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The Christ-pleasing Life – Philippians 2:12-18

Paul opens this section with a reminder that the Philippians are near and dear to Paul. He has a close relationship of mutual affection with the Philippians that he didn’t have with, say, the Corinthians.

He also calls them to obedience and an orientation of servanthood, which is not something we are good at doing or even understanding. But the obedience is not to Paul or to any individual pastor, but rather to Christ. It is through Christ that they “work out” their salvation, living out His regenerative work. That work changes both their will and their resulting behavior.

Specify, Paul calls on them not to grumble or dispute. It calls to mind the Israelites in the wilderness, not to mention our own behavior. Why does God detest this grumbling and disputing? It is a lack of trust in God, one that will cause division in the church and undo the work of Christ that the Philippians are doing.

Instead, they are called to be light to the world, just as Jesus called us to in the gospels. They are not called to be hidden or secret, but rather shining like stars. The “word of life” also brings to mind the gospels, where John calls Jesus the “logos”. It is this word, this relationship with Christ that makes possible the behavior the Philippians were called to.

Paul himself models this behavior, being “poured out like a drink offering” along with the sacrifice and service of the Philippians.

The result of all of this is joy. Joy is an emotion, which means we do not necessarily have control over it. If we see a bear, we immediately feel fear without making a decision to do so. We must be transformed so that service to God naturally evokes joy.

How does this happen? As we commit ourselves more and more to the pursuit of and imitation of Christ, our view of the world changes. On a natural level, looking at the world gives us plenty of reasons to doubt or not have faith, but the work of Christ on the cross offers us the strength and the joy that we need.

– Sermon Notes, Aaron James, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, September 2, 2018

Philippians 2:12-18

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Christ as Our Example – Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus is both our Savior and our needed example of humility. Paul here is writing to a group of believers he cares deeply for, and is suffused with joy and love for Christ. Jesus is referenced by name 54 times across 104 verses.

Not everything was perfect with the Philippians, who faced persecution from without and pollution from within, and much of the letter deals with one or both of these.

This passage opens by referencing the previous verse and calling them to the mind of humility mentioned there, but also calls ahead to the example of Christ that he will go into in more detail shortly.

In order to get to that example, Paul delves deeply into the divine nature of Jesus Christ, who was in God and equal to God in all things. But it is equally important that despite that divine equality and power (or perhaps even because of it!) he was not selfish and rather than demanding what was due him (everything!), he humbled and even humiliated himself. This was in sharp contrast to the Greek gods the Philippians would have known, and to the Philippians themselves and, if we are honest, ourselves.

Paul is saying that Jesus makes himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant. The term “form” here is the same word used to describe Christ’s divine nature – just as real and vital to his nature as his divinity. Just like Jesus washed Judas’ feet even when he knew what Judas had done, he also took the form of a human, a slave, to serve us when we were still his enemies.

He was obedient even to death on a cross – a form of execution not even allowed for Roman citizens and generally reserved for slaves.

Like Jesus, we must give up our own way to serve. It isn’t fair, but it is the job description as we follow Christ. Nothing about the Crucifixion was fair.

And so what is the result of all this humility? God exalts Jesus to the highest point in all the universe. Paul here echoes Isaiah 45 where God declares himself to be exalted above all things. Here, Paul very clearly calls for Jesus to be honored as God, because the Father honors him as God.

Jesus had the humility to want what God wants, even when it cost him everything. Likewise, we must give up our own high estimation of ourselves and take on the same task that Christ did – to die.

To die to our wants, our comfort, our entertainment, our pride. We don’t generally want to do these things and so tend to construct a “crossless Christ” in order to avoid staring at the stark reality of the example we are called to.

Fortunately, God is the one who both does the work and earns the glory. What do we do to make this happen? We should pray to be made nothing – God will answer this prayer, and it will be painful. We make time for the benefit of others and pursue opportunities to serve others.

– Sermon Notes, Brian Bailey, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, August 26, 2018

Philippians 2:5-11

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Unity – Philippians 1:18-26

Be in one Accord

The theme of this section is the unity brought about by the Holy Spirit.

Paul is shifting here from the discussion of outside persecution and false teachers to the response needed from the Philippians: unity. There is a vital connection between striving together for the gospel and the unity of the church. Disunity makes everything more difficult. It calls to mind the disciples arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and there are and they’re arguing, and the prayer of Jesus for unity of believers in John 17. This is the unity brought about by the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

Paul calls for the church to seek emotional unity, in affection and sympathy; intellectual unity, “of the same mind”; and unity of will, “in one accord.”

Unity, though, is impossible if we are seeking our own gain. Instead, we must die to ourselves and seek the benefit of others, considering others above ourselves. Later, Paul cites Jesus as the ultimate example of humility. Humility carries with it the seeds of the love and unity Paul is calling us to.

Paul is challenging this Philippian community of believers to know each other well so that they can know what other people’s interests are.

This is a direct challenge to today’s “scorched earth” environment of social media, politics and current events that heightens disunity in all our lives. How do we maintain a general sense of unity despite the differing opinions and perspectives within the church? What about within a marriage? Within a business?

In some ways, this can even be more difficult in a workplace where it is easy to slip into selfish ambition under the banner of providing for our family.

In church, we have doctrinal disagreements, operational disagreements, personal disagreements. Because of the importance of the overall questions of God and salvation, it is far too easy to attach outsized importance, and then outsized vitriol, to smaller issues in these spheres.

Then, of course, there is politics. Enough said.

The most essential thing in order to seek unity is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. To put His teaching above all other teaching, and accept his gift of grace when we fail to live up to our. We must be be connected to Jesus and derive our unity from our mutual affection for Him and for His body.

We must let the Holy Spirit guide us in all our relationships, working against our selfish ambition in our marriages, workplaces, churches and even politics.

The beautiful thing about the gospel of Christ and our prayer for Seed Church is that our doors are and will be open to all people, welcoming every kind of person to a community centered around Christ and his Kingdom.

– Sermon Notes, Dave Lester, Seed Church, August 19, 2018

Philippians 1:18-26

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Jesus is Worthy – Philippians 1:18-26

Paul is full of joy because his life is centered around Jesus. He answers the question here that Jesus asks in Mark 8. Just before heading to Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus asks his disciples who he is. Paul is clear about that answer here.

Paul’s deep longing for Christ are a higher aim than today’s obsession with “authenticity”.

For Paul, the difficulty of the choice between life in service to Christ and death leading to union with Christ was far more distressing than the notion of trial or execution by far.

Is Paul’s joy real? Is he really anticipating the trial with eagerness? Is Jesus really so worthy to Paul?

In reality, Jesus is that worthy to the Father, and that is what is shining through in the life of Paul. Paul’s life is a picture and a result of the worthiness God sees in Jesus.

Paul eventually comes down on the side of life in the body, not because it means more to him or because he knows the results of his upcoming trial. Rather it is because he sees which result is more necessary for those he serves, like the Philippians, and that service itself is in pursuit of the glory of God.

The glories of God have become Paul’s gladness. Like us, his chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. But we live in a world, culture and even church that is indifferent to the pleasures of Jesus. With all the avenues of entertainment available, there are so many distractions that outshine our limited understanding of Christ.

So what do we do? We cannot force ourselves to desire God more. Rather, the love of God for the Son comes into us and becomes our love for the Son.

This is what Christ prayed for the church in John 17, and this is what we should pray for. This is what we must give time to, what we must prioritize over our screens and entertainment. This is what we must seek in study and preaching during the week, not just on Sunday mornings. This is what we must speak out as we seek others’ enjoyment of Jesus as well.

– Sermon Notes, Brian Bailey, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, August 5, 2018

Philippians 1:18-26

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The Leftovers – John 6:1-15

John’s intention in this account is to minister to the mature Christians, as opposed to Mark’s account, which was written for the catechumens. It is a foretaste of the Kingdom of God. No one will be dissatisfied – as we pray in the Lord’s prayer.

This is also a message for all generous people who have given their time, talent and treasure to the Kingdom of God, both priests and laypeople. What gifts and blessings have your received from God? If you do not appreciate what you have, how can you share it?

The disciples did not appreciate the little food they had because it did not seem like enough. Jesus, though, did appreciate it, and it turned out to be more than enough. The generosity of a little boy was turned into a miracle, with basketfuls of leftovers.

Bread must be broken in order to be shared. That is how it fulfills its mission. We are reminded of this every time we receive the bread and wine.

Why did Jesus have the leftovers gathered? The leftovers are all those who have given of themselves to the Kingdom. And they will be gathered up by God in the end. This is what is so beautiful in this gospel.

– Homily Notes, Church of St. Katherine of Alexandria, Riverside, CA, July 29, 2018

John 6:1-15

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A Work in Progress – Philippians 1:1-11

The theme of Philippians is “death to self and life in Christ” It can be frustrating because it requires a significant level of commitment. We tend to resist commitment, even when it is something as simple as an RSVP for a party or choosing a show while browsing on Netflix.

But the church in Philippi is committed to something greater than themselves. Here, like in all but two of his letters Paul begins with a section of thanksgiving and praise for the church he is writing to. He specifically cites their continued partnership with him in the cause of the gospel. From Paul’s first visit, when Lydia and the Philippian jailer opened their homes to Paul, to their recent generosity, they have done this consistently.

But not just on material resources – he is thankful for their continued development in Christ. The work of transformation that Christ began in them continues and will be completed.

The Philippians share with Paul in joy and God’s favor, extended to them and us through God’s grace. To be partners in the gospel is both an example of that grace and a mechanism for it. The Philippians are partakers in the grace of God by spreading the message of the grace of God.

Paul loves them for it, and then goes on to pray that they also will grow in their love in general – for Christ, for each other, for the world around them. This love is the foundation for much of what Paul will go on to call the Philippians to do in the rest of the letter.

But while the target of the love is general, the type of growth itself is rather specific: knowledge and depth of insight. As our love abounds in greater insight, we become better at loving the things that are worth loving, because when we love something we tend to devote ourselves to it.

Paul calls us (and the Philippians) to this because he wants us to be pure and blameless. Pure, meaning righteous within ourselves, and blameless meaning righteous on the eyes of those around us.

Paul here is setting the Philippians up to understand that they are a work in progress. This will be important for them to understand as the letter progresses.

It is also important for us to understand. In inventory management, there are three stages: raw materials, work in progress, and finished product. As believers, we were once raw materials, but now Christ is at work in us and we are looking ahead to being a finished product. We must be willing and even eager to be molded and changed.

It can be tough to accept that we are unfinished and incomplete, and frustrating to not yet have full mastery of our passions and sin. Paul shows us through his thanksgiving and prayer that Christ is working on us and we must work with Him, discerning our purpose and participating in our growth.

Are we willing to do this, or will we sit back and how hope that this growth will happen without us?

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 22, 2018

Philippians 1:1-11

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Introduction to Philippians

A person’s story tells us a lot about who they are. As we go into the book of Philippians, it is wise to understand the story around the city, the church Paul is writing to and Paul’s relationship with them.

Philippi was originally named Crenides, which means “fountains” because of all the natural springs in the fertile plains. It was originally settled by the Thasians who also discovered gold and silver nearby, making it a wealthy colony. When the city came under pressure from Thrace, they went to Philip of Macedon for protection, which is how it got its name. Philip built a mint there, and it remained as an autonomous city within Macedon under Alexander the Great.

Eventually Rome conquered Macedon, and when Julius Caesar was assassinated, Brutus and Cassius fled to Philippi, and the Battle of Philippi was fought on the plains nearby. Octavian (eventually Augustus) won the battle, and eventually integrated Philippi more directly into the new empire. It became a “miniature Rome” under the municipal law of Rome, with comparable rights and nearly identical culture to Rome. It was tightly connected to Rome, along the Via Egnatia, and their Roman identity was core to their self image and culture.

It was also the first place in Europe that Paul preached, as described in Acts 16, and the first convert there was Lydia, a wealthy merchant. It is a dramatic story of dreams, prayer, demons, trials, imprisonment, earthquakes and vindication.

The story closes with the Philippian church set on a solid foundation. They would go on to be one of the most generous churches mentioned in the Bible, sending Paul gifts at multiple times, including when he is imprisoned in Rome, which is when the epistle to the Philippians was written.

The book is basically a thank you note to the Philippians, combined with strong encouragement founded in deep theology. It contains some of the most well-known verses is Scripture, and is seen largely as a book about joy in the midst of hardship, with the word used 16 times.

But a more careful study shows that this is a sub theme, a byproduct of the grander theme. Other sub themes include community and hospitality, unity in Christ, gospel participation, humility, self-sacrifice and warnings against Judaizers.

The overall theme, though, is the source of all that joy, unity and humility – namely, the theme is death to self and life in Christ. Even the opening calls out Paul and Timothy as servants of Christ and specifically highlights all the other leaders with him as servants in Christ.

Paul wants the lives of the Philippians to be so intertwined with the life of Christ that it is impossible to tell the two apart.

There are four ways we may struggle with Paul’s words in Philippians. The first is a mindset of independence and isolation, rather than living in community. Another is believing that joy comes from our circumstances. Third, a prioritization of the things of earth rather than those of heaven. And most notably, our tendency to put our comfort and desires ahead of the life in Christ that we are called to.

It is easy to say “death to self and life in Christ,” but it is difficult to actually live it out. The second half sounds good, but the first is very difficult. But true living only happens when we do this, we’ve that will be our focus over the next few weeks.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 15, 2018

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The Sufficiency of God’s Message, Christ – Hebrews 1:1-3

Often in our lives, we wish God would just speak directly, concretely, telling us exactly what we should do or say, especially in the midst of major life decisions. It can be frustrating when He doesn’t do this. But God does speak to us, and here the author of Hebrews talks about how He does this.

This letter, though we don’t know the author, was written to Jewish Christians who were struggling to understand the nature and superiority of Christ versus the incomplete picture given to the Jews in the Old Testament.

In the past, God spoke through prophets, but that was not sufficient. There was a break of 400 years without any prophets, until the appearance of John the Baptist, the Herald of Christ, the new and final message, a message so vital that it came not merely as words but as a Person.

We are told several things here about Christ as the greatest message of God that we should remember when we seek to hear from God.

First, Christ is the heir of all things. He is bound to rule and care for His family. Ultimately, we are all His, as is everything around us. He is Himself the creator of all things. All the beauty of nature and all the genius of humanity has its origin in Him.

Second, He is the radiance of God’s glory. Like the light of the sun, we see the glory of God by the actions of Christ. He is, according Hebrews “the exact representation of God.” Christ himself said, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Separate from the Father and yet unified in the Trinity. Even coming as an infant, a carpenter and itinerant preacher, the glory of God shone out of Him.

Third, Christ sustains all things. Everything we take for granted is granted us by the love and grace of Christ. This gives us hope, because our trust in Him rests on the same thing that supports the very universe.

And He doesn’t merely sustain the universe, but purifies it, and us. This work of purification was complete and full, and afterwards He rested at the right hand of the Father.

The message God spoke through His Son was amazing, complete and sufficient. Christ’s life is the message that is sufficient to guide us in our lives.

Like in the garden, though, we question the sufficiency of this message from God. Like children who haven’t finished their dinner and yet are hungry, we think we have consumed all of what Christ is and want something more and new. Rather than asking for a new message, we should seek to better know and understand the message God gave us through His Son. It is not a message that comes to us once and is then finished with us, but a message that progressively reveals more and more to us about how we should love and love and find satisfaction in Christ.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 8, 2018

Hebrews 1:1-3

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Jesus is a Big Lego Baseplate – 2 Corinthians 13:5-14

All through this letter, Paul has been defending his apostolic ministry – not just himself, but the message he brought to the Corinthians. In this last section, he shifts to more directly addressing the Corinthians’ relationship with Christ, and the question of what living like Christ actually looks like. The calls them to examine and test themselves, to see if they are showing evidence of the gospel of Christ.

Paul is not asking in order to say no, but rather, calling back to the opening of the letter, the answer “is always ‘yes’ in Christ.” He believes that they will indeed pass the test, despite everything. He asks the Corinthians to see what he sees in them. Paul sets up this final examination as a righteous trap, designed to shift their attention from themselves to Christ within us, and to seek the evidence of Christ in our lives. We should be able to see this evidence, as should others. This introspection should not be self-absorbed, but rather focused on Christ in us. As a result of this self-examination, we should see where we are living like Christ, and where we are not, so that we can change that.

Paul then moves to his prayers for the Corinthians, but he twice interrupts himself to emphasize that this is not about him. He may well have failed on his part, but that does not matter as long as the Corinthians change their ways and live as a restored church in the light of Christ. Paul’s whole goal in this letter is to build up the church in advance of his arrival.

This is why he spends so much time defending his apostolic ministry. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of the gospel and its impact on the lives of the Corinthians. Paul is far more concerned with the actions of the Corinthians than his own reputation.

This leads to Paul’s hope, not just for the Corinthians but also for us. He ends with five works he wants to see erupt in the church, moving them towards a unified community centered on Christ.

First, he calls them to rejoice, because of the great gift Christ has given them. Second, he calls them towards restoration, the same call he has been making all through the letter. Third, he calls them to comfort one another. To comfort one another, we must know one another. Fourth, he calls on them to agree with one another. This doesn’t mean complete agreement in all things, but rather that we consider the choice between “being right” and being unified. Fifth, he calls them to live in peace – in Shalom, with each other and with Christ.

Overall, he calls them to a community that builds each other up upon the foundation of Christ. Christ is like the big Lego baseplate upon which all of us, as Legos, build up the church. The task of living in peace and community is a big one, but Paul promises that the God of love and peace will be with them in that task. We are not to try to enlist him in dissension or disunity.

Paul closes the letter with a Trinitarian call for the grace of Christ to make itself known to the Corinthians, and the infinite love of God the Father, and all this to express itself through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This triune God, in community with Himself and with us, is both the model and the empowerment for living in community with each other. This means we must look at our interactions with each other in the light of Christ, not in light of our own agendas.

This brings us back to the notion of self-examination, seeking Christ within us. There are two ways we do this wrong. We can live our lives without ever looking for God, running on autopilot and focusing only on the things of this world. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.” It is a passive neglect of this vital relationship.

Sometimes, though, the neglect is more active. Jesus is in us, but we do not want to look at him. Either way, God is patient and persistent, and always working to restore us to right relationship with Him. He is with us, and we do not need to live like He is not. Take advantage of the fact that He is working in you and amongst you. Where is Christ at work in you?

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, July 1, 2018

2 Corinthians 13:5-14

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Paul’s Resume of Suffering – 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Paul here reflects a “divine jealousy” for the Corinthians, continuing from earlier in the chapter. He is hurt by the rejection of the people there in favor of the “super-apostles” who are preaching a false gospel, adding works to the grace of Christ.

So Paul responds with pure, uncut sarcasm. The Corinthians put up with these false teachers who are authoritarian (“enslave you”), who exploit the church for financial gain, who puff themselves up and overall abuse them. He apologizes, sarcastically, for not having mistreated them in the same way, since that is apparently what they respond to.

Behind this sarcasm, we can sense some pain – these are people Paul has known and loved and led to Christ, and they are turning down a dark path.

So, since they respond to foolish boasting, Paul jumps in with his own foolish boasting. He lists facts and anecdotes about both his spiritual status and the price he has paid for his ministry. “Do you want to play? Let’s play.” He lists out the trials and pain and agony he endured for the sake of the gospel, at the hands of both Jews and gentiles, from mobs and governments, bandits and nature. Many of these stories are recounted in Acts, though the shipwrecks he mentions don’t even include the shipwreck story in that book! (Paul was not someone you wanted to go boating with.)

Paul is more concerned, though, with the spiritual lives of the people in the Church, not just in Corinth but everywhere. He feels intensely the weakness and shame of those in the church who struggled – including the Corinthians themselves. All this is in sharp contrast to the Super-Apostles he opposes.

Paul’s last physical boast is about the time he was lowered in a basket to escape the city of Damascus – possibly to set up a moderately clever contrast with being “caught up” to heaven watch he gets into in the next section.

So this is Paul’s “resume of suffering.” We all have our own resume of suffering. We go through things and we don’t know why. Even though our circumstances are very different than Paul’s, and usually are not derived from persecution like Paul’s, there is still much we can learn here. First of all, even though we may suffer and not know why, God’s love never wavers as He identifies with us in our pain.

It is easy to believe that if we do everything right, we will have an easy life. But as Paul’s life makes clear, that is not how it works.

Bart Ehrman, an atheist, has a book called “God’s Problem” where he examines the reasons for suffering in the Bible and decides that because there are multiple reasons given, the Bible is contradictory. As Christians, and adults who are able to understand things slightly more complex than a child’s story, we can understand that, hey, maybe there are just a lot of different reasons for suffering?

But Ehrman does a good job of breaking down the different kinds of suffering seen in the Scripture. “Classical suffering” is that which results from the consequences of sin, which we see in Genesis as well as the results of sin in the nation of Israel. “Redemptive suffering” is suffering that results in the ultimate alleviation of suffering, like the story of Joseph or, of course, the Cross. There is “meaningless suffering,” which is suffering without a comprehensible purpose, at least in this life (Job, Ecclesiastes.) And finally, “apocalyptic suffering” which is the result of taking a stand for God, as described in Revelation, and Paul here is describing the as well.

Across these types of suffering, we must grapple with why a good God allows it to happen, the problem of “theodicy.”

However you interpret that, one thing Paul makes clear is that suffering is not the result of a “lack of faith.” While we may not be able to understand why we are being allowed to suffer, we must understand that God still loves us in that suffering, and in fact knows intimately what it is like to suffer. The Gospel is not put on hold because we suffer.

As a body, we are not called to understand or even categorize all the suffering among us. We are called to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice, to follow the lead of our very Creator in entering into and coming alongside the suffering in our midst.

– Sermon Notes, Dave Lester, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 10, 2018

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

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