Posted July 18, 2011
Can the simple word “hi” change someone’s life? Yes it can.
This weekend the Grace Church family was deeply sadden to learn of the passing of Roy Wall, a founding member of our church and dear friend to countless people in the community. Roy was the pristine gentleman, with a kind smile, firm handshake, genuine interest in others and a love for all things UNC Tar Heels. There was honestly not a Sunday that went by when Roy and I were present in which we didn’t shake hands, say “hi” and exchange a barb or two about ACC sports (I being a rabid NC State fan… yes, his was the easier of the conversations).
That was my reality for almost 22 years. On Sunday morning Roy would walk in, extend his hand, say “hi there young fellow…” and then a short conversation would ensue. The conversations were rarely deep, the conversations were rarely long, the conversations rarely mentioned anything other than sports… but they were always genuine.
The best part about my interactions with Roy was that I grew to love these conversations as a teenager. As small as they were, these conversations simply conveyed that an adult (other than my parents and youth pastors who, let’s face it, had to love me) cared. He cared enough to ask me what I thought about his favorite team. He cared enough to share a story or two. He cared enough to congratulate me on the rare occasion when NC State did emerge victorious. And it was a care that I looked forward to every Sunday morning from age 12 until age 33.
I find it remarkable that in an age and society that is constantly conveying that image, radical-ness, loudness, hipness, edginess, extremeness and slickness are all what defines “being cool,” it was a simple southern gentleman who I found among the coolest of all. As a youth pastor, I’ve heard so many adults say that they don’t know how to relate to teens, don’t know how to reach the next generation, don’t know how to connect with kids. Take a simple lesson from our dear, late Roy Wall. Just say “hi.” It has the power to change a life. Roy, after all, changed mine.
Thank you Roy,
Jeremy Gwaltney
Staff Pastor
Grace Church of Chapel Hill
Posted March 14, 2011
UNSHAKABLE – THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
Philippians 2
Jeremy Gwaltney
March 13, 2011
I. INTRODUCTION
a. Disneyland
b. Attitude changes your experience
c. Today:
• Look at our Passage
• Look at Jesus’ Attitude in Suffering
• Look at God’s Response to Jesus’ Attitude
d. Prayer
II. WHERE PAUL IS GOING
a. Paul is working to tell the Philippians how their lives and attitudes must be changed in the Gospel.
b. Section begins in Philippians 1:27-30 where Paul says…
29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. – Philippians 1:29-30
c. Sections reaches its key point in Philippians 2:14-15 where Paul says…
14Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, — Philippians 2:14-15
d. The sections has a beginning premise and ending conclusion.
e. Beginning premise – what can your conflict experience look like (Phil 2:1-3):
• Peaceful
• Loving
• Affectionate
• Joyful
• Lacking rivalry
• Lacking hatred
• Full of the Holy Spirit
• Encouraging
• Unified
• Giving of Significance
f. Ending conclusion – this is what it looks like to shine as lights in conflict (i.e. to be unshakable) (Phil 2:12-18):
• Obedient
• No grumbling
• No questioning
• Blameless of guilt
• A dependence and richness in the Word of God
• Fulfillment
• Rewarding
g. To me, this looks impossible.
• Me in trial…
h. What in the link?
• Philippians 2:4-11 – where Paul discusses the attitude of Christ that can change our experience of conflict and trial.
i. What does this attitude look like?
III. FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS’ ATTITUDE IN TRIAL
a. Read Philippians 2:1-11
4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:4-11
b. #1 – Jesus Was Motivated by His Father’s Interests or Happiness:
4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus… to the glory of God the Father – Philippians 2:4-5, 11b
• The rest of the passage, Philippians 2:5-11 is a demonstration of how to do Philippians 2:4
• “This” in verse 5 refers to Phil. 2:4
• Paul is going to demonstrate that Jesus’ motivation for enduring hardship was the interests of God the Father.
• How does Jesus increase glory and happiness of a happy God?
1. More worshippers!
• Here’s a shocker for you: We are going to find out that the Father and Son’s end motivation was to increase there own happiness.
1. “not only for your interests…”
• How did they do this?
c. #2 – Jesus Willingly Made Himself Nothing (Denied His Rights) in Suffering:
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. – Philippians 2:5-7
• “Form of God”
1. Same in essence, distinct in person
• “A thing to be grasped”
1. As God he had all the rights, privileges and riches of heaven.
2. But he chose not to use that as his right or advantage in order to get out of what had to be done for the salvation of humanity.
3. What did he do?
• “He made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant”
1. “servant” = slave
d. #3 – Jesus Willingly Humbled Himself to the Point of a Criminal’s Death
8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:8
• Hendricksen points out the severity of Jesus’ humiliation:
1. Obedience: The burden of the Law, instead of the favor of the Law
a. Hendricksen: While still in heaven no burden of guilt rested upon him. But at his incarnation he took this burden upon himself and began to carry is away. – p. 107
2. Poverty: The poverty of a carpenter’s son, instead of the riches of heaven
a. Hendricksen: So poor was he that he was constantly borrowing: a place of birth (and what a place!), a house to sleep in, a boat to preach from, an animal to ride on, a room to institute the Lord’s Super, and finally a tomb to be buried in. Moreover, he took upon himself a debt, a very heavy debt. His debt, voluntarily assumed, was the heaviest that was incurred by anyone. On so deeply in debt is surely poor! – p. 108
3. A Criminal’s Death: The suffering and shame of the death on the cross, instead of the pain-free existences of a heavenly reality
a. Crucifixion was for the worst of the worst – especially rebellious slaves.
b. The complete rejection of fellowship with the Father, instead of the face-to-face intimacy he had eternally enjoyed.
e. #4 – Jesus Allowed the Results of His Suffering to be Determined by God the Father:
8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God… — Philippians 2:8-9a
• Notice that upon mentioning the death of Christ, Paul does not go into what happens next from Jesus’ perspective.
• Rather, he says “Therefore, God…”
• The force is that Jesus entered trial, suffered and died and then left the results of his obedience and faithfulness in trial up to God the Father.
IV. GOD’S RESPONSE TO JESUS’ ATTITUDE IN SUFFERING
a. #1 – God Vindicates Jesus’ Trial:
9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name… — Philippians 2:9
• God vindicates Jesus!
• Its interesting, Jesus in this passage does two actions:
1. He makes himself nothing
2. He humbles himself
• The Father also does two actions:
1. He highly exalts
2. He bestows a name
• The force of the text is that God is rewarding Jesus in exact proportion to the measure of His trial.
• There is NO action that Jesus did in enduring the Cross that God the Father does not vindicate him for!
b. #2 – God the Father and Jesus both Increased there Glory (their interests) by Exalting the Other (the other’s Interests):
10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:10-11
• What was the purpose of God exalting Jesus?
1. Every knee bow, every tongue confess = Jesus is glorified
• What was the purpose of Jesus humbling himself?
1. The glory of God the Father.
• Notice how this works:
1. The Goal (chief motivation) of Jesus was his Father’s interests (to glorify God the Father). The result, Jesus is glorified (his happiness increases).
2. The Goal (chief motivation) of God the Father was Jesus’ interest (be exalted and given a name). The result, God the Father is glorified (his happiness is increased).
• Therefore, God the Father and God the Son are fulfilling Philippians 2:4
• The ultimate increase in their glory (happiness/interest) is found in increasing the glory (or happiness/interests) of the other.
• Notice also, who is shining as lights? God and the Son! (Phil. 2:15)
• This is where the Unshakable Perspective Comes In – it Adopts the Attitude of Christ.
V. THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
a. The Unshakable Perspective (the Attitude of Christ): God will vindicate me because God is seeking His highest glory. Therefore, my job is to posture myself in such a way that allows God to achieve maximum glory.
b. The Power: The trial ceases to become about you, and becomes about the glory of God!
c. When we focus on the glory of God, we increase our happiness, we experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and we shine as lights because God will vindicate us.
d. The attitude motivates us to do what Jesus did:
• To focus on the interests of God
• To empty ourselves of our perceived rights
• To take the humble road
• To trust God with the outcome.
VI. APPLICATION
a. Sickness or Disease
• Is healing your right, or are you seeking God’s glory through both healing and endurance?
b. Conflict with another Christian
• Have you examined the conflict with the unshakable perspective?
• Are you willing to humble yourself for the sake of peace?
• This is what Paul commands Euodia and Syntyche
• “agree” is the same word for “attitude” in Phil. 2:5
c. Relationships – Wife, Husband
• Do you serve your spouse by actually placing their interests ahead of your with no strings attached?
• Paul will later compare the same actions of Jesus in Phil. 2:4-11 as Jesus serving his bride, the church.
• Husbands do we do this?
• Happy wife = happy husband!
d. Example of Dad
VII. GRACE AND RED BAG
a. What Paul commands here is an impossible thing, that is why he begins the passage with “participation in the Spirit” (2:1) and ends it with Phil. 2:13
13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. – Philippians 2:13
b. Gordon Fee – “We are not called upon simply to “imitate God” by what we do, but to have the very mind, the mind of Christ, developed in us…”
c. That’s an impossible task unless the Grace of God is at work in us.
d. Let’s ask for God to work in us to will and do his good pleasure amidst the trial of life.
e. Red Bag:
• There might be someone here who wants to experience the peace, joy, love, affection and fulfillment Jesus offers us in trial, but you aren’t sure that you even know who Jesus really is or if you have a relationship with him.
• You can’t have this peace, joy, love, affection, and fulfillment unless you know the one who gives us the unshakable attitude to experience these things.
• RED BAG
f. Pray
Posted January 5, 2011
The turn of the year is always a time when we think about life improvement – how can I get better? Usually we think in terms of weight and exercise, but its also a great time to think about our spiritual health. I wasn’t a natural reader growing up (in fact my parents usually were either bribing me or enforcing me to read). But over the years, and especially after seminary, I’ve grown to love reading and increasingly see the value of good books in my life. I would encourage you to do the same.
Here are a list of books in different topic interests (with price points) that is worth adding to any reading list. Pick one or two, and make it a resolution this year to read one.
Christian Classics ($10-$20 price range):
The Cross of Christ – John Stott
I’ve often said you should read anything written by John Stott. He’s loving called the protestant Pope in academic circles. This is his best. Few books describe the necessity of Jesus’ death and its application to all the universe as well as this book. Its a must read for any Christian, and a book that will be read by many Christians 100 years from now.
Knowing God – J. I. Packer
This is a great read for someone looking to increase their knowledge and relationship with God, but don’t feel attracted to a formal theology book. It is simple and easy to read, but profound and deep in its content. Like “The Cross of Christ” above, it is a must read and a book that will be read 100 years from now.
Modern and Simple Theological Reads ($9-$20 range)
Pleasures Evermore – Sam Storms
This book has probably done more to impact my spiritual thinking than any other book outside of the Bible. It explains how our relationship with God is primarily about our pleasure because “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him.” Yes, it is theological, but it is accessible and easy to read.
What Jesus Demands of the World – John Piper
In this book Dr. Piper examines every command of Jesus in the New Testament. The result is a well-rounded perspective of the Son of God. Any misunderstandings of exactly what Jesus demands, what he offers and how it impacts our lives are gone after reading these pages. As a plus, the chapters are usually only 4-10 pages long, so it makes for very accessible reading; especially for people who might only have a few minutes a day to read.
The Calvary Road – Roy Hessian
I read this book every two years or so. It has a simple message on how Jesus’ life and death is to impact our lives. Pride, self-centeredness, stubbornness, and sin will all be confronted but in a loving and positive way that makes you eager to become more like Jesus. As a bonus, the book is less than 150 pages.
Modern Life-Changers ($10-$15)
Radical Reformission – Mark Driscoll
“We are all missionaries, the question is are we a good or bad one.” This book by Driscoll really challenges the notion the evangelism is something we do, instead of an outworking of who we are. Driscoll discusses how the Gospel is supposed to affect the whole person so that we can’t help but be engaged in the mission that God has called his people to. It is challenging, insightful and practical in its application. Driscoll is both an edgy and funny author, and the book is a lot of fun to read.
Crazy Love – Francis Chan
When we’ve really been impacted by the crazy love of God – one where God’s Son leaves the glories of heaven to die the most brutal death possible for his enemies, us – how can we not respond with crazy love for Christ? In this book, Chan confronts many of the conflicts between normal Christianity and the cultural American dream. However, Chan does it in a gracious way that always keeps the attractiveness of the glory of God as the main focus. Worth the read, but your life can’t help but change if you do.
Intense Theological Reads ($25-$40 range)
NOTE – these books are not for the faint of heart. While a theological education is not necessary to grasp onto the powerful theological truths in their pages, a deep and abiding interest in God’s Word and ways is necessarily to make it through the 500 plus pages of often meticulous details. Very worth the read, but it is reading that is work.
The Mission of God – Christopher Write
This is quickly becoming a theological classic among scholars. It’s central focus is concerning the universal nature of the Gospel. God’s mission was written in His character, and the Gospel is about the redemption of man first and the redemption of the world as a result. Write walks his thesis through both the Old and New Testaments in great details, and then spends a number of chapters applying the Mission of the Gospel of God not only to our personal redemption, but also to issues of social justice, environmentalism, ethics, etc. Great read.
The Meaning of the Pentateuch – John Sailhamer
This is one of the most comprehensive books about the first five books of the Bible available. While it is not a commentary, it goes into great detail about the history of interpretation, the composition, and the theology of the books of Moses. Sailhamer’s treatment of the Law, Covenant, Sacrifices, and the coming Messiah has been revolutionary to modern Old Testament studies. While the book is technical and very detailed, John has an amazingly easy writing style that is very pleasant to read — all 620 pages of it!
