuss about this book together, so if you have your notebooks open, or if you want to pull out your phone and take some pictures of these slides, here are a few key pieces. You can always go back into our sermon archives by the way on the website or youtube and find our past sermons. Also, if you prefer just listening we are on spotify and apple music. Ok, so here’s the 5 keys we need to understand before we even jump into a sermon on Philippians:

The Greek verb φρονέω (phroneō): Think Like Jesus! What it means: A deep inner orientation- how you see, value, and respond to life. (It appears 10 times in the book of Philippians!)
Why it matters: Philippians is a call to share a mindset, ultimately the mind of Christ. That unity in the church is not built on preference, but on shared mindset shaped by Jesus.
Gospel What it means: The good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. AND the advance of that message.
Why it matters: Paul evaluates his entire life through the lens of the gospel. And so should we.
Partnership (Koinōnia) What it means: Shared participation! NOT spectatorship, but OWNERSHIP in the mission of God.
Why it matters: The Philippians didn’t just “believe” the gospel, they invested in it, suffered for it, funded it. Church is not attendance; it is active partnership in God’s work.
The Phrase, “The day of Jesus Christ” What it means: The future moment when Jesus returns, evaluates, and completes His work.
Why it matters: Paul lives with the end in view. The Christian life only makes sense when you realize: everything is moving toward that day.
Suffering (Your calling) What it means: This is something granted as part of following Christ. Yes it is as painful as it sounds; ask Paul.
Why it matters: Suffering is not a detour, it’s actually part of the path. Paul reframes what we think suffering normally is- to suffer for Christ is a gift, not just a burden.

If you understand these five, your mindset, your future, your mission, your message, and your calling, you’ll understand Philippians better. Ok, now without further ado, let’s jump into Philippians!

Outline for today’s text: Philippians 1:1-11

V1-2 Who I am and what I walk in.
V3-6 Thank God
V7-8 It’s right to feel this way
V9-11 I love this way

Sermon Intro

How we think and what we think about is powerful. Some have even said that this is how your entire life is shaped by how you think and what you think about. I think I agree. When I was growing up, my dad was always on my case for thinking. Think about what you say before you say it. Think before you act and you wouldn’t have spilled that water, or got in trouble, or whatever it was I was dealing with that day. Well one time I really got into some trouble for thinking.

So my whole family gets some color in the sun, ok? My dad is brown and the majority of us caught some melanin. Except my little sister, Hannah. She came out blonde, blue eyed, and white. Growing up, I thought it would be a good idea to let her know that she was different from the rest of us, as big brothers do. So I made up this story that she was shipped to our house from a different country and a different family. We woke up one day and opened the fedex boxes in which there was little Hannah. So whenever she started getting mouthy, I’d call her fedex and that’d send her into a tailspin and that was the end of our argument.

Well, one day, my dad catches word of it. And it’s not so much that he caught word of it, it’s that my sister finally started believing this lie I cooked up. She came with tears in her eyes to my dad, and said, “Dad, am I really from another family? Did Fedex drop me off at the door?” I can count on my fingers the memorable beatings of my childhood. Yeah that one sits right at number 4. I’ll tell you a bit more about where this story is today, but today’s message was birthed out of a love and prayer for my little sister, Hannah, but for now, what you’ve got to understand is how we think and what we think about shapes us, doesn’t it? That’s why I want you to walk away from today and whenever you think about or are asked, “what is the book of Philippians about?” I want you to be able to readily say: Think Like Jesus. Let’s look at verses 1 and 2 together to start as we understand who we are and what we walk in.

V1-2 Who I am and what I walk in

You might consider this piece a bit of a throwaway introduction. I would like you to consider for a moment the beauty of God’s word and how “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17 God does not miss. Not even in an introduction. Will you consider what your God is saying through this?

This is very clearly written by Paul and Timothy, to everyone in Philippi including the overseers and deacons and he wants them to understand that this is written in grace and peace, or the ancient, “I hope this email finds you well.” But consider why God allowed this to be scripture for a moment. There’s something we need to understand because this letter is for us too. We dual wield the same titles, and the same blessing. When we think like Jesus, we are reminded that we are both servants and saints. And we walk in both grace and peace from God. To think like Jesus in this means that you are a saint. The moment you put your faith in Jesus, you are a saint. You can’t earn it, you don’t deserve it, and yet, that is what He calls you. At the same time, you are called servant. You now serve the kingdom of heaven and its’ great King Jesus. In the first verses you are told: Remember who you are, and this letter is for you.

So how do you receive that today? Well, you receive it in grace and peace from God. Grace, meaning, an undeserved good thing in your life. And peace, that shalom of God. Not just a feeling, but a position and mindset given by God. That is what you are to walk in. Today, as a servant saint, I will walk in the grace and peace of God. Even if you don’t feel that this is true today, let’s say it together: Today, as a servant saint, I will walk in the grace and peace of God. ## V3-6 Thank God Paul writes that he thanks God every time he remembers these people and then he always prays with joy. He tells us why, he says because of their partnership in the gospel. Paul remembers that moment at the river when Lydia got saved. He remembers the Philippian jailer and how God saved him too. All of that is fresh on his mind, I imagine, when he says from the first day until now. Powerful! I think of the beauty of what he just shared with us though, about how he remembers them and prays often with joy for them. It reminds us of this simple truth: When I think like Jesus, I thank God. That is one of the most amazing mindshifts of thinking like Jesus; we start thanking God for who He is and what He has done in our lives. All of it! Here’s some of the ways I’ve shifted thanking God in prayer because of the way Paul writes here about remembering others and praying with joy. I’ve found that I need to make time for prayer. I’m busy, and I’m a dad. If you’re hauling kids and living life, you need to set time aside in the morning or at night. What I’ve also realized is that I often find myself praying a lot when I’m cooking, when I’m showering, and when I have some time at my desk. Those are my daily prayer times. When I chop veggies, I pray for my siblings. It’s cathartic for me. When I make spaghetti, I pray for my mom, or when I make a greek salad, I pray for my dad’s salvation. When I pick up the mail, i’m reminded of the stupidity of my childhood and the pain I caused my sister Hannah as a kid, so I pray for her health, her love, and forgiveness… and I chuckle to myself for being a nefarious and devious menace. And, as God would have it, now I see it in my sons and have to correct it. But I am in the process of making all of these things a part of my remembrance and prayers of joy.

What are the parts of your life that you can take to the Lord in prayer as you go deeper in a relationship with God and think like Jesus? Well, as Paul thought about their partnership in the gospel, it led him to say this: He is sure of something: “He who began a good work in them,” that’s Jesus, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. He’s encouraging them! It’s like he’s saying, keep going! God’s not going to give up the good work he started, I’m sure of it! And if it’s not going great right now, don’t worry, God is still at work, and he completes His work. And you can be sure of it too today, amen? Let’s look at how thinking like Jesus leads us to feeling a certain way.

V7-8 It’s right to feel this way

Well, we get to our first time use of the word phroneo in Philippians. That’s this Greek word that’s going to show up and be translated in a few different ways for us in this book. It’s where Paul says, “it is right for me to feel this way about you all.” -Philippians 1:7 So the way Paul feels about them is a result of him thinking like Jesus. Listen to all of the feeling language he’s going to use which stems from thinking like Jesus: He says it’s right for him to feel this way because he holds them in his heart because of this sincere partnership they’ve had with each other. They were partakers of grace in his imprisonment and defence and confirmation of the gospel. Whoa!

So Paul sees their partnership reaching him in his prison cell, and in how he speaks about the good news of Jesus. And he doesn’t stop there! He calls God as witness to this deep love that he feels in his guts for them, that’s the Greek, in his bowels, the same love that Jesus has and it comes from him. Let’s unpack that. When I think like Jesus, I don’t just change my thoughts, I begin to carry the heart of Jesus for people. So here’s the question we have to wrestle with: Who do you need to start thinking differently about, so that you can start loving them the way Jesus does? Gospel partnership + shared grace + suffering together is deep, Christ-shaped love. And here’s the danger if we miss this: You can be in the same church, hearing the same sermons, singing the same songs and still not feel this way about each other. Why? Because we’re not thinking like Jesus about each other. That’s why Paul says, “it is right.” Meaning, this is not optional Christianity. This is what happens when the gospel really takes root in a community. We think like Jesus. Which leads us to feel the way Jesus felt about people. How did He feel about people? He loved them. He loved them so much that He laid His life down for all people. That’s why he goes back to his prayer for them. He’s going to share in these final verses what he is praying for them, the contents of his prayers. Because our thinking like Jesus leads us to feel rightly like Jesus, and the healthy and necessary byproduct of how we think and feel is then seen in the way we love.

V9-11 I love this way

Well his prayer for them is that their love would abound more and more. And he adds that it abounds in full knowledge which is their understanding of God’s word, and all discernment which is being able to know right from wrong. So his prayer is that the love that they have is spiritual and it is practical and that’s how they would be able to “approve what is excellent” which he means to say you would judge what is good and right.

So what’s the prayer? Here it is: Paul is not just praying for love in the sense that you might hear it used today. He’s praying for a Love that is: informed, and discerning. That spots what’s false and treasures what’s truly good. Because real Christian love isn’t blind, or weird, it THINKS! It’s clear-eyed, rightly ordered, and knows the cost; EVERYTHING! And it produces good things in us and for others until Jesus comes back. That’s a love that brings glory and praise to Jesus.

Conclusion

I told you I’d finish my Fedex story with my little sister. Well, many moons after the fedex beating, which I will say now that I rightfully deserved, my little sister and I have grown through a lot of our painful childhood experiences. Many that I caused. I asked her if she’d allow me to tell this story with you this Sunday because I wanted to honor her and what God has done in both of our lives since. There is a sincere love that has grown in me for her and in her for me. And I know that this is because of our faith in Jesus.

There’s many tools that have helped, counseling, time, life, but nothing that’ll quite shift your thinking like the love of a savior. Jesus said that those who have been forgiven little love little, and on the other side of that coin, I also believe those that have been forgiven much, love much. I have been forgiven much because my sin was great. And when you realize what Jesus has done for you, you’re able to start thinking properly, thinking like Jesus about all parts of your life.

I’m grateful for Christ’s forgiveness. I’m grateful for my little sister’s forgiveness. And I want to walk in the grace and peace of my God, as a servant saint that no longer has to laugh at other people’s expenses, but can remember others with great joy in my prayers, and can partner with others in gospel work, and can feel and love, and do good and be pure, in a way that brings glory and praise to Jesus. That’s what I get to do now because of Jesus’ love for me. That’s the way I need to think now. And so today, if you’ve put your faith in Jesus, let’s learn to think like Him. so that we can love like Him. I love you, Hannah. Thank you for being a part of my life and letting me walk in forgiveness today as I learn to Think like Jesus. For all of us, let’s worship our King today.

Part 2, Philippians 1:12-30

The “Bring It Home” Invitation – ron lepic

Before we get into Philippians, I’d like to invite you to our Sunday School class, “Bring It Home.”

Maybe this is you: Pastor Aaron shares something from the word that really resonates and strikes a chord with you, but you’re unsure about a specific point. You wish you could raise your hand and ask a question, but you know you can’t. After the service it’s hard sometimes too approaching him because you know he’s getting ready to teach again and he might be talking to somebody else. So your question goes unanswered. Can anyone relate. If that’s you, then our class is a safe place where you can ask that question. In fact, we welcome it. We meet after the 9:45 service in room 4 to discuss what we just heard. We have found that repetition and reinforcement is the key to learning.

Introduction: “Thinking on Thinking”

Last week, Pastor Aaron made a powerful statement about “thinking on thinking.” How we think and what we occupy our minds with shapes the very trajectory of our lives. I love how he narrowed the entire book of Philippians down to a simple, three-word phrase. Does anyone remember it? “Think Like Jesus.” Speaking of repetition, here are the keys to Philippians again:

The Keys to Philippians:

Mind: Thinking like Jesus.
Gospel: The center of our focus. But as we will see it covers more than just our initial salvation.
Partnership: Shared participation in the mission.
The Day of Christ: Our future hope.
Suffering: A part of the journey.

If we keep in mind these key components, as we read, it will help us understand the book of Philippians better.

WWJD vs. WWJT How many people know what these initials stand for? Some of us remember these popular wristbands: WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). But perhaps the better question is WWJT—What Would Jesus Think? Thinking like Jesus isn’t a solo mission. It’s a “we” mindset, not a “me” mentality. It’s the participation of the whole church, the saints, bishops, and deacons, striving together with one mind. Imagine the kind of fellowship our church could have if we were all partnered to think like Jesus.

As I spent time reading over this section, two things became clear to me:

How challenging it is to teach the bible this way. I have gained even more respect for Aaron, Rod and Jeremy for breaking down the word to feed us both the milk and meat of the word. Thank you!!!
I am beginning to see what God wants to say to us.

Outline (Phil. 1:12-30): To Think Like Jesus is to Have a Gospel Mind A Gospel Mind is:

Christ-Revealing (12-13)
Confident (vs. 14-18)
Caring (vs. 19-26)
Committed (vs. 27-30)

Point 1: To think like Jesus with a Gospel mind reveals Christ

Look at vs 12-13: 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Just like Paul with the Royal guard, when we think like Jesus it’s going to become obvious who and what this life is all about. And over time leave a testimony of Christ. To think like Jesus is to act like Jesus. Spoiler: to show you the far reaching effect the gospel had, Listen how Paul closes out his letter to the Philippians. He says, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” What Paul is emphasizing is that even the high ranking had become followers of Jesus and as a result started to think like Jesus. So then, To think like Jesus is to have a gospel mind.

Point 2: Confident (vs. 14-18)

Since that is true, we then see in verses 14 through 18 that A Gospel mind is confident. A confident mind finds its source of confidence in the Lord.

V 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul’s source of confidence was the Lord. By thinking like Jesus he was able to see God at work in the church steadily growing their boldness and confidence.

Vs 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. Vs 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. Vs 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. Vs 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.

Paul viewed his imprisonment, his “chains”, not as an obstacle but as an opportunity. He saw the Lord using the negative things to advance the gospel through his confident example. Even when the gospel was being preached with impure motives, he could confidently rejoice with a gospel mind.

The Painter’s Lesson: In my mid to late 20’s I own a painting business. This personal story illustrates how God can transfer confidence from one person to another. I had a pastor friend, who also owned a painting business. He told me, “Your customers need you to be confident when things go wrong. If you fall apart in frustration you are their anchor. You have to keep your composure. Remember you’re the expert.” Those words stuck with me.

I specifically remember one time, a helper dropped a bucket of paint from a high ladder onto a concrete sidewalk in 90-degree heat. The paint ran down the roof onto the ground and rolled onto the sidewalk. Just then the home owner walked out, even though he wasn’t there, I remembered Jerry’s advice. Don’t panic. You are the expert. His cool under pressure reminder gave me a boost of confidence. I calmly told him what happened and assured him the problem would be taken care of. I grabbed a garden hose and a wire brush, and some paint remover and cleaned it up to his satisfaction. I had the ability to do this because of the confidence that was transferred to me through the wisdom of my friend.

To think like Jesus is to have a gospel mind. A gospel mind is confident. In verses 19 through 21 we learn to have confidence in our brothers and sisters in the Lord also.

Vs 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ—notice the confidence in the brothers and sisters and with them, the spirit—this will turn out for my deliverance. Vs 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. Vs 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

It’s one thing to have confidence in the Lord, but Paul had confidence in the Philippians that through their prayers along with the Spirit working in them that Christ would be honored by either his life or his death. That’s confidence. What would keep someone from being able to walk in the mindset of this confidence? It would be the enemy of confidence, which is arrogance. So what’s the difference between arrogance and confidence? While arrogance turns inward for strength and inspiration. A True confidence finds its strength elsewhere. Don’t confuse confidence with arrogance. Both may shout with excitement and get emotional and make bold predictions. But their origins and outcomes are entirely different. Confidence finds its source in someone other than themselves. “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence” says Prov 14:26 Making both the church and the Lord a place of refuge.

Point 3: Caring (vs. 22-26)

To think like Jesus is to have a gospel mind which not only is Confident but it’s also caring. A gospel mind is caring and it cares for the welfare of others even at the expense of our own comfort.

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

Paul was “hard pressed.” He wanted to go be with Christ (which is far better), but he chose to stay for the sake of the church. Paul was thinking like Jesus.

Here’s a crazy thought: Jesus made himself uncomfortable and left the glory of heaven and became a man. And at great personal and eternal risk made Himself subject to temptation and sin. For His ultimate glory but also for our eternal good. He only needed to sin once and, just like Adam in the garden, He too would become a sinner and have to suffer the wrath of God that he came to satisfy by His perfect life and sacrifice. That’s the great tension between Jesus being fully man and fully God though isn’t it? Thank God He never sinned and we have confidence in a Savior who cares for us. That’s thinking like Jesus. That’s a gospel mind. I guess the question is: Are we willing to defer our comfort for the good and spiritual growth of others?

Point 4: A Committed Mind (vs. 27-30)

To think like Jesus is to have a gospel mind—Confident and Caring. And yet there is still one more piece. A Gospel Mind is a Committed Mind. A committed mind perseveres together despite intimidation.

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.

Paul passionately urges his reader to remain committed, and steadfast striving together to think like Jesus. Not just until he visited them again, but to stand in the face of opposition even if he doesn’t see them. A committed mind, then, is not measured by intensity in a moment but by endurance over time. An unshaken, shared resolve to live in a way that matches the gospel we proclaim.

Paul is pressing them beyond private belief into public allegiance: to stand firm, shoulder to shoulder, when pressure comes, when opposition rises, and when suffering becomes personal. This kind of commitment reframes hardship; it is not interruption but active participation. When a church holds that line together, unafraid and unified, it becomes a visible sign that the gospel is real, that Christ is worth it, and that no threat can undo what God has secured. That’s a committed mind.

Reflection and Wrap Up

God wants us to “Think Like Jesus” with a gospel mind. Not arrogantly trusting in ourselves but confidently in the Lord and each other. Not indifferent to one another but caring. Looking out for the things and interests of others even if it means it’s uncomfortable. Remaining steadfast together side by side for your whole life till the day of Christ despite conflict and intimidation. Let’s worship together.

Part 3, Philippains 2:1-11

Updated April 28, 2026

Philippians 2:1-11 Series: The Letters of the New Testament Message: Think Like Jesus

Intro:

Have you ever had something you know how to do or what to do but for some reason, you just don’t do it when it comes time to do it? Let me explain what I mean: I was spending some time in the backyard with my boys. They have this little ramp that they were pushing a skateboard down and I’m telling them how to properly drop in on a skateboard as one does. Well, I’m walking through the mechanics of it and where you want your feet and how you want your body positioned. You know, take it slow, stay calm, cool, and collected, this is your first time, don’t be frustrated if you don’t get it right away, all the things, right?

Well, my Nathan says, “dad, why don’t you just show us how it’s done?” and I’m like yeah, of course. We used to search for drained pools to skateboard in, i’ve got this. It’s only been 16 years or so since I’ve been on a skateboard, it’s like riding a bike right? Well, no. It’s more like riding a horse. If you get bucked off, try and get back on the horse. I go to drop in and I am not slow, calm, cool and collected. I am rushed, awkward, and off balanced. I go to push into this little plastic kiddy ramp and my foot slips off the front of the board, I try and catch myself and step half on the ramp and half off of the ramp and my foot makes a noise that a foot shouldn’t make and I limp away frustrated and trying not to cuss in front of my kids like a proper adult that didn’t just jam all of their tarsals and metatarsals into a kids ramp at mach 5. Nathan then tells me, “Hey dad, I thought you were supposed to keep both feet on the skateboard and go down the ramp?” Ah, yes, my very wise and sagacious 6 year old, that is exactly what was supposed to happen. Thank you for noticing that I did not properly mount and dismount the board as I had once shared with you.

Sometimes it’s easier to hear something, and understand it up here, and yet it takes more than that to see it produced in your life, doesn’t it? Would you hear it if I told you that we can do the same thing in our relationship with God and understanding His word? We have read one of the most powerful pieces of scripture in the entirety of our bibles. Theologians have written their doctoral dissertations, some even on one word within the passage we just read. Apart from its beauty and richness, there also stands a very powerful and distinct truth about how we are to navigate this world as Jesus people: We are called to Think Like Jesus.

Today, as we look at Philippians 2:1-11 I want to show you the most practical reasons behind what we are talking about, why it matters, and how we are to think like Jesus.

Philippians 2:1-11 Outline:

Verses 1-2: What does thinking like Jesus look like?
Verses 3-4: How do I start to think like Jesus?
Verses 5-8: Why should I want to think like Jesus?
Verses 9-11: How God responds to the Jesus mindset.

Point 1: What does thinking like Jesus look like? (V. 1-2)

Philippians 2 starts with the word “so” in my bible, and in many other translations into english that are faithful it will say, “therefore.” and any time your bible says “therefore” you have got to ask a really simple yet profound question. This is going to help you read and understand your bible better every day of the week, “what is the ‘therefore’ there for?”

If we ask that question, you’ve got to look back to verse 27 then to understand what Paul is saying. In verse 27 of chapter 1 he wrote, “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” -Philippians 1:27. So then we are now seeing what it looks like to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ in these first few verses of chapter 2. He’s saying something that is so familiar to us, something we know that we are supposed to do as Christians, which is to set an example to this world. And the way we are going to do that is by living a life worthy of the gospel.

And now he shifts from setting an example to the world through external conflicts to now turning into the church and the internal conflicts we could have. There was an exhortation to unity Paul gave them to be standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith. That’s what the world should see. And now we get the nuts and bolts of what Paul would say “completes his joy”. That they would have unity and be of the “same mind” that’s our next use of the word phroneo, by the way, for your notes my friends.

So his answer, to what it looks like to have unity and to have the same mind, what it looks like to think like Jesus is to be seen in 4 key areas of our spiritual resources. If you are walking with Jesus, you need these in your notes today:

What it looks like to think like Jesus:

Encouragement in Christ: First, remember this: there is real encouragement in Christ. We aren’t called into relationship with God just to know about Him, we know Him. We’ve been found in Him, and we’ve been given the gift of faith. There’s nothing that steadies and lifts the soul like that reality. So when life gets heavy, when there’s pressure, suffering, or confusion, go back there. Anchor yourself in your relationship with Jesus.
Comfort from love: Second, there’s the comfort that comes from His love. Christ’s love should not be a cute thing we talk about or some theory that lives in your bible, it’s personal. He is ours, and we are His. That should change us. And it doesn’t stop with us. When His love takes hold in us, it begins to shape how we love others. The same love we’ve received becomes the love we give.
Participation in the Spirit: Third, we share in life together through the Spirit. Think about that, we’re not individuals on a solo mission trying to follow Jesus. We’ve been brought into something together. The Spirit unites us, strengthens us, and even helps us in our weakness. So when division starts to creep in, we have to remember: this unity isn’t something we created but it’s something the Spirit has given us and we get to maintain.
Affection & Sympathy: Fourth, we’ve received deep compassion and mercy from God, amen? He hasn’t dealt with us harshly. He’s been tender, patient, and full of mercy toward us. And when we really grasp that, it changes how we see people. We start to care more, serve more, and look beyond ourselves. The compassion we’ve received becomes the compassion we live out.

Point 2: How do I start to think like Jesus? (V. 3-4)

He says in verses 3 and 4, this mindset begins when we deal with two things: our pride and our focus.

First, Paul says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.” In other words, if you want to think like Jesus, you’ve got to start by identifying what’s driving you. Here’s the thing, most of us don’t struggle with knowing what’s right, we struggle with what we want. We want to be noticed. We want to be right. We want to win. We want things our way. And Paul is saying, that mindset will never produce the life of Jesus in you. You can’t think like Jesus while being consumed with yourself.

But he doesn’t just say what to put off, he tells us what to put on or what we need to own as Christians: “in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” That word “count” is important. It means this is something you choose to do and lead in. This isn’t about feeling like others are more important. If we are honest with ourselves, there are very rare times in life that we feel like others are more important than ourselves. And if you are honest with yourself today, you believe that too, at least in practice. The truth is, you know how to do this or what to do but for some reason, you just don’t do it when it comes time to do it. Think of it like a casual skateboarding accident, right?

But, that’s not what’s being asked of you by the text, is to feel it or just think about it. That word, count, it’s decisive. It is to lead and have authority to treat them as more significant than yourself. It’s a mindset that turns to action not a feeling. Jesus-thinking starts when you walk into a room and you’re not asking, “how does this affect me?” but “how can I serve the people in front of me?”

And then Paul takes it even further in verse 4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Notice, he doesn’t say ignore your life. He says just don’t stop there. Most of us live looking at our own interests. Our schedule, our needs, our problems, our preferences. And Paul says, thinking like Jesus means you widen your vision. You start to notice people. You start to carry people. You start to love and move toward people. This is where thinking like Jesus gets real. This is where your theology, what you think about God, becomes visible. Because you can sit in church and agree with everything we just said in verses 1 and 2, but verses 3 and 4 show whether it’s actually shaping your life. Thinking like Jesus might start in your head and reading the word. But it will ultimately show up in how you treat people.

Point 3: Why should I want to think like Jesus? (V. 5-8)

Now you might be thinking, you know what, that sounds like a lot of work. Why would I want to do this? And I would have to agree with you, it is a lot of work. Let me give you a dad lesson I’m teaching my sons: anything worth doing is probably going to be hard. We do hard things. And anything worth doing, is worth doing right. That’s got to be part of it, you can’t allow the status quo or the path of least resistance to dictate your life. That’s not in our text, but it is a good nugget to put in your back pocket.

It still doesn’t fully answer the question, why would I want to do this? Because this is how Jesus thought and this is what we are called to do when following after him. Well, Paul tells us to have this mind and that it is ours in Christ Jesus. When you put your faith in Jesus you are given this mind which is His. He, God Himself, Jesus, is the very origin of this mindset. But the beautiful thing is that He didn’t just give this to you and say, “do as I say and not as I do.”

Jesus Himself lived this mindset here on earth. Listen to what Paul is saying: Jesus, being God, did not try and take that position as His path of least resistance on this side of heaven; instead He submitted to the will of God the Father. To understand this properly, you’ve got to think about Adam and Eve in the garden. The temptation was to be like God and Adam and Eve failed. Well Jesus, who is the second Adam, meaning He was born without sin, He didn’t disobey, Jesus was obedient in every way. Even obedient through the whole gameplan of heaven which led to His humiliating death on a cross.

So what is our “why” in thinking like Jesus? It’s to follow Jesus and truly be His disciples. How He did was in 3 steps from our text:

He emptied Himself
He humbled Himself
He obeyed.

Thinking like Jesus means choosing surrender over status. Emptying yourself, humbling yourself, and walking in obedience. If you are thinking like the rest of the world, here’s what we might expect: if you live like this, you lose. You go down, not up. That’s what the world does, but watch what God does with a life like that in verses 9 through 11.

Point 4: How God responds to the Jesus mindset (V. 9-11)

It starts therefore. And as we all know by now, every time our bible says therefore, we’ve got to ask what’s the “therefore” there for, right? Paul’s telling us, because of everything that Jesus did, the emptying, the humility, the obedience and sacrifice, because of all of that, the Father super exalted Jesus, the Son.

If you can think about it this way, the Father has always been the focal point of the Godhead. Throughout the Old Testament we see this. And always, there has been a focus on “the name.” To this day, many Jews won’t say God, they’ll say “Ha Shem” or “the name.” Well that great and powerful, all authoritative name has been given to Jesus. Now His name, the name of Jesus is the name that every nation, tribe, and tongue will know and declare. Every knee will bow in heaven, earth, and under the earth. There is nothing and no one that will not know His name and bow to Him. This is the name above all names.

The world says, “exalt yourself.” And our God says, “humble yourself, and I will take care of the lifting.” God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. That means this isn’t just about what happens to Jesus, it’s about what happens to us in relation to Him. Because every one of us will bow. The only question is when. You can bow now, willingly, joyfully, surrendering your life, your pride, your rights, Or you will bow later, when there is no more opportunity to surrender, only to acknowledge the Lord of Lords. But know this, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the name of Jesus. Today, choose to bow the knee.

So when Paul calls us to think like Jesus, to empty ourselves, to humble ourselves, to obey, you’ve got to know it’s not a losing strategy. It’s actually aligning your life with the way God works. God exalts what the world overlooks. It is a beautiful poetic piece, but I want to bring it into our reality because this piece lives in our bible and what God desires in our lives.

Conclusion

And this is where we have to be honest with ourselves again. Most of us don’t struggle with understanding what’s being said, we struggle with stepping into it. We hear it. We agree with it. We might even teach it. But when the moment comes, when pride is on the line, when your rights are on the line, when you have a chance to put someone else before yourself, that’s when it gets real.

It’s a lot like that skateboard in my backyard. I knew exactly what to do. I could explain it. I had done it before. But when it came time to actually drop in, I didn’t do what I knew. And listen, that’s funny with a skateboard. It’s not funny with your life. Because Thinking like Jesus isn’t proven in what you know. It’s revealed in what you do when the moment comes.

When you’re overlooked, do you still choose humility? When you’re wronged, do you still choose obedience? When you could elevate yourself, do you choose to lower yourself? That’s where this text lives in our lives. So here’s the call: Don’t admire the mindset of Jesus. Don’t agree with the mindset of Jesus. Think like Jesus. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.

Part 4, Philippains 2:12-30

Philippians 2:12-30: Proven by Life

Introduction: The Turkey Hunt and a Boy’s Word

My David got his first turkey last weekend. It was an amazing time to invest in both of my boys out hunting. We really enjoyed every step but the story I want to share actually isn’t about the hunt. It’s what happened before and after. One of our friends gave him a shotgun. And he said he could have it if he got a turkey and if, when he grows out of it, he gives it to his little brother. Like I said we had an amazing hunt and really enjoyed all of it. Teaching my boys to prepare the night before, to get all their things in order, waking up early with anticipation while it’s still dark and getting all of the things dialed in, right?

Well, we all but got skunked in the morning until we put on a spot and stalk. And then we got on birds. I couldn’t be more proud of how he handled himself through the whole hunt. But what struck me is what came afterwards. One of our friends congratulated him and asked him about the hunt and he said, “I kept my word. I promised I would get it done.” It blew me away to hear those words come out of my first born son’s mouth unprompted. We have been working on, at a boyhood level, what it looks like to keep your word and how keeping your word is proving something in you. It proves you are trustworthy. It proves your character and what you’re made of. All of these things. And I was struck by the amount of joy it truly gave me to see him get it and live it.

Today, as we look at the end of Philippians 2, I want us to know something today: If you think like Jesus, your life will prove it. Your life will show the effects of thinking like Jesus. Let’s look at our outline for the day.

Sermon Outline:

V12-13: Workout what’s been worked in
V14-18: How to do it, practically and often
V19-24: See it in Timothy
V25-30: See it in Epaphroditus

V12–13: Work Out What’s Been Worked In

These two verses have to be read together and in context. If you separate them, you’ll end up either trying to earn your salvation on one hand or doing nothing with it on the other. Paul won’t allow either. When he says, “work out your salvation for it is God who works in you,” he’s not setting those ideas against each other, they actually hold one another together.

You can’t work out what hasn’t first been worked in. God has already acted. He has already done something real inside of you through Christ. So Paul isn’t telling you to produce salvation; he’s telling you to express it. This is written to believers, people who already belong to Jesus, so it’s not about working to become saved. That would contradict everything Paul lays out in Galatians as well as other pieces of Scripture. Instead, he’s calling them to take what God has done in them and let it show up in their lives to let it shape their thinking, reorder their habits, and become visible in their lives. This is effort, and a lot of it, but it’s not earning; it’s participation in what God is doing in you.

Paul also makes it personal, he says, “your own salvation.” There’s a tendency to focus on what God is doing in others while neglecting what He is doing in us, but Paul brings it back inward. This is about your life. Don’t be caught up in comparing or measuring someone else’s working out of their salvation. This can keep you from what you are called to do, which is obedience to Christ.

Then he says to do this “with fear and trembling,” which isn’t about living in terror and insecurity. Nor does this mean that you should be in fear of hell or God crushing you so that’s why you need to be a good boy or good girl. No, this is about recognizing that God Himself is at work in you. This produces a kind of reverence and awe in you; a seriousness about not ignoring or resisting what God is actively doing. It’s not the trembling of someone afraid of punishment, or someone forced into labor because of the consequences. That’s not it at all. This is the response of someone who knows they are encountering the presence and power of God.

We know this because Paul says, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” I can only imagine, but I think God feels at the greatest level what I felt for my son when he kept his word. What we have to see from our text is that even your desire to obey comes from Him, and your ability to follow through is supplied by Him. God doesn’t command you to do something and leave you to try and figure it out. So, yes, you are fully responsible to respond, AND completely dependent on God to do it. If you lose either side, you either burn out trying to perform or stall out waiting to feel something.

Paul’s point is clear: God is working in you, so get to work and let your life prove that you think like Jesus. I think this is where many Christians can get stuck. Maybe you’ve been there before or know someone who has been there before: We can lean into the beautiful reality of Jesus’ finished work, which you should do, and instead of it causing a response from your life that God can take pleasure in, it produces a form of Christian lethargy. You can have this lethargic response to Jesus where it’s like, “Well Jesus finished His work, so now I don’t have to work.” and you might not say that, but that’s what your life proves. Don’t waste this opportunity and privilege to give everything for the kingdom of God before we see Him face to face. Keep working out what’s been worked in you.

You might say, “well, how? How do I do that? How do I think like Jesus and obey the way He did, and how do I prove that with my life?” Well, that’s what Paul says next in verses 14-18.

V14-18: How to Do It, Practically and Often

Chapter 2 has been this beautiful eloquent piece of Scripture. Probably no finer piece of Scripture about Jesus throughout the entire bible. And Paul directly links his call to work out what was worked in you to that beautiful poem about Jesus. So you’d think that maybe his next piece about how you are to do this might sound just as eloquent or maybe even something a bit lofty, right? Something like, take a silence and solitude retreat, and pray, immerse yourself in worship music and the reading of the word and then you will truly learn how. No, instead Paul gets down to brass tacks and gives some of the most helpful and meaningful ways to prove that you think like Jesus.

How does your life prove that you think like Jesus?

Do all things without grumbling and complaining
Be blameless and innocent
Shine as light
Hold fast to the word of life
Be glad and rejoice

He starts here: “Do all things without grumbling and disputing.” And the emphasis is on all things. Not only the big ticket items, but the ordinary and especially frustrating parts of life. Have you noticed that life is a lot more small, ordinary, things than it is the big ordeals? I’m learning that if you can do this in the small things then the big things start getting easier to do without grumbling and complaining. Actually, I’ve noticed personally that it’s easier to do the big things without grumbling and complaining but the small things can feel so much more frustrating. Anyways, just my thoughts on all things but you have to see that this includes your attitude toward people AND toward God.

Paul’s language actually echoes the pattern of Israel in the wilderness, where their complaining ultimately reflected a resistance to God Himself. And Paul is saying: don’t live like that. Don’t grumble against what God is doing. Don’t turn on each other. Don’t settle into a posture of constant frustration. Don’t give into an Eeyore mentality even if your culture pushes it. This is the big deal in this, because when grumbling and complaining becomes your pattern, your life starts to contradict the very message you claim to believe. Are you allowed to be frustrated? Yeah of course, welcome to life. But the mindset, the way we think like Jesus is to come to terms with it and not lead your whole life through that mindset but to renew your mind in Christ.

Life is worth living, amen? If it’s worth living then it’s worth living well. Because of this, Paul says, become “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.” Not perfect, that’s not the goal, but consistent. Whole people. A life that isn’t divided, meaning you aren’t one thing in public and another in private. A life that isn’t sharp or reactive, or people always have to walk on egg shells with you because of your mindset. If you walk out of church today thinking that might be you, ask someone who really loves you and is willing to speak truth into your life. And then remember: faithful are the wounds of a friend. Take it as God showing you pieces of your life where you still need to change and think like Jesus. That is a good thing. The call is to be steady and authentic people. You don’t have to have it all figured out. But you do have to be willing to grow in how you think like Jesus.

And Paul is realistic about the environment here also isn’t he? You are surrounded by a world that does not operate this way. But that’s not an excuse; it’s actually the reason it matters. Because “among them you shine as lights in the world.” That’s not something you turn on and off like a light switch by the way, it’s who you are in Christ. The question is how clearly it shows. Light exposes, guides, and brings clarity, and the darker the setting, the more visible it becomes. Paul is riffing off of what Jesus said in Matthew 5 to let your light shine before others so that they would see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

So then Paul says to “hold fast to the word of life.” Stay anchored in God’s word. Let it shape your thinking and direct your life. And at the same time, hold it out, your life becomes a visible expression of the truth you believe. It goes hand in hand. You can’t do this without knowing the word. It’s impossible. It continues to redirect you and correct your thinking. It’s what it does for everyone who’s willing to obey and yield to God. You must hold fast to the word because it is life.

Finally Paul brings in his own perspective. He wants to be able to rejoice in the day of Christ, knowing that his labor wasn’t empty, that what he invested in them actually took root and endured. This is the heart of a shepherd, to care not just about his own walk with God, but to see others walking faithfully as well. I love this piece. I want you to know, church, that I feel this same way for you. It is a deep joy to invest my life into the kingdom of God through loving and leading you as your pastor. Paul, being in prison and not knowing what life is going to hold, goes even further, saying that even if his life is poured out in sacrifice, it’s worth it if their lives reflect this kind of thinking like Jesus seen through obedience to God. And in that, he rejoices. So he calls them to do the same, be glad and rejoice, not because life is easy, or everything’s going your way, but because God is at work and your life is becoming a reflection of Jesus as you think like Him.

This is what it looks like in practice: Thinking like Jesus in practice looks like a life without constant complaint, marked by integrity, steady in a dark world, anchored in truth, and filled with joy even in sacrifice. Not complicated, but it is hard work. And if you want to see what that looks like in real people outside of the Apostle Paul, he says, look at Timothy and Epaphroditus.

V19-24: See it in Timothy

Let’s look at Timothy first together in verses 19-24.

Timothy’s proof of thinking like Jesus:

Willing to be sent
Genuinely concerned for your welfare
Seeks the interest of Jesus Christ
Proven worth
Serves in the gospel work

For the sake of time, we won’t look at each piece individually, but Timothy as a whole. Paul says he hopes to send Timothy soon, which already tells you something about him—he’s willing. He’s available. Timothy isn’t clinging to comfort or position or any of the things that this world can offer. He’s ready to go wherever he’s needed. That’s the first marker of someone who thinks like Jesus: they’re not locked into their own plans. They’re open-handed with their life. When God says move, they move. There’s a flexibility there that comes from trust.

Then Paul says something striking: “I have no one like him.” That’s a weighty statement. Out of all the people Paul knew and labored with, Timothy stood out. Why? Because he was “genuinely concerned for your welfare.” Not surface-level care, not checking a box, not making sure they like him or that he’s treated well. No, this is deep internal concern. Timothy doesn’t have a 9-5 ministry job where he serves the Lord when he feels like it. He carries people in his heart. That’s rare. And it directly reflects the mind of Christ, who didn’t look to His own interests, but to the interests of others. That’s the part I tell our church staff all the time. I can help build your skill set but I can’t give you a heart for God or for ministry. That’s God’s work.

But then, Paul contrasts that by saying, “they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” That’s the dividing line. Most people, even in ministry contexts, drift back toward self. What benefits me? What’s easier? What protects my time, my energy, my reputation? But Timothy is different. His life is oriented around Jesus. What does Jesus want from my life? What advances His mission? What serves His people? That’s what drives him.

And then Paul says, “you know his proven worth.” Proven. Tested. This is a life that has been observed over time and has held up under the pressure of looking to others interests. His life proves something. This ties directly back to what we said at the beginning: if you think like Jesus, your life will prove it. Not perfectly, but consistently over time. When pressure and problems arise, what’s been worked in begins to be worked out. And that’s what Paul is pointing to.

Paul finishes by saying Timothy has served with him “as a son with a father in the gospel.” There’s humility there. There’s loyalty. There’s a willingness to come under, to learn, to labor, to stay faithful in the work. Timothy isn’t building his own platform either, he’s giving himself to the gospel alongside Paul. When you step back and look at it, Paul is saying: He’s available, he cares deeply, he’s oriented around Jesus, he’s been proven over time, and he serves faithfully. That’s what it looks like. That’s a life that proves something has been worked in. I want that, and we should all want that.

V25-30: See it in Epaphroditus

Now we look at our final example and piece of text for today. The man, Epaphroditus.

Epaphroditus’ proof of thinking like Jesus:

My Brother, Fellow worker, Fellow soldier
Your messenger, minister
Comfort for me
Joy for you
Risked his own life for the work of Christ

Paul shifts the lens a bit. With Timothy, you saw a steady, proven life over time. With Epaphroditus, you see something just as real, but it comes into focus through sacrifice and risk. Paul describes him with a series of phrases that stack on top of each other: “my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need.” In other words, this is a man who is deeply connected, fully committed, actively engaged in the work of God through all that he is. He is in it.

Paul calls him “my brother,” which speaks heavily to their relationship. This isn’t just ministry partnership because they go to the same church, there’s real love here. Then “fellow worker” and “fellow soldier”—he’s laboring in the mission and realizes that souls are on the line as they fight the good fight together. There’s resistance, pressure, real cost, his health and well being—all of it—and Epaphroditus is shoulder to shoulder with Paul in it. And then Paul reminds the Philippians, he’s your messenger. You sent him. He represents you. And he became a minister to Paul’s need, meaning he gave himself to serve and for this message.

But what stands out above all this is what it cost him. Paul says he was distressed, not because he was sick, but because they heard he was sick. That tells you something about his heart. Even in his weakness, he’s not focused on himself. He’s thinking about them. That same thread you saw in Timothy shows up here too: others first, even in suffering. And then Paul says plainly: he nearly died for the work of Christ. That’s a real risk. He put his life on the line to do what God had called him to do.

And Paul says he was “risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” Not as a criticism of the Philippians by the way, this is to tell them that he carried it all the way through, even when it meant suffering. So Paul tells them to receive him with joy and to honor men like him. Why? Because this is what it looks like when someone thinks like Jesus. A life marked by relationship, a life engaged in the work, a life willing to endure hardship, a life that serves others.

When you put Timothy and Epaphroditus side by side, you get a fuller picture. One shows steady, proven faithfulness over time. The other shows sacrificial, risk-filled obedience in the moment. Both prove the same thing: something real has been worked in, and now it’s being worked out. If you think like Jesus, your life will prove it in how you live, how you serve, how you endure, and how you give yourself away.

Conclusion

As we close, I keep coming back to that moment with David. He just said, “I kept my word.” It proved something to me. Not perfectly, he’s still a boy. But something is there. Something had been worked into him, and now it was starting to be worked out of him. I told you earlier how much joy that gave me as his dad, and if that kind of joy exists in me as a dad who’s trying but flawed, what do you think it’s like for God when He sees His children live this way?

When what He has worked in you actually starts to show up in how you live, how you respond, how you serve, how you endure, how you keep your word? That’s what Paul is after in this whole passage: proof. Timothy’s life proved it over time, Epaphroditus’ life proved it through sacrifice, and Paul is saying your life should prove it too.

So here’s the question you have to sit with: What is your life currently proving? What is your life actually showing right now? Because if you think like Jesus, your life will prove it. It will show up in the small things, in how you respond when you’re frustrated; it will show up in your relationships, whether you’re for others or for yourself; it will show up in your endurance when things get hard; it will show up in your character and obedience when no one else is watching.

Can I say, as a final word, this isn’t about pressure. I don’t want you to feel that you’re being pressured into shaping up. No, it’s about response. God is already at work in you, so don’t waste it. Don’t settle into passivity, don’t drift into comfort, don’t let your life contradict what you say you believe.

Here’s what I’m saying: Work out what God has worked in you, and as you do, over time, in real ways, in everyday moments, your life will prove that you think like Jesus.

Part 5, Philippians 3:1-11

Philippians 3:1-11: Identity Found in Him

Introduction: A Mother’s Prayer and a New Identity

Happy Mother’s Day to our amazing moms in this church! Today we honor you and your sincere love and discipleship in your homes. What a joy it is to serve you all today.

Every Mother’s Day, I think about the stories I have of my mom stepping in and helping save my life. She did this many times. One specifically was when I was a teenager and thought it was cool to get high. Well, one night, I overdosed badly. I thought I was dying. I called my mom to tell her that I loved her and that it wasn’t her fault. I didn’t want her carrying that weight for the rest of her life. My mom had given her life to Jesus sometime before this, and in that moment she said, “Aaron, can I pray for you?”

My thinking at that point in my life was so far gone that when she started praying, I scoffed and put the phone down while I walked. And I remember thinking, I just poured my heart out to you, and you’re going to pray for me? What a load of crap. Eventually I picked the phone back up and heard the end of her prayer. She said, “Jesus, would You send someone to my son and get him to the hospital?”

Right then, a car pulled up beside me. It was my neighbor. She rolled down the window and asked if I was alright. I told her I wasn’t feeling good and needed to get to the hospital. You know what I told my mom? I said, “You can stop wasting your prayers. I already got a ride.”

At the time, I thought I understood reality clearly. I thought my mom’s prayer failed and my neighbor just happened to show up. But the truth was, my thinking had become so disconnected from God that I couldn’t even see His grace when it was standing right in front of me. God answered a mother’s prayer. He sent my neighbor. He spared my life. And I had no clue. Because in that season of my life, everything revolved around me—what I wanted, what I thought, what felt good to me.

When your identity is rooted in yourself, you start interpreting everything through yourself too. The scary thing is, all of us are building our lives on some kind of identity. The question is whether that identity is rooted in the right thing. Is our identity rooted in ourselves, or rooted in Christ?

That’s exactly where Paul takes us in Philippians 3. Can you hear this today? When we think like Jesus, our identity is found in Him. If you are in church today to honor mom, I want to honor you as well. Thank you for loving your mom and being here today. It is every mom’s prayer that their children would find their identity in Jesus, and my prayer is that today you would see why and be found in Him.

Sermon Outline:

V1-3: False Identity
V4-6: Paul’s Spiritual Résumé
V7-9a: Surrendered Identity
V9b-11: Living in New Identity

V1-3: False Identity

Verse 1 starts with the word “finally.” If you know Paul, you know “finally” doesn’t necessarily mean he’s almost done. It’s almost like Paul catches a second wind here at the start of chapter 3. He’s transitioning his thought and intensifying it because he knows there is something critically important the Philippian church needs to hear.

Notice where he starts: “Rejoice in the Lord.” Again. Over and over throughout Philippians, Paul keeps bringing us back to joy. This rejoicing is not only good for them, it is safe for them. Joy in the Lord is a safeguard. Why? Because rejoicing in Christ protects us from looking for joy, worth, or identity somewhere else.

Paul knows something we often forget: where you find your identity will shape the direction of your life. Identity always shapes behavior. What you believe about yourself will determine how you live, what you pursue, and what you worship.

This is why Paul immediately moves into warning language: “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.” Why so intense? Because legalism—thinking you can somehow earn favor from God—is not just bad theology; it is misplaced identity. These men were teaching, “Jesus is good, but what really makes you acceptable is what you bring to the table.”

Church, we still do this all the time. We build identities out of success, morality, politics, family, motherhood, achievements, performance. None of those things are necessarily bad, but they become dangerous when they become the thing we trust in to justify us. Paul contrasts them with true circumcision in verse 3: “For we are the circumcision,” meaning the true people of God are marked inwardly.

Look at the marks Paul gives:

Worship by the Spirit of God
Glory in Christ Jesus
Put no confidence in the flesh

Do you see the identity shift there? To “think like Jesus” is to see yourself differently. It is transformed identity producing transformed thinking. You will never consistently live differently until you fundamentally see yourself differently.

V4-6: Paul’s Spiritual Résumé

In verses 4-6, Paul basically says, “If you think confidence in the flesh can save you, let me show you my résumé.” He isn’t pointing fingers from a distance; he’s saying, “I used to do this better than almost anyone.”

Paul hands us his list of things he once trusted to define him:

Circumcised on the eighth day.
Of the people of Israel.
Of the tribe of Benjamin.
A Hebrew of Hebrews.
As to the law, a Pharisee.
As to zeal, a persecutor of the church.
As to righteousness under the law, blameless.

To the law, blameless! And he’s writing this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If Paul lived today, people would look at his life and say, “That guy has it together.”

If I asked you to write down seven things that define you, what would you write? Your job? Your politics? Your family role? We are prone to take what we do and make it who we are. None of the things Paul lists are inherently sinful, which is what makes false identity so dangerous. The flesh doesn’t always build identity through obviously bad things; sometimes it builds identity through really impressive things.

The flesh can build an identity that impresses people, but not God. If your confidence is rooted in what you can achieve, eventually you fool yourself into thinking you don’t need Jesus—you just need to keep your résumé looking sharp.

V7-9a: Surrendered Identity

Look at the profit and loss statement of Paul’s life in verse 7: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Paul finally realized something the world spends its entire life missing: No amount of achievement can give you what your soul is actually searching for. In verse 8 he says, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Do you hear the identity shift? Paul no longer introduces himself by his résumé. Now he introduces himself by relationship: “Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul isn’t building identity from what he can achieve; his identity is rooted in who he belongs to.

Notice that his old traits didn’t disappear, but they were re-evaluated. They have been placed where they rightfully belong. Once I source my identity from Jesus, all other things fall into their proper place.

Your job stops being your identity and starts becoming a way to glorify God.
Your role as a parent stops being the source of your worth and starts becoming a gift from God.

Thinking like Jesus means actually allowing Him to tell you what your life is worth. Paul surrendered those old markers because he found something infinitely greater. Christianity is not merely about losing things; it is about gaining Christ Himself.

V9b-11: Living in New Identity

In verses 9-11, we arrive at the deepest desire of Paul’s heart: a deep, lived, daily fellowship with Christ.

A lot of people know facts about Jesus without actually knowing Jesus. You can know theology and still keep Jesus at arm’s length. Before Christ, Paul wanted to be impressive. Now he wants a closeness with Jesus on a deep level. He wants the life of Jesus actively transforming him. He wants to walk like Christ, suffer like Christ, and love like Christ.

This is where many of us plateau. We try to use Jesus to support identities we never surrendered to Him in the first place. But there is freedom in being found in Christ. When your identity is found in Him, your deepest desire becomes knowing Him more.

Conclusion

My biggest problem that night I called my mom was that I had built my whole identity around myself. Because my identity was rooted in me, I couldn’t even recognize the grace of God when it was standing right in front of me in that neighbor’s car.

My mom saw what I couldn’t see. She believed there was a God who loved me even while I was running from Him; a God who pursued me even while I mocked Him.

Maybe your résumé looks impressive like Paul’s did. Maybe your life feels broken like mine did. Maybe you’ve spent years trying to build identity through success, morality, or parenting. But none of those things can carry the weight of your soul.

Paul says: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” That is the invitation to you today. Stop interpreting everything through yourself and finally be found in Him. I want to invite you into our story.

Part 6, Philippians 3:11-21

Philippians 3:12-21: Resurrection Living Now and Forever

Introduction: The Marvel of Resurrection

So my wife and I are on a huge Marvel kick. We just wrapped up Captain America: Civil War. And now we are going to jump into Black Widow or Black Panther. And actually, it has led me into trying to get into the Marvel comic books… Which feels like an impossible task because I don’t know if you know this, but they have been writing Marvel comics since… 1931! So yeah, 2026 seems like a great place to pick it up. Nothing like trying to casually catch up on 40,000 comic book issues. All that to say, I think I am becoming a nerd.

Apart from the superhero component, which obviously defines what Marvel is, what fascinates me most is the imagination of it. Thousands of universes (literally thousands) and storylines involving heroes who sacrifice themselves, die, somehow come back to life (and show up in another dimension, or universe or timeline), and save people.

And the more I’ve thought about it, the more I think those stories resonate with us because they tap into something deeply human. See, I believe every human heart longs for death not to be the end. We long for rescue. We long for redemption. We long for someone greater than ourselves to save us. And whether we realize it or not, we long for resurrection.

And what Paul says in Philippians 3 is that resurrection is not a fictional storyline or human imagination. Because Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead, resurrection life is already breaking into the lives of believers now. And that becomes the heartbeat of our passage this morning:

Main Thought: Thinking like Jesus means attaining resurrection living now and forever.

Because for Paul and for us too, resurrection is not merely something believers wait for someday in the future. It is a present reality shaping how Christians live today.

Sermon Outline:

Verse 11: Resurrection Now
Verses 12-16: The Call
Verses 17-19: The Warning
Verses 20-21: Resurrection Forever

We are going to walk through this passage like we are walking along a pathway together. And along the way, we are going to wrestle with some deep theological truths. We are going to see what it means to live as mature and obedient followers of Jesus. We are going to hear a gentle, yet very serious warning from Paul. And ultimately, we are going to be reminded where our future truly lies. And through all of it, Paul is continually moving our eyes toward Christ. So let’s dive in.

Verse 11: Resurrection Now

“…that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

We have to start here: these are the words of a man who knows Jesus deeply. I mean, Paul’s deepest desire is to know Christ personally, so much so that he says he is willing to suffer not just for the sake of Christ, but so that he may know Christ more deeply.

So let me ask you: Do you know Jesus in this way?

Because if I’m honest, I don’t know if I fully do. Paul is writing from a prison cell, yet he speaks with deep confidence in the future Christ has secured for him. So when Paul says he wants to attain this resurrection “by any means possible,” he is not speaking like a man who lacks confidence in his salvation. He is not trying to earn his place in heaven. Paul already knows he belongs to Christ. What he longs for now is to fully live in the reality of Christ’s resurrection power both now and forever.

Now you might ask, “What does Paul even mean by this? How can resurrection be both future and something that shapes us right now?” Well, there are two important ideas we have to wrestle with this morning, and they are going to follow us through the rest of our text.

1. Attain

Paul actually uses three different forms of this same word throughout verses 11, 12, and 16. The whole section is filled with movement language. Pressing on. Pursuing. Reaching forward. Paul sees the Christian life as movement toward Christ.

2. The Resurrection from the Dead

Resurrection from the dead—exanastasis (from ek = out of + anastasis = to rise up)—refers to the state or condition of coming up from among the dead. Literally, it is the “out resurrection,” a word used only here in the New Testament. Paul is intensifying the imagery of resurrection. So Paul is literally saying, “I want to attain the out resurrection from among the dead.”

So it is morbid, but it is necessary. Let me try to put this picture in our mind. It is like you are coming out of a cave and around you are decomposing bodies and skeletons and it smells and it’s gross and it’s dark. But you walk out, clean, breathing, whole, alive. That is the picture Paul is painting.

Now scholars debate exactly what Paul means here. Is he emphasizing the future physical resurrection? Or the present experience of resurrection life in Christ? Honestly, I think Paul is intentionally holding both together. Because if you know Paul, there are two things he cannot stop talking about: Christ Himself, and the resurrection secured through Christ. Paul believes that because Jesus rose from the dead, we will too.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” — Colossians 3:1

Paul understands that resurrection is not merely a future doctrine. It is a present reality shaping how Christians live today. In Christ, resurrection life has already begun in us. We are becoming more like Him. We call this sanctification — the process of becoming like Christ. And one day (not yet, but one day), that process will be completed. One day we will be fully transformed, fully free from sin, and sharing in His glory forever.

Gordon Fee puts it like this: “Paul understands that because of Christ’s resurrection and guaranteeing ours the life of the future is already at work in the present.” In other words, the resurrection of Jesus is at work in me right now. And this becomes the foundation for everything Paul is about to say next.

Verses 12-16: The Call

So with that, let’s move into verses 12-16 where Paul calls us into living resurrection now. And this is where Paul begins to show us the implications of everything he just said in verse 11. If resurrection life is already at work in us now, then something has to change about the way we live in the present.

So, verse 12 starts off with a familiar word: “obtain,” or in some translations, “attain.” Paul keeps using this movement language throughout this section. Pressing on. Straining forward. Reaching ahead. Like we mentioned earlier, Paul sees the Christian life as a continual movement toward Christ.

He says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect.” Paul is humbly saying, I have not arrived yet. I am not in heaven with Jesus yet. And I think that matters deeply for us because if anyone could claim spiritual maturity, it would be Paul. Yet Paul still sees himself as someone continually pursuing Christ.

But notice what fuels that pursuit in verse 12: “…because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” In other words, Paul does not strive for Christ so that Christ will accept him. Paul strives because Christ already has.

And this is where a theme from last week finds its way into here. Our identity is in Christ because Christ has made it so. So if you call yourself a Christian, and identify with the resurrection of Christ, that should change the way you live now. You can no longer sit on the sidelines and simply wait for heaven. I don’t care if you are 5 or 500 years old. Paul is calling all believers to keep moving forward.

And what does pressing toward Christ actually mean? It means refusing to remain spiritually stagnant. It means continually surrendering more of your life to Him, obeying Him, becoming more like Him, and living with your eyes fixed on the future He promised. Cause if there is still breath in your lungs, God is calling you on mission with Him.

That is why Paul says in verse 13, to forget what lies behind and strain for what is ahead.

(Speaking with a gentle tone) So why, my friend, are you still stuck in your past? Your past no longer defines you because of Christ. Your future is secure in Christ. So now, in the present, we continue moving toward Him.

Not trying to earn salvation or try to become perfect through our own effort. No, self-sanctification is impossible. The process of becoming like Christ can only happen through the power of His Spirit working within us. Remember what he says in Philippians 2?

“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

So don’t try to earn it, but don’t assume because you have it, that you can stop striving toward him. Because Paul says in verse 14:

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

And Gordon Fee says it beautifully: “The goal of the resurrection, the ‘prize’ for which Paul strains every effort in the present, is Christ Himself.” Church, we cannot strive after any greater prize than Christ Himself. Heaven is glorious because Christ is there. The Christian life is glorious because the risen Christ is already present with His people through His Spirit. Do you see what Paul is saying? The prize is not success. It is not comfort. It is not influence. It is not even ministry accomplishments. The prize is Christ. And in Christ, resurrection life has already begun in us. We already belong to Him. We have already been raised from spiritual death into spiritual life. And one day, that work will be completed fully when we are finally with Him in glory.

So live like resurrection life is already true. Though your body grows weak, your soul is new! Though your mind has grown weary, Christ is still at work in you. Friends, I know you may be tired, I know you may be walking into a new season of life and you might not know what to expect, but please take heart. Christ is with you, He is for you, and walking with you every step of the way.

And then Paul says in verses 15–16: “Let those of us who are mature think this way…” In other words, maturity is forward thinking. Mature believers do not settle into spiritual passivity. They continue walking faithfully with Jesus day after day, trusting that God is still transforming them. Christian maturity is not perfection. It is continuing to move toward Christ with your future in mind.

Because Paul understands something we desperately need to remember: resurrection is not merely something waiting for us someday. Through Christ, resurrection life is already changing who we are now. Paul continues the language of attaining resurrection life because resurrection living means continually moving toward Christ as He reshapes who we are. Thinking like Jesus is the spiritual maturity that allows us to attain resurrection living now. See, as we learn to think like Jesus, spiritual maturity starts becoming real to us.

I think of Spider-Man. He’s a teenager, gets bit by a spider, finds out he has super powers, makes a bunch of mistakes, saves a bunch of people, and now it’s 2026 and I am reading a comic book where he has a wife and two kids. No joke! And so you look at that and you see there is a process. There is a maturity in Peter Parker as he is learning and growing and becoming a man. With great power, also comes responsibility. Folks, that is the same thing with us. As we grow, as we learn, we start to see a tangible piece of sanctification, or resurrection living, becoming a part of who we are as followers of Jesus now. That is what we are striving for.

Verses 17-19: The Warning

Now let’s take a look at the warning Paul gives in verses 17-19 to those who are not living this way.

He first says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Paul is humble enough to admit he has not figured everything out yet, that he is not perfect. He is still growing, still pressing on, still being transformed. But he is also wise enough to recognize the responsibility God has given him, and gracious enough to offer direction to the church in Philippi.

Paul does not say this because he thinks he is spiritually superior. He himself admits in 1 Timothy 1:15, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” He sees himself as a sinner saved by grace, one of the worst! But he also recognizes the call God has placed on his life. He is an apostle called to encourage the church in Philippi to keep moving toward Christ. That is why he also says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” And I think this is important for us to understand: walking in the example Paul lays out means we are walking toward the goal. Because resurrection living changes the direction of your life. Paul’s whole point throughout this passage is that the believer no longer lives only for the here and now.

Maybe before Christ the direction of your life was, “How do I get ahead? How do I build my life? How do I make much of myself?” But now the direction is Christ Himself. So now people matter. How I love matters. How I pursue things matters. More than those other things. Because as Christians, we have already obtained the greatest gift imaginable and we know it! So now the question becomes: how do I help bring others with me? How do I make this life count for Christ? See, resurrection life reshapes the way we think, live, desire, and pursue Christ. My direction in life has changed. And if that means taking detours so other people can encounter the resurrection life of Christ too, then so be it.

Then in verse 18, Paul gives a warning. A gentle one, but a warning nonetheless. Paul says walk by my example, and let me remind you of those who walk in the opposite direction. And then he says something heartbreaking here:

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

Now, I will be honest with you, if I had my way, I would avoid this piece. I am not a fan of guilt salvation—a scare tactic to make people fear hell in order to choose heaven. I can’t stand it. But, I must say, God has called me to faithfully preach the text in front of me, and Paul speaks very clearly here. He is heartbroken. He is not angry. He is not frustrated. But with tears in his eyes, he grieves over the ones who have not chosen Christ. He calls them enemies of the cross.

We do not know exactly who Paul is referring to. It may include false teachers, people connected to the church whose lives contradict the gospel they claim, or people openly living according to worldly desires. But the larger point is clear: Paul is contrasting two completely different ways of living—resurrection living centered on Christ, and earthly living centered on self.

And then Paul gives us the contrast plainly in verse 19: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” So here is what we notice in a threefold contrast:

In Christ:

Our end is glory
Our God is Christ
Our minds are fixed on heavenly things

Outside of Christ:

Their end is destruction
Their god is their desires (their belly)
Their minds are consumed with earthly things (glorying in their shame)

And the painful reality is that there are people all around us living apart from Christ. People opposing the gospel knowingly or unknowingly. Maybe even someone in this room has not yet given their life to Christ. Paul says their “god is their belly.” This is about far more than food. Paul is talking about desires, cravings, appetites, feelings, really anything we desire more than Christ.

And honestly, anything we desire more than Christ will eventually control us. I love food. But if food matters more to me than Christ, it will eventually lead me into sin. I love the Cleveland Cavaliers. But if I desire a Cavs championship more than Christ, eventually even that good thing can turn to sin.

That is why Paul says: they glory in their shame. In other words, they celebrate the very things separating them from God. Look at what Colossians 3:2 says here:

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

The one striving toward Christ sets their mind on things above. The one living only for earthly desires sets their mind only on temporary things that cannot save.

Thinking like Jesus means attaining resurrection living now and forever. And Paul warns us to remain on the path God has set before us with our eyes fixed on Christ. Do not build your life around temporary earthly desires that cannot save you. Instead, turn to Christ. Because the greatest devastation imaginable is eternity separated from the goodness, joy, peace, and fellowship found only in Him.

And let me be clear: Paul is not trying to guilt people into believing in Jesus, and neither am I. That is not the point of this warning. Paul is speaking with tears in his eyes because he knows the reality of what it means to live apart from Christ. And as one of your pastors, and honestly as a fellow Christian trying to faithfully walk this out myself, I have to lovingly give the same warning Paul gives here: we need Jesus. Every single one of us.

I’m not asking you to surrender your life to Christ because I want you to feel guilty or ashamed. I’m asking because there is a real God who loves you deeply, desires a relationship with you, and has made a way for you through Jesus. And Paul’s warning here is not meant to push people away in fear, but to lovingly pull people toward the only One who can truly save them.

But the good news of the gospel is this: today can be the day of salvation. And if you choose Christ today, do you know what you become? A citizen of heaven.

Verses 20-21: Resurrection Forever

As we move into our final portion of the text today, one thing is clear. Those who are in Christ are called citizens of heaven.

Paul was Roman by birth, and that carried tremendous privilege and identity in the ancient world. He was also Jewish by heritage, something he once took incredible pride in. But now? None of those things define him anymore. Because his hope is in heaven. And the same is true for us. The school we graduated from does not define our citizenship. The country we reside in does not define our citizenship. If you belong to Christ, your ultimate citizenship is in heaven. This world is not your final home. Your future is with Jesus forever.

And Paul says in verse 21: “He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body…” Church, do you realize what Paul is saying here? One day Christ will literally transform us. Not metaphorically. Not spiritually only. But a real resurrection. And the reason He can do this is because:

“He is able even to subject all things to Himself.”

Jesus has the authority and power to make all things new, and that includes you and me. And Paul explains this resurrection hope beautifully in 1 Corinthians 15 using the example of a seed. A seed goes into the ground small, buried, weak, and seemingly lifeless. But what comes out is something entirely transformed. And Paul says resurrection works the same way.

Right now: Our bodies are perishable, they decay, they break down, they grow weak, they are affected by sin.
But one day: What is perishable will become imperishable, what is broken will be raised in glory, what is weak will be raised in strength, what is natural will be raised spiritually.

Church, this is the “out resurrection” Paul longed for back in verse 11. When we think like Jesus, we will live in resurrection forever. What was once weak, broken, buried, and affected by sin has been transformed by Christ, and one day will fully be transformed in glory through Christ. Right now we are imperfect beings living in an imperfect world. But resurrection forever means those things will not have the final word. Jesus walked out of the grave first. And this is the hope awaiting every believer in Christ.

Conclusion

You know, the more I watch these Marvel stories unfold, the more I realize we are desperate for resurrection. Desperate for a life beyond this one. We are captivated by stories of heroes who defeat death because our own human hearts long for death not to have the final word.

And you know what the Gospel says? It doesn’t. Death does not have the final word. Because of Jesus! He truly walked out of the grave—not metaphorically, not symbolically, and not in another universe or alternate timeline. And because He rose, resurrection living is already breaking into the lives of believers right now!

Church, that is good news! That means your suffering is not meaningless. Your obedience is not in vain. Your sanctification matters. Your future is secure. Your citizenship is in heaven. And yes, your body itself will be made new.

This is why we press on. This is why we keep moving forward. Because thinking like Jesus means attaining resurrection living now and forever.

So keep moving toward Him. Fix your eyes on Christ. Treasure Christ above all things. Walk the path He has set before you. And when suffering comes and life feels heavy, remember: this world is not your final home. This is what it means to attain resurrection living now and forever. Christ is already transforming us in the present, and one day He will fully raise us in glory forever. And until that day, we live as people whose future has already begun in the present in Christ.

Part 7, Philippians 4:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9: Running a Diagnostic Check

Introduction: The Jeep on Fire

When Alexis and I first got together, I wanted a jeep so bad! I ended up getting a 90’s Jeep grand cherokee. It had a lift and bigger tires. I wanted to be able to take it offroading and still be street legal. I was 18 and thought I was really cool, ok? It looked something like this—[Show Jeep Picture].

Well, as a young guy, I really didn’t care for my car at all. I didn’t take the time to really get to know the car either. I lived how my wife now lives, I just put gas in it and it goes, right? What do you mean check the oil and maintain the car?

So anyways, I go to the gym one night, I’m driving back home and I go to stop for gas as one does when the fuel gauge light has been on for 2 days, and I start smelling smoke. I’m like, wow! That doesn’t smell right. I open the hood and I’ve got flames in my engine bay! I don’t even know what kind of fire it is so I run into the gas station and I’m grabbing gallon jugs of water to toss on this fire. The clerk is like, “Hey, you need to pay for that,” and I’m like, “Well, there’s going to be a heck of a lot more I’d need to pay for if I don’t go put this fire out right now!” I’m just grabbing and dumping and I finally get the fire out.

All that to say, if there’s nothing else you learn today, DON’T BUY A JEEP! I’m kidding, the point is this: you’ve got to actually run a diagnostic check and do the maintenance when it comes up. Check your tire pressure, check your oil, clean and replace filters, maybe get a second set of eyes on bigger problems.

Can you consider your soul for a second as we talk about these things? In some ways, it works the exact same way. Things pop up in life and tell us that something is wrong with the way we think, act, and speak. It doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event that takes place each time if you’ll do some regular maintenance and run a diagnostic check.

If you’ll take it today, here’s my main idea as we build this out in what I’m hoping to be the most practical way we learn together how to think like Jesus:

Main Thought: To think like Jesus, you’ve got to regularly run a diagnostic check and do the maintenance of your heart, soul, and mind.

You don’t have to wait to smell smoke and see an engine bay fire going on in your life, you can run regular maintenance and diagnostic checks on your heart, soul, and mind. Let’s jump into our text for the day:

Sermon Outline:

V1- Diagnostic: What has my heart?
V2-3 Alignment: Who is helping shape me?
V4-9 Maintenance: What habits are forming me?

V1: Diagnostic: What Has My Heart?

Paul starts with a therefore. And every time we see a therefore in our bibles we have to ask the simple yet profound question, “what’s the therefore there for?” It’s cause and effect. The cause is everything he just said, and the effect is what he’s about to say. He says:

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. -Philippians 4:1

He’s telling them to stand firm in the Lord. Why? Because Paul just told them that they are citizens of heaven and God is doing an amazing work in them right now, and He’s going to do an amazing work in transforming our bodies one day in glory to be like His. We were just given the hope of heaven and promise of an eternal body and life in glory in chapter 3. Yes! So now… what do I do today? Paul says, very clearly, stand firm.

Think of the language he uses: my brothers, and sisters by the way, very clearly from our text, you’ll see that he addresses 2 women by name, Paul is mentioning all of them, whom he loves and longs for, his joy and his crown. His most sincere love and pride and honor. These are words of deep, gut level love. Remember we learned that in chapter 1, the ancient way of thinking about love was to love with all your guts. Paul is reminding them of their great worth and where his affections are, as well as giving them a grand and healthy command: Stand firm in the Lord. Now this isn’t just your men’s conference catch phrase. “Hold the line, brothers, they are coming after our wives and children so grab your God, guns, guts, country, and freedom. Watch out!” or whatever catchy phrasing we use today to talk people into things. No, Paul has in mind something far more practical in his command that crosses all boundaries—men, women, children, socioeconomic status, time, and all cultures because the word of God is living and active.

You know, I’m not even knocking all of those things by the way. I love my God, and my country, and my guns even. I’m just saying, don’t let the word of God be rendered down to your favorite soap box. Remember the context here in Philippians is our bodies. There are some who think that your body is good for whatever you want and you can do what you want with it and it doesn’t matter. And what Paul is saying is that your body matters so much! It will be an instrument for God’s glory forever! There are some that have taken great confidence in their bodies and do what they please with them: their affections, their thoughts, their emotions, physically, emotionally, spiritually, all of it.

Well, the command here is, stand firm in the Lord. Let all of your confidence, everything you stand on, by faith, be built on the foundation, a firm foundation, Jesus Christ Himself. Let all of your confidence be in Jesus.

You might say, “Well, pastor Aaron, this is how I feel today.” Good or bad, that’s irrelevant. That’s not the command here—don’t stand firm in your feelings. Stand firm in the Lord.

“Well, pastor Aaron, you don’t know my circumstances.” You’re right! I confess, I don’t know your circumstances. But I know the One who does. And His command remains the same: Stand firm in the Lord. The question by way of application today that we should be asking for our diagnostic check is this: What are my affections and my allegiance in today? Where is your heart? We’ve got to take a good hard look at this because wherever your affections are and whatever you pledge your allegiance to, that’s what you are standing in. Do not be fooled today. If your affections and allegiance are in anything else, it’s time we heed the command of scripture and stand firm in the Lord. Place all of your affections and allegiance in Jesus today. And then allow him to healthily build out affections in the things He has for you. That’s how we start to grow in thinking like Jesus.

We talked about the language of this verse; it is saturated and sandwiched in deep love. I need you to hear this today. This command to stand firm is such a “get to” birthed out of a deep love for you from God and from this church. There’s a community that loves you and wants to see you thrive in your relationship with God and others here. We get to stand firm in the Lord together, amen? Do you believe this today?

V2-3: Alignment: Who is Helping Shape Me?

So Paul brings up, by name, 2 ladies in the church. And he says to them, agree in the Lord, which is another use of the Greek word “phroneo” that we’ve been tracking through the book of Philippians. Phroneo has been used so far to tell us about how Paul feels about them, to have this mindset of Jesus, and we have been using it to clearly define, “think like Jesus.” It is all over the book of Philippians. Here Paul tells them to phroneo in the Lord, or to be like minded in the Lord. Or as we’ve been saying it for weeks: Think like Jesus. Euodia, Syntyche—think like Jesus.

Remember the primal factor of thinking like Jesus is humility. You can’t miss that. And then he tells a true companion, who we don’t have a name for, he tells this true companion to help them think like Jesus. These aren’t just two random people in the church that are having a cat fight. These two ladies are mature believers who have labored side by side with Paul in gospel work. Paul says their names are written in the book of life alongside Clement and other fellow workers.

Listen, no one is immune to the flesh rearing its ugly head up in our lives. It’s such a difficult thing to wrestle with. You have good godly women who love Jesus and love their church and yet they can’t agree with each other. They might even think it’s a small thing, but it’s now gotten all the way to Paul in a Roman jail cell.

What I love is that we have no sign in the text or in history whether they reconciled or continued in their falling out. I also love that Paul himself had a falling out with Barnabas and the Holy Spirit has him share this piece of advice with this church. Too often we adopt a mindset that says, “I’m going to take my marbles and go home.” And we can blame the church, we can blame that girl or that guy, or they looked at me wrong, or they did this or that. Obviously not here at Friends Church—we don’t deal with that level of petty Christianity, we let other churches do that.

But if we ever had to deal with something like this, in church, I would really pray that God would give us true companions—great godly men and women who can step in to mediate and reconcile the hurt that can be real. I’m not denying the fact that people have hurt. Actually, I believe that hurt people hurt people. I also believe that God calls us to be wounded healers.

But notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Hey ladies, if you can’t figure it out, you should both probably just find a new church so you don’t have to deal with each other.” No, the call is, your names are written in the book of life. What are you going to do? One of you sit on the north side of heaven and the other sit on the south side of heaven? Be so for real right now.

Here’s what I’m saying: Sometimes to think like Jesus is to ask for help. He says there is an alignment that has to happen in our lives around the mission of God—allow people to step in. Our entire belief system is on the fact that as a people, we need help! I need so much help that Jesus had to step down from heaven, take on flesh, and die in my place. Then, once I’m standing in grace, I realize I still need help to walk this thing out. Part of that is trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. Another part of that is seeking help from good godly men and women, true companions as Paul would call them, that can step in and love us. Truly love us. Tell us what we are doing is wrong, encourage us, exhort us, be a shoulder to cry on, be a hug when you need it, someone who shares the deep joys of life with you, they pray for you when you can’t seem to pray for yourself. All of it!

Ask for help. No one was meant to lead this life by themselves. If you need help, in whatever season of life you are in, I’m asking you, begging you even—don’t do this alone. Our pastors and elders are here to help. We have a prayer team that meets regularly also if you need someone to pray for you. Or maybe someone you saw in the foyer that God put on your heart. You’re not alone. Your God is with you and this church stands ready to help you. Let’s look at verses 4-9 together for the nuts and bolts of how we are to do some maintenance on the heart, soul, and mind.

V4-9: Maintenance: What Habits Are Forming Me?

So now Paul is going to get into what kind of maintenance needs to be done. What do you see in your life that might not be aligned with thinking like Jesus, or better yet, might just be off? It is a true blessing to me how relevant the word of God is for so many things we face today. If you are going to take a proper inventory of your life you’ve got to look at the habits that are forming or have been formed. Whether you like it or not, or know it or not, as human beings, we are creatures of habit. And today you have to hear that you can make and break habits. Old dogs can learn new tricks just as well as young pups because the beauty is, when you put your faith in Jesus, we are all new creations in Christ. God wants you to walk with Him and to be fruitful in your life. So He will supply you with the things you need to do so, amen?

Well then let me show you the areas we are talking about in this section from our text:

Maintenance of the heart, soul, and mind:

Rejoice
Be reasonable
Anxiety
Take an account
Practice

1. Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. This doesn’t get old for Paul. He’s been saying this for the entire letter. Why? Because we have got to maintain this. I’m so weak. I can jump from joy to joy in anything I like. I like a lot of things. And that’s not always a bad thing. It just becomes a bad thing when I’m not sourcing that joy from Jesus and then as a byproduct, enjoying and rejoicing in other things.

I think it’s because many times we can see salvation in Jesus as a process that we submit to, rather than this continuous and happy and really enjoyable union with Jesus. That’s what we are being called into. This forever joy with Jesus that you can live in right now regardless of where you came from or what you do. You get this in Jesus. And so over and over, Paul is going to say: you have this! But the question is, are you sourcing your joy from Jesus? Is your favorite sports team, or your kids, or your spouse, or your job trying to play fill-in for Jesus? Because what happens when—not if, but when—those things fail you? It doesn’t end well. You’ve got to learn to think like Jesus and source a forever joy from Him. When we do that, all of those other things I mentioned find their proper place.

2. Be Reasonable

Paul says let your reasonableness be made known to everyone. What he’s saying is: Be reasonable. Have a reputation for gentleness. Paul isn’t describing someone who walks around weak or gets pushed over by everybody. He’s describing someone who doesn’t feel the need to fight for every right, win every argument, or stand rigidly on every personal preference. This is a person who doesn’t live in retaliation mode. They aren’t constantly keeping score or trying to prove a point. They’re willing to give and take. They’re willing to yield.

Why? Because their identity and confidence are so secure in Jesus that they don’t have to defend themselves at every turn. This kind of person is gentle, kind, patient, and considerate toward others. They give people the same grace and understanding they themselves hope to receive. They set healthy boundaries that promote love. There’s a sweet reasonableness about them. They think like Jesus.

You want to know the hardest part about this one for me? I have an innate ability to sniff out bs. And it’s hard to know that something’s coming down the pipe and not respond preemptively. The best defense is an even better offense, right? But then I also know there are people, good well-meaning loving Christians who take this idea right here in scripture and interpret this to mean, “Well, God has called me to the ministry of becoming a human doormat.” People walk all over you and you just say, “Well, it’s fine. I’m being like Jesus, right?”

Can I say that neither of these two attitudes are correct? My flesh—I want to fight. And I need to hear this verse and come down a couple notches and learn what it means to be gentle. If you’re on the other side of this and you’ve taken on the human doormat ministry, you need to hear this and realize that to think like Jesus is to have healthy boundaries and not be taken advantage of all the time. The Lord is at hand, Paul tells us. It’s ok to lay yourself down sometimes because we know where we are going. We are going to be ok. But what if this is the only gentleness this person may see? Here’s what I’m saying: You can say no and still love Jesus. Just do it gently.

3. Anxiety

Now I want to talk about one of the most beautiful and hard commands in your bible: “Do not be anxious about anything” -Philippians 4:6. Ok, well, thanks, Paul. I guess I’ll just go do that now.

I don’t think the Apostle Paul, or Jesus, are trying to beat you up with this command, and so I won’t either. I think it is a healthy maintenance check though. Are you anxious? What are you anxious about and why?

Jesus has this beautiful discourse in His most well-known sermon, the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 through 7. Lodged in chapter 6, Jesus says this same thing. And he explains it further: he says, “Look at the birds, God takes care of them. Look at the fields, God takes care of them.” And I’m just going to tell you: if God takes care of birds and grass, He’s for sure gonna take care of your… face. 🙂 That’s the loosest translation of Matthew 6 you’ll ever hear. Even The Message has a tighter paraphrase than that. But you get the point. God loves you and cares for you. He is going to supply all of your needs. He has never failed in this.

Jesus says it’s a faith issue. We lack the faith to believe that God is who He says He is. I think there’s a practical list of things you can do as well if you struggle with anxiety. And I’m not a doctor or a psychologist, but I have done a lot of pastoral counseling with people who struggle with anxiety. I like to work through a checklist physically and spiritually for myself and others when dealing with anxiety. It starts here:

Physical Checklist for Anxiety:

Have I slept?
Have I had water?
Have I had a good meal?
Have I gotten sunlight?
Have I taken 5 deep breaths?
Have I moved my body?

I’m not standing here trying to tell you that this is the cure for anxiety. I’m not. I am saying that we can take some ownership in why we feel how we feel, and these can help mitigate the potential of self-inflicted suffering. I hope that’s helpful to you today. Paul is going to share with us some of the spiritual steps in this checklist as well.

Spiritual Checklist for Anxiety:

Rejoice in the Lord
Pray
Make Supplication
WITH Thanksgiving

This isn’t all of it, but man, it’s a good bit of it. If I am sourcing my joy in Jesus, I’m conversing with God and asking things of Him with thanksgiving, it comes with a promise: there is a peace that surpasses all understanding that will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I often remind myself of this verse. If you have ever come forward and asked for prayer, I know that I have prayed this verse over you. You want to know why? It is one of the greatest reminders in scripture. Everyone deals with anxiety. And sometimes it’s good to hear this—we are not unique. Everyone deals with anxiety. To what degree? That’s another question. But everyone deals with it. Your God loves you and cares for you. You are not alone in your struggle with anxiety today. You are a beloved child of God.

4. Take an Account

The next thing Paul says is: whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. That word, think about these things, is the same word he uses to say take an account. Paul is saying: To think like Jesus is to take an account of your thought life. Where do your thoughts go? Do you let your mind wander into things it shouldn’t? This is a call to take your thoughts captive and don’t allow yourself to dwell on things that aren’t true first and foremost, and then he works through this list because we can get stuck in our thoughts. I know I do this. I can think so much down a rabbit hole I could drive myself mad. Stop that. God wants more for your thought life. You are to take an account of your thoughts and actually maintain a healthy thought life. A lot of us know how to do this, but we just don’t always do it. Today, here’s your healthy biblical reminder that God cares about your thought life as well, and you should too. Let’s look at our final verse as we wrap this up.

5. Practice These Things

Paul gives his life as an example. The same guy that just told us in chapter 3 that he isn’t perfect, he’s saying: “But look, I’m trying. I’m running the diagnostic check. I’m doing the required maintenance on my heart, soul, and mind as I’m guided by the Holy Spirit. And you can too!”

That’s the call here: Those who think like Jesus practice these things. Practice does not mean you are perfect, and it also does not mean you are a hypocrite. You might be in the middle of an Euodia and Syntyche level blow-up, or you might be the true companion, or you might be like Clement or Paul today. We’ve all got some practicing to do. And thank God we aren’t alone in it. Not even for a second. Can you hear this beautiful piece of scripture spoken over your life as you practice thinking like Jesus today?

The God of peace will be with you. -Philippians 4:9

That’s my Jesus. The God of peace. He will be with you as you practice. He wants you to be better at all of this. You are not alone in any of it. You’ve got to know this. If you’ve got a check engine light on, you are loved and there is help.

Conclusion

I started today by telling you about my Jeep catching on fire because I ignored all the warning signs. I didn’t know my vehicle, I didn’t run diagnostics, I never got an alignment, I didn’t do maintenance, and eventually smoke turned into flames.

And if we’re honest, some of us live our spiritual lives exactly like that. We ignore warning signs. We push through the noises. We smell smoke and tell ourselves, ‘It’s probably fine.’ Then one day we wonder why our joy is gone, why anxiety has taken over, why relationships are strained, why our thoughts are all over the place, and why we feel far from God.

And hear me: Paul isn’t writing this because God is standing over you waiting to shame you. This whole chapter is saturated with love. “My joy. My crown. My beloved.” God is not saying, “Get your act together.” He’s saying, “Come to Me. Let Me help you.”

Run the diagnostic check:

What has your heart?
Who is shaping you?
What habits are forming you?

Maybe today you’ve realized your confidence has drifted. Maybe anxiety has been ruling your thoughts. Maybe you’ve been trying to do this alone. Maybe you’ve been standing firm in your feelings, your circumstances, or yourself instead of standing firm in Jesus.

The good news is this: you don’t have to wait until you open the hood and everything is on fire. You don’t have to wait for catastrophe. Today can be the maintenance day. Today can be the day you bring your heart, your soul, and your mind back before Jesus.

Because here’s what I love about our Savior: Jesus never asks us to do maintenance He wasn’t willing to do Himself. He rejoiced in the Father. He prayed. He trusted. He walked in gentleness. He kept His mind fixed on truth. He perfectly thought like Jesus because, well, He is Jesus. And then He went to the cross for every place we’ve failed to think like Him.

Part 8, Philippians 4:10-23

Philippians 4:10-23: The Secret of Contentment

Introduction: The Minecraft Argument and False Contentment

Today we close out the book of Philippians. It is hard to believe we are in the last few verses of this beautiful book of the Bible.

As I was preparing for today, my family and I got to spend a day in Raven Rocks with friends. Have you been out there in all of its beauty? And I thought of the sheer bliss of being in that beautiful place paired with watching 16 kids, some mine, some my friends, running through the creeks. I loved it! Full-blown chaos in its most beautiful form.

So we get back home from stealing a day in paradise, and my David is sitting next to me on the couch after everyone is exhausted. And he’s fighting me about how to properly play his little Minecraft game. And I’m trying to give him just the proper way to use the controls. In the middle of trying to get him to use the controls properly, he tells me, “Dad, I know how to do this the right way and you don’t. You don’t even play this game.” And I’m trying my best not to look him in his face and tell him, “Oh, you think video games are your ally? But you merely adopted video games. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man, and by then, it was nothing to me but blinding!”

I’m kidding, but one of the great commentators I read said something quite profound to this exact thought. He was speaking about his own students and said, “You all would be great students if you didn’t already know everything.” I feel this way about raising kids sometimes. And I feel this way every time I approach the subject matter of this passage we are studying.

Because if I walked around this room and asked, “Who knows what contentment is?” every hand would go up. If I asked, “Who knows what generosity is?” every hand would go up. If I asked, “Who knows Philippians 4:13?” most of us could probably quote it. The problem isn’t that we don’t know these words. The problem is that we think we do. And I’m guilty of this.

We hear “contentment” and think Paul is telling us to try harder to be satisfied. We hear “giving” and think Paul is asking us for more money. But neither of those is what Paul is saying. In fact, Paul is about to tell us that contentment is not something you manufacture. It is something Christ produces. And generosity is not about losing something. It is about investing in something greater.

The world has taught us one way to think: Protect what is yours. Keep what is yours. Build bigger barns. Make sure you have enough. Jesus teaches a completely different way to think. And that has been Paul’s point throughout this entire letter: Think like Jesus. That’s the big idea of our passage today:

Main Thought: Think like Jesus: The secret is Christ and the fruit that increases to your credit.

If we walk away from today and think that what’s being said is, “I need to be more content and I need to give more,” then you have sorely missed what Paul is communicating here and the heart of God for you and me today. So let’s look at the outline of our text together and walk in this.

Sermon Outline:

V10: The Concern
V11-13: The Secret
V14-16: The Opportunity
V17-20: The Paradox
V21-23: The End

V10: The Concern

Let me give you the context of this: By the time Paul writes these words, roughly ten years have passed since he first arrived in Philippi and God used him to plant this church. And from the very beginning, the Philippians had been faithful partners in the gospel. When Paul left Philippi and continued preaching through Thessalonica and Berea, they supported him. When he moved farther south into Athens and Corinth, they continued supporting him. For a decade they had carried Paul in their hearts. They cared about him. They prayed for him. They looked for opportunities to come alongside him in the work God had called him to do.

The challenge wasn’t their concern. The challenge was their opportunity. Paul says in verse 10, “You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.” In other words, there was never a lapse in their love. There was simply a season where they were unable to express it in a tangible way. But now that had changed because Epaphroditus had arrived carrying a generous gift from the church in Philippi, and Paul rejoiced.

Yet it is important to understand why he rejoices. He is not primarily excited because his needs have been met. He is excited because their gift reveals something deeper. It is evidence that they are still thinking like Jesus. It is evidence of their love, their partnership, and their ongoing commitment to the gospel. Paul’s joy is not ultimately found in the gift itself. His joy is found in what the gift says about the people who sent it.

So this is Paul’s final stab at using the word phroneo in his last piece to the Philippian church and we get to partake in it also. This word has embodied a person’s affections and will as well as his reasoning. In other words, phroneo refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction and purpose of heart. Paul uses it now to speak of the Philippians’ concern for him. Paul isn’t saying: “Thanks for caring.” He’s saying: “The Christ-like mindset we’ve been talking about throughout the letter is bearing fruit.”

Simply put, To think like Jesus means that I am concerned about other people. The Philippians are beginning to think like Jesus. The evidence is that they are looking beyond themselves and toward the needs of others, specifically Paul right now. And if we have a genuine concern for others, I know this is a marker that we are thinking like Jesus.

Well, Paul mentions this concern and then feels the need to clarify how he relates to it and his little thinking like Jesus secret in verses 11-13.

V11-13: The Secret

So Paul clarifies in verse 11 by saying, “I’m not in need. Don’t worry about that, I have actually learned how to be content.” And man, I wish I knew the secret to being content. I feel like we would all be miles ahead of ourselves if we could learn the secret to being content. Well, Paul is going to share the secret. In whatever situation he is in, whether he’s been brought low, or abounding, whether he’s full or hungry, whether he’s in need or feeling wealthy, Paul has the secret to being content—here it is!

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13

Man, someone put that on a pair of cleats already. That’s the secret! We’ve got it!

So wait, but Paul, what about when I lose the football game? Wasn’t I supposed to be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me? And Paul would say, yes. Absolutely! And when you’re thinking like Jesus, you can lose with full assurance and contentment through Jesus who strengthens you. So then what things can we do? Paul is not talking about your football game, or your aspirations, or bucket list items. This is not Paul saying Jesus can give you the power to achieve stuff.

Here’s the proof of what this is about and why we shouldn’t wrench this verse out of its context. If you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, then get up and fly right now! You’re a Christian, right? Get up and fly! “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I’m a super Christian.”

Or on a real note, we can beat ourselves up about these things. You see a Christian who is achieving, and they are doing great things, and praise the Lord for them, but you feel a certain way about it. Like, do I not have enough faith? Does Jesus not care to strengthen me? Maybe that’s the thought that has simmered in the back of your mind long enough to cause a totally different problem in contentment. Watching someone else’s success causes a comparison trap that can kill any form of contentment in your life.

Both of these concepts—trying to use Jesus for my aspirations, and beating yourself up when others have it but you don’t—have got to be laid to rest for good, church. And it can happen when we deal with the reality of the secret that Paul is sharing with us. The secret is twofold. It’s the already-not-yet that we have talked about so many times. I’m already saved, and yet I’m not yet perfect. I can’t be until I’m in a glorified body in heaven with Jesus. In the same way, this secret is twofold in the already-not-yet:

1. I will never be fully content on this side of heaven.

I’ve got to realize that. You can lie to yourself and think— “If I just had one more dollar, if I just had that house, if I just had that job, if I just had that car, if I just had that swimming pool in my backyard, if I just had that piece of land, then I’d truly be content.”

Maybe you’re like me and many in my generation and you’re thinking: “The less I have the more content I’ll be. I need to get rid of all of those things and go live in a van. I need to rid myself of this world and clear my mind like Gandhi and I’ll be good.” Or on the other side, I try to find my contentment from the “churchy things” that are inevitably more important: the amount of time I spend in Bible studies, my small group, my service, my tithes and offerings. Finding my contentment in good things.

The minimalist and the millionaire both can have an issue being content. It’s a primal human issue. And it is a lie from the pit of hell vying for your mind and soul. We must gain this from the sustaining secret Himself. If you’re a Christian here today you need to hear this: This is not your final destination. Heaven is your home and Jesus is your King. You will never be fully satisfied here on earth. And thank God! Because you could hear this one-liner that you will never be fully content on this side of heaven and take it as a cop-out from everything God has called you to, but that’s why Paul says Jesus strengthens you.

2. Jesus will strengthen me right now.

The second piece of the already-not-yet is exactly this: Jesus will strengthen me right now. Do you know that feeling you get when you want something? Actually, let’s try this right now. Can you close your eyes and picture the thing you want right now? Hold on to that feeling of want. That’s the first motivator and driver in this equation. Some of those things are real needs, not just desires. But the problem isn’t the desire or need itself. It’s the second thought. It’s the thought that once I have that, then I will be satisfied fully.

The question we always have to ask when we are thinking like Jesus is: What is this thing going to do for me? To get married, to own a home, to have children, these are good desires, but I still have to ask: what am I hoping for this to do for me? Because the secret Paul has learned is that Jesus is the actual answer to that feeling.

That feeling has three masters. You, in your flesh, can manage those desires. You can allow yourself to buy the lie and Satan will manage those desires. Or, you can submit this to the Maker and Lover of your soul and Jesus will fulfill those desires. That feeling that you have of what those things are going to do for you, Jesus can fulfill those things. Jesus is actually fulfilling us with what we are looking for, whether it is the status, or the object in and of itself.

That’s why Paul is able to say this. Jesus is already satiating the desire for the things Paul wants or has need for. You still have that feeling when it comes up, but that feeling is in the direct line now of Jesus inhabiting you and feeding your soul with that love and care and true desire that you need.

I can’t get over this point because it is the most enriching piece of what Paul is sharing about contentment. It’s that the secret about contentment isn’t actually about contentment at all. The secret is Christ. And His ability to strengthen you for all things. Oh, Jesus, how I need You today. How we need You to strengthen us for the things we face today. Let’s look at verses 14-16 together.

V14-16: The Opportunity

Now here’s why verses 14-16 will help you understand this better. If Paul had stopped at verse 13, we could walk away thinking Christianity is just about finding personal contentment. We could take Paul’s secret and turn it inward: “Jesus strengthens me,” “Jesus comforts me,” “Jesus satisfies me.” And all of those things are true.

But notice what happens here. Paul immediately turns his attention back to the Philippians. Verse 14 says, “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” Paul says, “Yes, Christ is enough. Yes, I have learned contentment. Yes, Jesus strengthens me in every circumstance. But that doesn’t make your partnership meaningless.” In fact, it makes it more meaningful. Because now the Philippians are not giving out of guilt or Paul’s desperation. They’re giving because they are thinking like Jesus.

Look at verses 15-16. Paul reminds them that from the very beginning they had been different. When other churches stood on the sidelines, the Philippians stepped into the game with Paul. When Paul was preaching in Thessalonica, they sent help. When he moved on, they sent help again. Why? Because people who think like Jesus naturally move toward the needs of others. The same Christ who teaches Paul contentment is teaching the Philippians the Kingdom values of giving and receiving.

And this is where we begin to encounter one of the great paradoxes of the Kingdom of God. The world says that if you want more, you need to hold tighter. Jesus says if you want life, you must learn to open your hands. The world says security comes from accumulation. Jesus says security comes from trusting and glorifying the Father.

In verses 17-20 he says something that sounds almost unbelievable. He says, “It’s not that I desire the gift.” Wait a minute, Paul. If you don’t want the gift, then what do you want? And Paul’s answer is one of the most beautiful statements in this letter. Let’s look together in verses 17-20.

V17-20: The Paradox

So he says he doesn’t seek the gift, he seeks the fruit that increases to your credit—or in other words, he seeks the profit that accrued in their account. He clarifies that he absolutely received their gift, he’s well supplied, but notice what he calls it. He calls their gift a fragrant offering, a sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Paul has this paradoxical idea about giving in the Kingdom of God. He is far less interested in what leaves their hands than what God is doing in their hearts. That’s God’s heart for giving as well. God does not need our money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He spoke the universe into existence. There is nothing that God lacks and nothing that we can provide that He desperately needs.

So then why does giving matter? Because giving changes who we are by revealing whether we believe the story the world tells us or the story Jesus tells us about who we are and what we do.

Like we talked about, the world says, “Protect what is yours. Accumulate more. Build bigger and you’ll finally have peace when you have enough.” Jesus says, “Trust your Father. Invest in what lasts. Store up treasure in heaven.”

The paradox of the Kingdom is that what looks like loss often becomes gain. The person who clings most tightly to possessions never feels secure. And the person who trusts God enough to hold possessions loosely actually discovers freedom. Not because giving earns God’s favor, or generosity purchases blessing or any nonsense like that, but because giving exposes who our trust is actually in. Giving is one of the clearest ways God teaches our hearts: “Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions.”

What Looks Like Sacrifice Becomes Worship

Those words would have immediately brought Old Testament worship to mind. Throughout the Scriptures, sacrifices were brought before the Lord as acts of devotion, surrender, thanksgiving, and trust. Paul looks at a bag of money delivered by Epaphroditus and says, “That’s worship.”

Why? Because worship has never ultimately been about music, buildings, stages, or ceremonies. Worship is whatever we place before God and say, “Lord, this belongs to You.” Worship is surrender made visible. That’s why sacrifice and worship can never really be separated. Anybody can give when it costs nothing. Anybody can be generous when there is no sacrifice attached to it. But when we release something that we value, when we surrender our time, our resources, our comfort, our preferences, or our plans for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom, something holy happens in that moment. We are declaring that Jesus is worth more. We are proclaiming with our lives that He is our treasure.

The sacrifice itself is not what God needs; He already owns everything. What pleases Him is the heart that says, “Jesus, You are worth it.” That’s why sacrifice is worship. It is one of the clearest ways we tell God—and remind ourselves—that He is more valuable than anything we place on the altar.

So when the Philippians gave to Paul, they weren’t “helping a missionary pay his bills” or anything like that. They were participating in the mission of God. They were investing in changed lives, transformed families, churches being planted, and the gospel advancing. Their gift landed in Paul’s hands, but Paul says it rose to God as a fragrant offering and a pleasing sacrifice.

That’s what I want for us as a church. I don’t want something from you. I don’t. I want what God wants for you. I want us to be the kind of people who hold everything with open hands because we trust our Father completely. I want us to live in the freedom that comes from knowing that our security is not found in what we possess, but in the Christ who strengthens us.

And when we begin thinking like Jesus, we stop asking, “How much can I keep?” and start asking, “Lord, how can I leverage everything You’ve entrusted to me for Your Kingdom and Your glory?” That’s the paradox. When Christ becomes my treasure, my money changes. My time changes. My priorities change. My plans change. My possessions change. When Christ becomes my treasure, everything I have, I realize came from Him and now it becomes an investment in His Kingdom.

So what is the fruit? The fruit that increases to our credit is a life increasingly invested in God’s Kingdom as we learn to think like Jesus.

V21-23: The End

As Paul closes this letter, He shares a really beautiful, familial, and pastoral piece about who they are. He also shares that the household of Caesar is getting saved through all of this! Paul started in grace and ends this in the grace of God. We need that, don’t we?

I can’t help but think back to David sitting next to me on the couch: “Dad, I know how to do this. You don’t.”

That’s often how I approach God. I hear Jesus talk about contentment and I think, “I know what that means. I need to try and be more content.” I hear Him talk about generosity and I think, “I know what that means. I need to give more.” I hear Him talk about sacrifice and worship and I think, “I know how this works too, we’re all good.”

And then I come to a passage like this and realize I don’t know anything. Because left to myself, I still think contentment is found in getting what I want. I still think security is found in what I can earn. And Jesus, in His kindness, keeps teaching me another way: the way of trust, the way of surrender, the way of open hands, the way of a King who gave everything and somehow lost nothing.

Church, maybe the invitation and challenge today is simply this: stop telling Jesus you already know how this works. Let Him teach you the way of His Kingdom. I want you to be able to look at the book of Philippians and say: “That’s a book that Jesus is using as He teaches me to think like Him.”

Think Like Jesus. That’s our call.

I shared with you as we finished the book of Acts that I would lead us in a quick proclamation to settle this into our souls a little bit better. Would you join me today, church? Let’s say it together:

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” — 1 Timothy 1:17

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