Phil 1:15-18, Whose Side Are You Really On?

In this message Kimber mentions S.T.T.A. which is a dramatical group acting out illustrations or points before the message is preached.  It stands for "Something To Think About".

This message originally delivered on March 17, 1991.

Transcript

Kimber Kauffman: 0:00

On a dangerous sea coast, notorious for shipwrecks, there was a crude little life saving saving station. Actually, the station was merely a hut with only one boat. But the few devoted members kept a constant watch on the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger, as well as the lost. Many, many lives were saved by this brave band of men who faithfully worked as a team in and out of the life saving station, by and by became a very famous place. Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the sea coast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased. New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant, began to grow. Some of its members were unhappy that the hunt was so unattractive and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided. Emergency cots were replaced with lovely furniture, Roth handmade equipment was discarded and sophisticated, classy systems were installed. The heart of course had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, furniture, systems and appointments. By its completion, the life saving station to become a popular gathering place and its objectives had began to shift. It was now used as a sort of clubhouse and attractive building for public gatherings, saving lives, feeding the hungry, strengthening the fearful and calling the disturbed rarely occurred by now. Fewer members were now interested in braving the sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional lifeboat crews to do this work. The original goal of the station wasn't altogether forgotten. However, the life saving motive still prevailed in the clubhouse decorations. In fact, there was a liturgical lifeboat, preserved in the room of sweet memories with soft indirect lighting, which helped hide the layer of dust upon the ones used vessel. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the boat crew in the boat crews brought in loads of cold wet half drowned people. They were dirty, some terribly sick and lonely. Others were black and different from the majority of the club members. The beautiful new club suddenly became messy and cluttered. A special committee saw to it that a shower house was immediately built outside and away from the club so victims of the shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was strong words and angry feelings which resulted in division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the clubs, lifesaving activities and all involvements with shipwreck victims. It's too unpleasant, it's a hindrance to our social life. It's opening the door to folks who are not really our kind. As you'd expect to some still insisted upon saving lives. That was their primary objective, that their only reason for existence was ministering to anyone needing help regardless of their Club's beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down and they told that they wanted to save lives the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could then begin their own life saving station down the coast. And so they did. As the years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes involved into another club. And yet another life saving station was begun. History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that Coast today, you'll find a large number of exclusive impressive clubs along the shoreline owned and operated by slick professionals who have lost all involvement with the savings of lives. Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day they drown at sea are so few seem to care. So very few. Do you ask Chuck Swindoll who wrote that parable? You see the passage in Philippians that we're studying in chapter one, verses 15 through 18 is about missing the point of what Christianity is about. And I wonder if we could possibly be us. I wonder if it could be you. We have become in the fundamental circles, a subculture within a subculture and were divided in so many ways and instead of really following his cause and fighting for his cause. I wonder if we're fighting for our own cause instead. What also what I'm saying today is exactly what Paul was going through. Look again what it says in verse 15. He says, it is true that some preached Christ out of envy and rivalry. But others out of goodwill. Now verses 16 and 17. To reverse if you've got a King James Version, you go to verse 17. Now, the latter do so in love knowing that I put here for the defense of the Gospel, the former preached Christ out of selfish ambition not sincerely suppose that they can stir up trouble for me while I'm in chains. Well, what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true Christ is preached, and because of this, I will rejoice. Remember the setting the Philippians and 12 through 14 were afraid that the cause of Christ was going to diminish because no one was preaching. Because Paul, their lead preacher was in prison, the lead missionary, he writes to them and say, No, don't worry, the cause has actually been advanced and was being advanced three ways. The whole palace guard was hearing everyone else around Rome was hearing and the brothers in Christ were more encouraged to speak the word more fearlessly and more courageously than ever before verse 14. Now, as he picks up on that theme, he says this, it is true. So those that are preaching Christ more courageously, because the persecution, they've gotten some courage because of my persecution, they are preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry. In other words, listen, this passage can be broken down very simply, there were two groups, there were the pro Christ anti Paul group, and there was the pro Christ pro Paul group. Both of these were Christians. This is not some false group, I'll show you in a little bit about the false group of teachers that were teaching another gospel. Both of these were preaching Christ very clearly. One was pro Christ, anti Paul, the second one was pro Christ pro Paul. Now, the six characteristics that make up the pro Christ pro Paul movement is what I want us to consider. And look here. The first one is that we're envious, okay. And it says, envious. This is a referring to an inward emotion. And by the way, this exact same word is done in Galatians, 516 21. And 26 is the work of the flesh, and the a natural byproduct of the flesh. In fact, in Matthew 2718, the same word is used of the Pharisees attitude towards Christ, they were envious of Christ in his success. In fact, in First Timothy six, four, it says, if there is a teacher, and the result, the byproduct in the people's lives, you hear him his envy, and then you can be assured that he's not, he's not right. Okay. And clearly, there's the problem. The group, or this group of leaders in Rome were envious of Paul, here's what happened. You had a group of pastors and Christian leaders in the city of Rome. And they had their congregation in Christianity had already been there. Remember, Paul wrote to Rome long before he wrote the book of Romans long before he'd ever been there. And one thing about it was when Paul came, all of a sudden you had the apostle, and everybody was listening to him. Here's the one he wrote the book of Romans. I mean, imagine he's the guy that wrote the book of Romans, we have different guys write different books, we'd like to hear him speak. This guy wrote the book of Romans. All right, and he comes to town, he's popular. He's well known that the other preachers in the area, were jealous, they were envious. And it didn't like the popularity and they turn on Paul. And they were when he when he's in prison, they're thinking, see, look what happens. He's MC was not used them look at there's what happens to him. And there was a tremendous amount of envy. The second word I want you to see is this rivalry I think it says strife and your King James or something similar, he noticed some preach out of envy and L of rivalry. Here's characteristics of the anti Paul pro Christ movement. And I want to say this to you. The title of this message is Whose side are you really on? Whose side are you really on? Interesting. Now anyway, rivalry, another word found in Galatians, 520 of the flesh, but memory is the first word envious meant inward emotion. Inwardly, they burned with envy, guess what this word is? This is a word, which means the outward product of it. In other words, it's translated dissensions, arguments and debates. The same word in the Bible is translated those ways. It's a work of the flesh. And it means this rivalry, strife and outward expression of the inward emotion of envy in which you're constantly debating, you have been around either had a real bad attitude towards somebody and been around a group of people that were talking positively about that person that you had a real bad attitude towards. There was this tendency to want to say something to turn, even the score. That's the problem here rival restripe they were saying things to try to hurt Paul. In fact, it goes on to say, selfish ambition. If you look for me, in the first 17, and I think this would be verse 16. In your King James Bibles, it says this, the former preached Christ out of selfish ambition. This is from the same root word, by the way, the same root word of rivalry. Very similar word to rivalry, but it's a separate work of the flesh. And the key to this thought is that they were only thinking of themselves and of their ministry. Listen, instead of seeking unity in the midst of diversity, as the Bible teaches. They were saying not only our ministry counts, what are the old ones the matter? All the other Christian groups don't matter? All we care and only only what matters to us is what's important. They were focused on them. Sales. You know that it's true. And this may apply more because it's talking about preachers, but you know that it's very true. I've had pastors tell me this, and I found that to be a little bit true. As long as your church doesn't grow, that you'll have lots of pastors for friends. But once your church starts to grow, you start losing pastors as friends if you're a pastor, because there's this selfish ambition there, and there's that there's a tendency to see, Oh, this guy's got bigger congregation. Now, the neat word start being said, we started counter deck, I told you before, if someone gets saved in our church, it's the rich blessing of God. But if someone gets saved another church, oh, just lucky, you know. There's that attitude that we often have selfish attitude. Okay, selfishly motivated to being focused only on yourself. One thing I like, because I've heard of other churches, Indianapolis, and they take a different church in Minneapolis that they know is Evangelical, and they pray for that church from their pulpit on Sunday. I like that attitude, because that's the opposite of this. One reason why I often pray when I pray on Sunday morning, that one of the things I pray, is every church preaching the name of Christ, regardless of the name on their door, we're for them, we want them to go forward. We're not we're not just for our group, or I just want you to Baptist send that we're for the whole world is preaching Christ, who do we think we are? We think we're the Messiah or something to think we're the only ones possibly that has the door lock hold on God. And not only that, not only were they so far selfish ambition, they were not sincere. Very interesting. Very interesting. And that is this. It's, it's the whole idea is they preach Christ, not because they're loved Christ, they preach sound doctrine. By the way, this group does not have false doctrine. When it comes to the doctrine of Christology or the doctrine of soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. They were clear, the thing is, they weren't preaching it from pure motives. They appreciate it from insincere motives, which means that they love their own reputations more than they loved Christ. Not being sincere and notice something else they tried to do. I mean, this was painful for Paul had to be they tried to stir up trouble for me. Look what it says in verse 17. It says, the former preached Christ out of selfish ambition not sincerely, supposing they can stir up trouble for me, while I'm in chains. The word suppose there is to is to make a judgment based on your own feelings. And trouble is the word friction and you know what they're actually means or get this. Supposing they can cause trouble for Paul it means this. Paul, there is in this change, if you read several times, he talks about being in change or being in bondage. The Greek word actually means this to the rubbing of the chains against the wrist in the ankles in order to cause blisters in pain. And the point is, these guys were preaching in such a way they were saying things about Paul being in prison they were criticizing Paul's ministry or the criticizing the character of Paul, Christian men, preaching the gospel. We're doing this thinking that they were going to make his stay in prison all the more painful, all the more rubbing are difficult and ideas thinking they could stir up the new mat, New International Version says stir up remember the word, de Ferro which we talked about the past, which is this is the word epi Pharaoh, thinking that they could bring upon me trouble they could they could lay up Lay it on me. And last thing is this. They had false motives. The King James says pretense. Listen, very interesting. I want to read you a verse just listen to this. This same word is used in Matthew chapter 23, concerning the Pharisees and listen to what Jesus says about listen this Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites, you shut the kingdom of heaven and men's faces, you yourselves do not enter nor will you let those entered who are trying to the whole point there this is the New International Version sort of skips over the the actual use of the word the numerator standard brings it all better, but there it is, again, pretense insincere? It's giving excuses get this, x 2730 uses this word this way, this idea of false notice it says this or pretense, in an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. That is the best understanding of this word. These men were preaching Christ for false motives. They were pretending like their loved Christ, they were pretending like they were really concerned about his cause. But really, they had another motive and that motive was their own name and their own cause. And the motive was to put Paul down. Let me tell you something. These sailors go the way choose next 2730 these sailors go and they say remember, they were told not to leave the boat. And they go, Oh, we're not going to leave the boat. And so they go to the valley and we're just letting some anchors down. There act like they're ones and anchors down. And actually they're letting lifeboats down so they can jump into them and take off. In other words, total deception, pretending like you're letting an anchor down, but really laying the lifeboat down so you can get out that's x 2730. Same idea. Totally pretest totally false, meaning something completely different than than what they say. It's like this. His lips were like honey war was in his heart. That's what the psalmist says. The same thing is true. By the way First Thessalonians two five uses this word and it's translated mask to put on a mask. And do you remember the first service and I mean the service a few weeks ago when SCTA all of a sudden pull up the mask of that ugly who Saddam Hussein character. Okay? You know what that is? That's putting on the mask that's pretending to be something that you're not. That's what these people were. Now, quickly I want you to see the four characteristics of the pro Christ pro Paul movement and go back to Philippians or your I guess I'm the only one that moved. Go back to Philippians chapter one and I want you to see this. He says there's four quick things we'll look at one it says they preach verse 15. Out from Goodwill, see some priesthood envy, rally others out of goodwill, the latter do so in love. So goodwill and love, knowing that I put here for the defense of the gospel. The third thing is they preach with goodwill. They preach with goodwill, the pro Paul pro Christ movement describing those who are totally for the cause of Christ. They preach for Goodwill, verse 15. They preach with love verse 17, they preach with understanding. They understood that Paul was there set, the Woodward set his idea of God's purpose behind it all they saw there weren't Job's counselors, St. Paul, what have you done? They were they understood the big picture. And they saw the post was actually furthering the cause of Christ. And lastly, verse 18. They were truthful look at in relation to pretense or false motives. They were truthful, whether from false motives or true as long as Christ is preached quite a difference between those two. But now, I want you to notice Paul's response. And in this we learn everything. Verse 80. What does it matter? Do you want to actually how you can translate this liquor he goes like this, what other big deal what other? He goes, some of these guys are doing all this to me. They're saying lies about me. They're teaching things Valley they're full of envy. They're full of rivalry. They're pretense. They're phonies, in so many ways. And you know what he says? But what of it just like this? Who cares? You talk about really answering the question, whose side are you on? Think about this, all those who cares? All that doesn't really matter. I rejoice, I will rejoice. I rejoice now. And I will rejoice as I make a delicious choice that I'm going to continue to rejoice in the future. Listen, even though their motives were wrong, they were theologically correct. And Paul rejoice that Christ was being preached. And obviously listen, here's the big lesson. Listen, everybody. Obviously, Paul realized that God uses people who are selfish and wrongly motivated. His gospel is still powerful. You hear me? You preach the gospel of Christ, I heard a man say when I was growing up, you'd have a drunk stand on the street corner and proclaim Christ, people can get saved. Because it's the message more than the messenger. It is the message, the messenger is the vessel. And here Paul says, Hey, I don't care why they're preaching or how they're preaching. I rejoice that they are preaching. And by the way, I want you to see that in comparison to Paul's attitude towards those who taught another gospel, go to Philippians chapter three, and look over when they go to verse two. Look what he says, Watch out for those dogs. Those men who do evil, those mutilated of the flesh. It goes on to say, Who's whose God is their belly. And he absolutely just attacks them in a terrible way. Listen to this stick, go over to Galatians five here and flipping. Just flip back to Galatians. And look at the fifth chapter with me. Galatians chapter five. Paul was addressing these people that were preaching good works along with Christ. In other words, they were preaching another gospel and listen to what he says, verse one of chapter five, it is for freedom that Christ is set us free. Stand firm, then do not let yourselves be burdened down by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words, I Paul tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. I get it clear to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. These people are teaching you gotta keep the law plus believe in Christ. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ, you will fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly wait through the spirit of righteousness which we hope for this Christ Jesus, for it is in Christ. He is neither circumcision, their own circumstances, any value, the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love. Look at verse seven, you were running a good race who cut in on you and kept you from absorbing the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. We get this verse 11 brothers of I'm still preaching circumcision, the Why am I being persecuted verse 12. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way. And emasculate themselves basically is saying This if you want to know what the Bible says the Bible says those people that are teaching circumcision, I wish the knife would slip on themselves. That's the serious attitude. Paul is absolutely focused in in tremendous anger on the book of Galatians. He says, If any man even an angel, Heaven preaches any other gospel in the first chapter, let him be accursed. If they preach any other gospel it'd be accursed. In Second Corinthians, Paul describes the same men as this, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workman masquerading as apostles of Christ. Now also wants you to see, for instance, this in Philippians, chapter one, there were truly preaching the right message, but the wrong motive and Paul says, I rejoice always rejoice as long as Christ is preached. But once you get people to make it even more sincere, when we're preaching a false gospel, he goes after them and rips them apart. Let me ask you something do you see in black and white with no grace? You know, a lot of people think that it's real spiritual to see everything in black and white no grace. Can I tell you that it's very spiritual to see gray? Actually, not gray, but the sea in full color. You see, we, Paul understood that people could disagree with him and still be preaching Christ. He did not listen, he did not write off his enemies unless they were enemies of the cross. You hear that? He did not write off his enemies unless there were enemies of the cross. If they were enemies of the cross, Paul had nothing to do with them, and had tremendous hostility towards them because they were hostile towards Christ. But if they loved Christ, and if they preached Christ, He loves them, even if they hated him. My friends, this is a good test to see who side you really on. Go with me. Keep your hand there. But Go with me to Luke chapter nine. Would you please go with me to Luke chapter nine, I want you to tell you something. Get this if this doesn't hit what Paul is saying right between the eyes. Look here, verse chapter nine, verse 46. And arguments started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you, He is the greatest now, right after that story. Look what happens, verse 49, Master said, John, we saw a man driving our demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he's not one of us. Don't stop him, Jesus said, For whoever is not against you is for you. Now, if you read the passage, a very similar passage in Mark chapter nine, I'll turn there and read it to you. But in Mark chapter nine, he has a little bit of a different ending. He says, don't stop him because we stopped him because he was not one of us. Jesus said, do not stop him. No one does a miracle in my name, can in the next moment, say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. In Luke, He says, You and Mark he says us. And the point is, look, if you're not if they're not, if they're not against us, they're for us. One scholar said this, how often on the other hand, we have seen Christians allow themselves to suspect and frown upon and see no good and certain forms of Christian work, simply because those engaged in them belong to another section of the church. Or because the work was carried on in nodes not recognized and traditions of the elders, very few influences, if any, have acted more powerful against the progress of the kingdom of love, than an evil eye towards each other in the subjects of the king of love. Can you imagine the constant idea? And I know some of you may be saying, Oh, no, no, it's not the word against those other ones. It's just that the we don't want to be a part of them. Well, come on. Why? You see, because somehow we feel we're better than they are. When the Bible teaches later on in Philippians, we are to esteem others better than ourselves. You go to Christian schools and the whole idea is taught that if you're really in the center of God's will you go to this school all those other people they might might possibly could maybe be using the Lord you if you're really living for the glory of God, you will not be easily offended someone 9165 They the robber law says the gist of it is nothing shall offend them. Nothing is gonna offend them. The cause of Christ not our reputation, the interest of others over our own. You know a good illustration of this Luke 923. Benny, man will be my disciple. He must take up his cross daily, deny himself his own evil desires and guess what that means his own reputation and possibly even his own ministry and follow me here The story of the White House we read at the beginning. Is that what's happened to you? If you gotten so involved in a subculture within a subculture that you no longer really care about the cause of Christ, you care more about your own culture. Makes you something. What about Billy Graham? This has got a broader audit. But this time, I think we need to address it. What about Billy Graham? I have heard so many people attack Billy Graham. And so many people say terrible things about Billy Graham. Let's just take the argument and stop. And I know if you're prejudiced and you don't have an attitude of wanting to learn anything this morning, then you're just going to continue on in your own ignorance to hate Billy Graham, probably. I'm not trying to get you to hate Billy Graham or love Billy Graham, I want to just ask you this question. You pull out this passage of Philippians in. Let me ask you a question. There's Billy Graham preached Christ. My friends, he does as your pastor I'm telling you, he does. He preaches Christ clearly. Now, once you know responsibly, but he's got Catholics with him sitting on the pulpit. Let me ask you something. What better place for an unsaved Catholic to be sitting in right in front of her Billy Graham is preaching the gospel. My friends at least do this. If you don't like that, for some reason, shut up about it. At least just do that. Because if he's preaching Christ, I'll tell you something. I know schools and churches they have the whole conference is anti Billy Graham, and they'll speak with Sunday after Sunday about it when he before he comes to that town. He the sow discord among the brethren is the thing that's an abomination before God, my friends, you better be careful. me ask you this. What about a church which is Orthodox in the gospel, but different in many other issues? What about that church? You know what happens? People from fundamental churches, they work alongside the people that maybe are their churches are evangelical, they preach Christ, but there are maybe more on the left or more on the right, but you know what they say? They get this attitude that if you don't go to our church, if you're not one of us, you're just no good. And that's quite a turnoff to a lot of Christians. What about you that are here this morning that have left churches that you consider to be legalistic? Have you written them off? Have you gone to that? They're no good a bunch of baloney and just poured out spewed evil upon them because you're sick of that type of way. I'm gonna tell you something, then you're wrong. Because if they're preaching Christ will rejoice, and will continue to rejoice. Jesus said, there are no you are my disciples by your love one for another. Now, let's put that into First Corinthians 13 Love thinking, no evil. You really say you love other people that are you talking evil about another Christian because they don't quite cross their eye and got their teeth the same way you do. About Matthew, stay where you are just let me read it to you. And it can be more impact. If you just listen to me read it to you, Matthew. Listen to what Jesus said. Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when all the time there's a blink in your own eye, you hypocrite. First take the break out of your own eye, the plank of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye Philippians two, esteem others better than yourself. Romans chapter 14 unity in the midst of diversity, not a super separatist attitude, that of those that are mature and understand that they can eat any meat or to look upon those that are weak and say I won't despise them. Because that's the attitude. By the way. If you if you here today have a bad attitude towards legalistic Christians. The word for you from Philippians 14 Is this Don't despise them. Let God use them and be thankful for them and let's be all pull on the same side of the rope. We've turned this whole thing around we're pulling against each other. Or if you're on the side is that would be I'm using legalistic probably in the wrong way but he'd be on the side where you're wanting to follow a lot of man made rules. Don't judge those that don't have to follow those rules. Just be free enough to say well I still have this conviction and I'll hold to it let's let's do this. You leave here today. A lot of times I tried to really personalize and preach personal wholeness. Let me just say this let's the attitude of the people of College Park church, be one of love. And let's be a people that don't think evil of everybody. And lastly, this. Let's rejoice when Christ is preached. You know what I've said this to you? Before, I don't want us to be an anti abortion church, I want us to be a church that's against abortion. I don't want us to be an anti this or an anti that church, I want us to be a church that is so focused on our leader, Jesus Christ, we are so much he is so far ahead of all the issues streamed down behind him. And we are so locked on in love with him that we can say with the psalmist I'm a friend of all those who love you. And let's be people that truly practice what Jesus said they shall know you are my disciples by your love one for another. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we confess to you that even people in this room including myself, have not practiced what has been preached. We've been quick to judge we've been quick to condemn. We've been quick to look at somebody who doesn't have a view of devotions the way we do and judge them we've been quick to look at somebody who doesn't have some thing that we've become comfortable with and we missed the point where we could we could we have this attitude that Paul had what a gracious what a loving man he was. What does it matter if people attack us? What does it matter if churches declare that we are heretical? If they're preaching Christ's Father, we're for them and help us to practice true Christian love. Like the song Charlotte saying, Father we pour contempt on our pride give us a heart that is so single minded that we would love Jesus and his cause and his people even when they are not loving people back to us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.