Philippians 1:27-30 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved– and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
I. Recap
a. V. 21—To live is Christ, and to die is gain
b. Our identity is fully found in Christ—he is at the center
c. We are in a win-win scenario—if we live, we follow Christ; if we die, we get to be with Christ in heaven
II. The Point—v. 27—Only let your of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ
a. Only—whatever happens—no matter the present realities, this is what you are called to do
b. If your identity is in Christ, then it needs to be backed up by your life
c. It is not an option to be a Christian and not live the way Jesus calls us to live
d. Is your life consistent with your identity in Christ?
e. In original Greek it carries the concept of citizenship—being a worthy citizen (Philippians were proud of their Roman citizenship) c.f. 3:20
III. A Worthy Calling #1—vv. 27b-28: Unity as believers with a mission
a. Paul seems to be implying some ‘in-house’ quarrels within the Philippian church (4:2)
b. One spirit, one mind, striving side by side—the church must be unified and work together to bring the gospel to others
c. John 13:35, 17:31—Jesus emphasized unity with a purpose
d. Not just to get along, but to work together with a common mission
i. Do we have a common mission? Is it to bring the gospel to others?
ii. We need to stand together because there will be people against what we do
IV. A Worthy Calling #2—vv. 29-30—Endurance through trials
a. Part of our calling is to suffer? Is your faith real enough that you are willing to suffer?
b. We are in a battle, but our weapons are love, compassion, forgiveness, service
c. V. 30—Paul states they share the same conflict that he had—probably a reference to his persecution
