Live Worthy of the Gospel

Live Worthy of the Gospel
Philippians 1:1-27
September 28, 2025

We come now to Paul’s letter to the church in the city of Philippi. Paul and Silas started this church on Paul’s second missionary journey. This city was named after Philip, the father of Alexander the Great.

When they first arrived in the city, they went out to the riverside on Sabath day, supposing there would be a place of prayer and began speaking to those who had assembled there.

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple fabrics, was listening and the Lord opened her heart to receive Christ. She and her household were baptized.

This sparked the start of the church in Phillipi. The church grew into a strong, vibrant church as we see that, by the time that Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians, they already have overseers and deacons in place in the church.

He is writing this letter while imprisoned, awaiting his audience with Ceasar Nero. He was awaiting trial for 2 years, being guarded by the Praetorian guard, Ceaser’s own elite personal guard. Paul used this as an opportunity to advance the gospel, as these guards were chained to him in shifts 24 hours a day for two years.

There is also a tone of thanksgiving in this letter, as this church was supporting Paul on his missionary journeys and even sent him money in support while he was incarcerated. Paul thanks God for them and remind them that they are partakers of the grace that is being preached. Their sowing into ministry has a direct result that others are hearing the gospel and are being saved.

They did this because they discerned what is important in life. They saw the bigger picture and greater vision of eternity, using their earthly means to further the kingdom.

This letter is a wonderful letter of joy, encouraging them to stand strong and to continue to grow in faith and their maturity in Christ Jesus, even with the backdrop of difficulty.

This also becomes an encouragement for us. As Paul reflects on hardships gone by, and also with uncertainty references his pending confrontation with Ceaser, he tells them to hold fast, have courage stand strong, even under persecution and adversity.

Today, more than ever, we are also called to this. Many places the gospel has been watered down, or are sneered at. We live in a world that is aggressively opposing the gospel.

 In the midst of this, we are called to live worthy of the gospel. This opening paragraph is a wonderful encouragement.

I. God is Faithful to Complete His Work

• Paul starts of this letter with the two twins: Grace and peace. He always wants to make sure that the focus of the church is the grace, undeserved gift and favor of God, and the peace that we have with God and in our souls because of that.
• It is in this passage that we find a very well-known important scripture.

Verse 6 – For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

• This has been such a foundational scripture in my life. In times of trouble, in times one struggle, or even in times when you feel like you are not making the grade as a Christian, this is a foundational truth on which we build our faith.

A. His faithfulness is our anchor

• Everyone at times stumble. We all at times fall. Everyone goes through hard seasons. Everyone goes through times where the potential is there that your faith can be shaken.

Illus – I remember when I was very young, even though I was a Christian, I didn’t fully understand grace. I was very focused on trying to live perfectly. Yet, I quickly discovered this to be impossible. That made me very scared that I might not make it to heaven. I would sneak into my parents’ room at night, sleeping on the floor as close as possible to them, thinking that if the rapture happens, I might be saved by proximity.

• For Christians, what threatens to topple your faith is not the question if God is real or alive, but rather if your relationship and connection with God is still secure.
• The focus of the enemy is to disrupt relationship with God. If he can get you to think that God is angry with you, you will pull away from God.
• If he can get you to think that God is judging you, you will run away from God. If he can get you to believe that God is punishing you, or condemning you, it will become an obstacle in your heart between you and God.
• The reason for this is that it brings a deep anxiety, because you have no certainty of salvation and God’s love. It also brings fear as the future, and more importantly, your eternal future is uncertain.
• If he can get you to feel the strain of all the condemnation being heaped up on your soul, he can paralyze you spiritually, stinting and disrupting your spiritual growth.
• Satan is called the accuser of the brethren.

Revelation 12:10, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

• It has the effect that you keep on looping back to the first things.

Hebrews 6:1, Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

• Don’t keep looping back to initial repentance, asking God to save you over and over. It has been done!
• Paul reminds us that what anchors us in this truth, is the faithfulness of God.
• When we came to God, He is the one who began the good work in us. We didn’t begin it. We had no way to do it. On the contrary, we were so deep in the quicksand of sin and death, that the only thing we could do was to say, Jesus, HELP!
• He picked us up. He cleansed, washed and forgave us. He gave us a new robe. He made us alive in our spirit. He gave us new identities, sons and daughters of God, He did it all!
• Yet when people stumble, they have the temptation to try and continue their spiritual walk on their own, wanting to prove themselves worthy of this amazing grace and love, not wanting to fail God.
• Paul’s reply to this is:

Galatians 3:3, Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 

• He is literally asking them, are you crazy? Did you pull yourself out of that quicksand of sin? Did you change yourself? Did you change your own nature? No! It was all Christ.
• And then he continues with his beautiful promise. He who began the good work in you will perfect it until the day of the revelation of Christ.
• In other words, the Holy Spirit within us will bring that which God envisions for us and in us it to full completion.
• God has you in His hand, safe and secure.

John 10:28, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

• What if I stumble? You might ask.

Romans 8:1, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

• Jesus took our condemnation on the cross and set us free from it forever. The accuser of the brethren Satan has been overcome. He no longer has the right to accuse you in front of God because the blood of the lamb covers you for all eternity.

Romans 8:33-35, Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? NO ONE!!!

• This is why Satan now puts his focus on you to try and bring condemnation to you so you will pull away from God.
• What if I slip up and are unfaithful? You might ask?

2 Timothy2:13, If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Revelation 19:11, 1And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,

• Faithfulness is the character of God. It is what His eternal rule and authority, and integrity is based on. He cannot be unrighteous and He cannot be unfaithful. It is with this foundation that we can trust in the statements of His faithfulness. Period.
• He is faithful and true, even when we feel like we have a small mustard seed-sized faith left. He even helps us in our unbelief.

B. Approve what is excellent

• He encourages them then in Hebrews 6. Go past this. Grow now with this foundation in place.
• Verse 9- He then prays that their love may abound still more and more.
• This ties in with the message that we ended off with in Galatians. Because of the love that God has for you and what He has done, on that foundation, abound in love yourself. Love for God, and love for others.
• And flowing from this, that you will be able to, with real knowledge and discernment, approve what is excellent.
• In other words, discern what is of real value, what is morally correct. Align yourself with the nature of the One who loved you unto death.
• For this, we need to know the truth. We need to discern the lie.
• This is why the word is so vital. In the day that we live, there are so much knowledge that puffs itself up as wisdom, but it is actually foolishness.
• We need to measure life, and our lives, against the mirror of the word.
• We also need to ask God to give us the Spiritual gift of discerning of the spirits.

Illus – In Lystra, a certain slave girl, having a spirit of divination, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling, was following after Paul and his companions and she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days and finally Paul became greatly annoyed. He turned and said to the demon spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very moment. This Spirit was hiding behind the ‘truth’. It would continue to deceive people after Paul left.

• There are many things hiding behind the truth these days. We can even be sidetracked by “righteous” things. It seems right to be angry; to some it seemed ‘right’ to allow certain things into the church.
• We also see with the new administration that many companies are changing their values and direction to be aligned with the new administration, which for now, is a good thing. But remember, the world changes it’s values any which way the wind turns. For a moment they might be aligned with what you believe, but don’t be misled if they veer off-course again.

Illus – We see the example of so many teen artists that start out well,  young people get hooked on the music, and then follow then of course.

II. Let Christ be exalted

• Paul has this amazing perspective that he says that even in the situation that he is in while in captivity, that his objective is that Christ will always be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death.

A. To live is Christ, to die is gain

• Someone who has experienced life with Christ, knows that real life is only found in Him. ‘I’ve searched the world…’ Life before Jesus is only existing. It is like people sleepwalking.

Ephesians 5:14, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

• When the light of Christ infuses your life, it changes everything. So, you literally experience, to live is Christ. Life only has purpose and meaning when you live for Christ.
• Added to that, the moment you get the revelation of Jesus, at the same time you also recognize that, however purposeful and great this new life with Christ is, it is only the interim leading into something far greater and more important: Eternity with Him.
• By the way, Paul wasn’t hopeless and depressed, not seeing a future when he wrote this, because he says that he looks forward to seeing them again after he is released from prison. It is not a hopeless cry of, ‘My life sucks, I just want to die!’
• He was looking forward to the day when his work on earth would be finished, and he would step into glory with God. He is essentially saying. ‘I have seen the other side. My soul yearns to be with God.’ It is amazing. That is gain!

B. Be sincere and blameless

• Paul encourages them. To live laser-focused. You stay the course. Be sincere and blameless. Live worthy of the gospel.
• This is not about your salvation, but about calling and direction and a purposeful life.
• Being blameless is quite a tall order. What does that mean? It means to be untainted by the things of this world. Beware, the world can slowly start to taint you and pollute you, and it happens so slowly that you do not even recognize it.

Illus- You must have experienced before that after a while, your car windshield starts to build up a dull hazy film inside. At first, it is not noticeable, until you get into direct sunlight or get headlights from another car coming through the windshield. The moment you rub off the haze it is amazing how much clearer the windshield is.  

• The word sincere is the Greek means to be examined in the light. So, Paul says don’t let the things of this world start to contaminate you. Stay in the light of God, examine your life with the light of the word, and let the word wash your heart and mind to be aligned with the will of God.
• He goes on so that to say, ‘…blameless until the day of Christ.’
• The amplified captures the meaning of the Greek well.

Verse 10 –  …blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble].AMP

• His exhortation is, be awake, stay in the light, live focused so that you will not stumble.
• Scripture teaches us that the grace of God catches us when we fall and He restores us, but there can still be residual hurt because of stumbling and it also has the effect that it can cause other to stumble as well.
• The better way is to live filled with the fruit of righteousness, to the glory of God.
• Live purposefully, run into the light, to the glory of God. Do not do the works of hay and wood that will burn up one day when tested in heaven.
• When we look at the book of Ecclesiastes, on the surface it looks like a book that says life is hopeless and without purpose.

Ecclesiastes 1:14, I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 

• But what most people miss is that Solomon is saying that pursuing happiness and fulfillment in the things this world offers is futile. Only in God will you be satisfied. Fear God, keep His commandments.
• Build with gold and silver. In other words, pursue the important things in life which is aligned with the Kingdom of God.
• Be grounded in Christ, build your faith, live for Him and aligned with the values of the word. Be led by the Holy Spirit, live a life worthy of the Gospel and the grace you received.