Tag: New Testament

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The Tunnel of Anxiety and the Light of Grace – Philippians 4:4-7

 

Anxiety is an emphasis on the parts over the whole. It is a distortion of our perspective of life, seeing the individual problems in our lives rather than the fullness of life that Christ offers. It is like a tunnel through a mountain – narrow, dark and entirely missing the grandeur of the larger picture.

So how do we get out of this Tunnel of Anxiety? Paul offers several instructions.

First, be conscious of and rejoice in God’s grace. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” It is an emphatic command, not just a suggestion.

Second, we must be gracious with God’s grace. “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” We must follow Jesus in adhering to the spirit of the law and not keeping so tightly to the letter that we fail to show love and gentleness to the world around me. We have been shown grace and must show it in turn to the world.

Third, we must recognize the closeness of God’s grace. “The Lord is near.” The Psalms tell us that God is close to the brokenhearted, and James writes that if we draw near to God, he draws near to us. And not just near physically, but near in time. This life is brief and our time to be with Christ in eternity is closer than we realize.

Fourth, we must request God’s grace, seeking it earnestly, “by prayer and petition,” making bold requests of God. God is willing to take those complex individual parts of our lives and help us see how it fits into His bigger picture. God has a far broader perspective than even just our mountain, let alone our tunnel.

Fifth, we are to be grateful for God’s grace. Our requests are to be “with thanksgiving,” even in the midst of anxiety, troubles and persecution.

The result of all of this is peace. Peace is the restoration of wholeness to all these complex individual parts. This is itself a small picture of the gospel: a perfect creation, broken, but redeemed and restored to wholeness by the work of Christ.

Anxiety calls is to put a higher priority on the individual parts of life, but God’s grace reminds us that God has higher purposes and plans no matter how those individual problems sort themselves out. And this wholeness is not just an individual thing, but a wholeness that binds is together with the body of Christ.

The true cure for anxiety is not a lessening of emotional pain but a restoration of the whole picture of God’s grace. In the “aha” moment between anxiety and peace, we must remember that it did not come from within, but rather is a gift of God.

Peace is a garrison within our hearts that protects, strengthens and heals us. And as Paul writes, this all comes from the Prince of Peace Himself. “Peace I give to you; my peace I leave with you.”

When anxiety comes, we must be conscious of God’s grace, gracious with that grace to ourselves and others, be aware of the nearness of that grace, seek His grace in prayer, and be grateful for that grace. Through all of this, God offers a peace that transcends all our limited understanding.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, October 14, 2018

Philippians 4:4-7

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Momentum vs. Stagnation – Philippians 3:12-16

Stagnation and momentum both can lead to growth, but very different kinds. Stagnant water will grow bacteria, algae and other unpleasant things, while running water gives us life.

Here, Paul writes about the momentum he seeks in his own life, and that he calls the Philippians to.

He cites the “momentum of maturity.” Paul is not perfect, but recognizes his own deficiencies and opportunities for growth. True perfection lies in grasping at the life that Christ lived.

Here at Seed we try to live this out by accepting people where they are, but not being content that they stay that way. This is true no matter whether someone is an unrepentant sinner whose life is in a self-made shambles, or an upstanding, well-respected person of faith and love. None of us have yet reached the goals set for us by Christ.

Christ himself takes hold of us to move us forward in the plans He has for us to do His work, in addition to living out the example for us.

Paul was motivated by two things, then. First, his own depravity – just how far he has to go – and second, how much Christ loves him and what He wants for him. As Tim Keller has said, we are worse than we think we are, but more loved than we can possibly imagine.

So Paul has done a self assessment, has taken the internet quiz and knows there is work to be done. Where we don’t match up with Christ, we must change in order to change that. But rather than reflecting on the past, Paul looks to the future. We should learn from our past but not dwell on it. We cannot let either past pain or past glories rob us of our momentum. We can’t let memories of the “good old days” cause us to miss out on what God has for us in the present.

And what is that? Paul’s language is aggressive and forward-moving: “press on,” “take hold”, “strain towards”. We are not to live in apathy or to “let go and let God.” Rather, even though we know the race is won for us, we must keep running.

But we get the power to keep running from Jesus as well. We can have confidence that God works in our lives, moving us closer to the perfection He desires for us. God loves us, as a church and as individuals, more than we ourselves do.

Mature people, Paul writes, think this way, seeking always to die to self and live in Christ. While the goal itself is presently unattainable, the mature understand this and rely on the power of Christ to move us forward.

This maturity is an attitude of perseverance and never giving up, as we seek to live up to what Christ has attained for us.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Krabach, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, September 30, 2018

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Paul’s Anxiety and Ours – Philippians 2:25-30

Despite Paul’s own troubles, he is concerned for the Philippian church and feels somewhat helpless to help them deal with their internal and external troubles. He wanted to send Timothy, his most trusted disciple, to help them, but was not immediately able to do this for whatever reason.

His second choice, then, was Epaphroditus, who I will call E. E was originally from Philippi and was most likely a Greek convert, since the name itself is a purely Greek name. E had been sent to bring monetary relief to Paul and help out generally, but now was homesick for Philippi.

Paul uses three words to describe E. Brother means a fellow believer. Coworker, meaning he had been assisting Paul in his ministry. Soldier, fighting side-by-side with Paul to share the gospel. He was likely the person who actually carried the letter to the Philippians originally.

Paul had been dealing with a lot, between imprisonment and persecution, so the illness of E would have been an additional trial. His recovery was a significant blessing to Paul, but because of what happened, E went home earlier than planned.

Paul reassures them not to freak out about E’s early return, that the reasons are solid and that they do not reflect poorly on either E or on the Philippian church. He instructs them to honor E (and all people like him) and welcome him with joy.

So what can we in the 21st century learn from this snippet of life in the 1st?

The first thing we can learn revolves around anxiety. There is an idea that, if we just trust God enough, we won’t have anxiety or be worried. Here we see the Apostle Paul himself, though, actively worried for the spiritual health of the Philippian church.

As we also struggle with anxiety, Jesus calls us to to peace we can find in him. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses questions of anxiety – pointing to the birds of the air and lilies of the field, and the peace we can have if we trust in God. (Note that for many people, anxiety is also a biological issue that may require biological intervention.)

Anxiety is also different than momentary fear, which is a built-in survival tool that is designed to keep us alive. But anxiety as a lifestyle is destructive, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Was Paul living in anxiety like this, as he worried about the Philippian church? It would be understandable. Here at Seed there is some anxiety as we go through a season of transition and seek a new teaching pastor. Change is hard and can often cause anxiety.

But no matter how cliché it sounds, in these times, we need to trust Jesus. The first step of this is to know Jesus in the first place. Jesus’ life, sacrifice and resurrection offers us peace with God. This is the most important thing you can do, and the first step towards the eternal peace God offers.

What comes next?

  1. Prayer, meditation and scripture.
  2. Be realistic about what you can and cannot change.
  3. Take a break from social media (and possibly cable news) .
  4. Try to gain perspective and consider the bigger picture that God sees, as well as the way at have been blessed.
  5. Don’t feel anxious about being anxious – give yourself grace, and give others grace. God already has.

– Sermon Notes, Dave Lester, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, September 16, 2018

Philippians 2:25-30

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The Godfather – Philippians 2:19-24

There is a vulnerability to Paul in this letter. You can very much feel the weight of all that came before, the successes and failures, the deaths and the new life, the frustrations and the joys. Paul here, writing from a prison cell, is simply concerned with for the Philippians and wanting them to be in the Lord, or “on mission.”

Recall that in the section just previous, Paul cited the Philippians as a key marker of his service to God, something that makes all his toil and suffering worthwhile. So when he sends Timothy to the Philippians as a spiritual godparent, there is a lot that comes behind that.

In Paul’s letters to Timothy, he spends much time encouraging boldness. Timothy was young, which means that in the Greek culture he lacked the authority that came with age. He had been raised and brought to faith by his grandmother Eunice and mother Lois.

Paul assures the Philippians that Timothy has “no equal in soul” in terms of his concern for the Philippians. This is what makes Paul confident that Timothy is the right person to serve as godfather to his spiritual children. In Corinthian he calls him out in his way as well, noting that the Corinthians had “many teachers but few fathers,” and that Timothy can take on that role of godparent.

The role of a godparent in Christ is to continually be intentionally pointing others to Christ. As we grow in maturity, we are all called to this role of godparent in some way. How do we do this.

First and most importantly, you must know Christ. It is not about you or what you have accomplished or are capable of, but about the righteousness imputed by Christ’s death and resurrection. You must have humility and be aware of your own sin, but also leaven that with an acknowledgement and embracing of our authority in Christ.

You must continually develop yourself in Christ through the process of sanctification. This is the continual life process of growing and sharpening and movement towards the person of Christ. To be a good godparent means that you are moving forward in the lord rather than sliding backwards or staying stagnant. Peter describes sanctification in 2 Peter 1:5-7, “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

Third, you need to know and own the assignment as a godparent. In Matthew 28, Jesus outlines what that assignment is: “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” We are called to be godparents, not spiritual baby daddies, discipling, not just telling and moving on.

How do you godparent? First, pray and seek guidance. Second, take an inventory of who you are in a position to godparent and who is godparenting you? Third, assess their needs and engage and build a relationship. Fourth, assess the level of effort needed, and then determine how to move forward. Maybe this means taking the small things first, maybe the big ones. Finally, pray over the entire thing again and invite Jesus into the mission.

– Sermon Notes, John Lehigh, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, September 9, 2018

Philippians 2:19-24

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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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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