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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.