No Room for Superstars - Philippians 1:27

This is to be the same team where the businesswoman invites a housewife the coffee where a homeschooling mom developed a friendship with the wife of a public school principal where the child must pray for parents where the CRO serves as an usher. Where were PhD errors, attend an adult Bible Fellowship class taught by a college dropout to the church is a living demonstration of grace we know perfectly, but we should live differently side-by-side for the sake of the gospel. Our unity is based on our faith even though there may be all sorts of things that are different about us today on wisdom for the hard Stephen Dave. He is teaching us some of the implications of Paul's command that we strive side-by-side for the sake of the gospel we live in an age when Christian celebrities get all the applause we tend to hold certain people in higher regard than others. In today's lesson Stephen warns us to change that kind of thinking. This lesson is called no room for superstars pierced down the final paragraph of this chapter were in Philippians chapter 1 he drives home the main point of his entire letter. In fact, we began to unpack that main idea in our last study together. Let's go back to verse 27 of chapter 1 where Paul writes only that is, keep this in mind. Now this one thing conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear that. Is he saying that I may hear this about several Paul is about to deliver several aspects of good conduct worthy of the gospel in the first one we covered last words they are studying and that is is. He says I want to hear about you that you are committed to repairing this unifying spirit notices is that I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, standing firm is a word that Paul uses and provides a word picture is a metaphor for an army unified as one source strength in unified numbers for strength in numbers, especially in unified numbers which is why, of course, the enemy attempts to deceive and distract and ultimately divide and conquer, discourage, derail the church, unified advances, the gospel.

So first Paul writes where to stand firm in one spirit, which by the way, means that you stay alert for any form of disunity to seek to repair us. The first aspect of living a life worthy of the gospel of Christ worthy of your citizenship, belonging to the kingdom of God that there are two more aspects in this final paragraph were going to cover one more today. Paul effectively writes, I don't want to hear that you are repairing a dish unifying spirit. I also want to hear secondly that you are rejecting a disengaging attitude towards you refuse to live and act and worship in isolation. That is just going to be about you notice the last part of verse 27, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

I find it interesting. Paul uses again another word picture for Ozzie changes his metaphor from that of an army standing firm to that of a team and athletic team specifically working together towards striving together there in the text will look at that more in a moment.

His last phrase here Paul is effectively describing his defining teamwork and the teamwork of a local church that we look closely at only the word picture. But this phrase, we can break it down and in so doing break down his definition of what it means to be a good teammate to give them to you. First of all, Paul emphasizes that the team is committed to the same desire. Paul emphasizes the church is moving for notice with one mind. That's the word Sue K you can translate it sold why Sue K. One linguist writes that this word here in this context indicates the mind or the salt is the seat of sensation passion, desire, so a team that that works together as good teammates with good teamwork is literally someone Sue K1 sensation one desire.

They are one psyche course.

The team that works well together is exactly this we think about it even today we use the expression that team is psyched up for the game than one mind and one passion before the football game perhaps is afternoon here.

Why do unifying men jumping up and down on the sidelines and captains yelling out this chair Maryellen it back to him and 300 pounds and more holding hands like little schoolchildren as they cheer together. They are side for the game as they played together by the way pros the competing individual sporting events will tell you one of those difficult parts of their game is that very fact they are acting as individuals are playing alone. What an incredible advantage to play in partnership with other teammates who have the same psyche that is the same desire in our culture today. We might look at a team as a team dedicated the one desire that one desires going to be scoring the goal or putting the puck in the net or a soccer ball in the net it might be bringing one more player than the opposing team across home plate and everything about that team it's management it's budget its strategy is designed ultimately to get one more player than the other team to touch home plate OR one desire which would be the score a touchdown. Everything is concentrated to see that happen, and Paul by the way, flows from that world and says here you go to church here is your passion, here's a demonstration of your desire. How excited we get about that. I love I love coming together with you being excited about the rehearsal of what we believe about the gospel pulses. That's the church one mind imagine for just a moment what this is going to mean in impacting their lives individually forever impact anybody else's life. Different accents different different nations of origin different backgrounds different education church, as Paul puts it, is living in a manner that reveals we belong to the same king the same kingdom and this little outpost. This particular when hear the same local church. We belong to each other of being a Christian doesn't mean they were to live perfectly but it should mean that we live differently different. Imagine how the original charter members of the church of Philippi acted differently if I can just for moment take you back to that introduction of this letter were Paul and Silas go to Philippi first time the gospel reaches there and they ultimately plant a church, and you may remember that the first convert is a successful business woman named Lydia immediately opens up her palatial home, which is the place for the church will meet for the worship service. It is an long after that that that a slave girl who's been demonized controlled by demons that Paul deliver her from which she's become a new believer because this little demonized young lady is no longer any benefit to her fortune-telling Masters. Her masters accuse Paul and Silas of spreading revolutionary through this and has them arrested. You may know, of course, what happens in that jail cell. At midnight Paul and Silas are singing right in God shakes that prison and all other chains fell off.

Ultimately, the prison warden and his family who hears and believes the gospel are say now think about this. How in the world is a polished wealthy business woman ever gonna relate to former demonized young lady in our either one of these women relate to a prison warden with his family lives in the city jail.

There is your church plant can be any different, but they demonstrate the fact that they not only joined the same family, but there playing on the same team with the same love and desire for the gospel. That's what happens. Any team in the athletic world is made up of all sorts of talent and skill background size and weight and training focus but have the same Sue K. Same desire the same passion to advance the glory and gospel of Christ is the local church.

With so many people committed to one mind to how we get along how we doing this is to be the same team where a white collar dying in a blue-collar guy can sacrificially give and pray toward the same goal where the Mexican and the Portuguese can serve together where the white man in the black man can pray together in the same Bible study where the businesswoman invites a housewife the coffee where homeschooling mom developed a friendship with the wife of a public school principal, where an old man determines to understand the young man where the young man decides to place value in the old where the single adult appreciates the churches ministries.

The couple where the childless pray for parents where the widow volunteers in the nursery where the CRO serves as an usher, where the drummer thanks God for the violinist to stretch where the violinist thanks God for the drummer. Where were PhD years attended an adult Bible Fellowship class taught by a college dropout to the church is a living demonstration of grace we don't live perfectly, but we should live differently because of the grace we received this as being of one Sue K1 demotion one desire that the team secondly the team is not only committed to the same desire, but a team is moving in the same direction.

This is where Paul specifically uses this metaphor of athletics for this phrase which set my mind racing along this path notices he writes with one mind striving together. That word does work striving together as one compound original word. Soon after, Leo. Soon the prefix with side-by-side at the lotto which gives us our word athletics athlete compound word provides than the word picture in the mind of Paul.

The team of athletes working together and this gives us the concept then of teamwork that one linguist and is in his wonderful language work published this year by the name Stephen Runge he translate this doing something side-by-side good picture of teamwork. Paul is encouraging the church to act as a team moving with the same desire in the same direction which is good for the team to do right be moving toward the same goal. One commentator called selfless solidarity, pleasant term for the church to be selfless solidarity demonstrating team effort teamwork is not forget team spirit. When I thought about this metaphor, just probable legs up on my desk at home and begin to think through ways.

Paul would've viewed first century athletic teams and what would relates across the centuries and really it's timeless relationships, analogies, begin to think what is it what is it mean to be a good teammate. Several things came to my mind. First, the good teammate offers ongoing encouragement even when you're not doing all that well I'm in on the basketball court.

I got principal three-pointer and it swishes his opponent is not going to stop ago if it was a great hot while we high-five no opponents don't do that teammate instruct me. Secondly, that a good teammate is willing to cheer from the bench might not be the starter.

He might be the backup quarterback and those guys. By the way, if I watch a game impressed me because I get the headphones on her by the coach and they call a timeout. The starting quarterback comes out in this guys right there encouraging. That's tough to do that when it cheer somebody on I can remember in middle school, playing on the school basketball team.

I wasn't starter to short.

I was what you would call the sixth man what that meant was, as soon as the point guard got tired needed a break or if he wasn't doing all that well. Coach would yell David get in there. So what you think.

I was thinking on the bench about that starting guard.

He put up a shot switch way to go panties on fire on that good teammate years from the bench. Another volcano I might a good teammate understands as I've said earlier say this way that the word us is more important than the word me there playing on a team and you knew one of those guys or gals is all about them.

Further, a good teammate recognizes that every position on the team is critical in just their position defense is as critical as offense, they usually don't get despite the football in the enzyme that glorious moment, but without them, the offense would never get the chance. Here's another good teammate sacrifices his comfort for the advancement of team's unit is in a slug it out sweated out players role. Give everything is God. Many of you going to do that today. For the sake of this team.

Sacrifice your own comfort and convenience serve in some way. Many regarding one more good teammate is willing to accept the assignment of his coach when we're to be writes not everyone can be a captain or quarterback. Every player can be a wide receiver or three-pointer or the Stryker on the second someone is coach them trained them, evaluated them and assigned them to the position they play and they willingly play the role in this analogy.

God trains equips and assigns. He has designs and makes assignments so that we play a role on the team. He's equipped us.

He's trained us. He's prepared us. He continues to work in us and wants to use said he assigns us on the playing field so it is God's assignment. Then there are no such thing. There's no such thing as promotions in the church. The church is not a ladder I'm going to climb my way out. Wherever Rob happens to be.

That's the world out there not the church will use the analogy of the human body to stress this point as he tells the Corinthian church that every part of the body is an assignment from God that helps the body to function. Some parts are out of sight some visible he writes it this way, let me take time just read a few verses he says it this way for the body is not one parts or member, but many if the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand I'm not a part of the body is not any less a part of the body and of the year should say I'm not and I about a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye wear with the hearing date and if the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be known as nobody is volunteering to be in those who wants to be.

And now those I want to be. I see only action cannot be any action only a foot discovered I would be there in the middle of it.

Here's the point to keep in mind Paul writes to the Corinthians, this but now God has placed the members each one of them in the body just as he desired. That's why you're serving were your servant.

Ultimately it's God's desire to stop vying to be a hand of God made you an ear stop trying to be and I if God is prepared you and assigned you to be a foot come to terms with what God has been and is doing in your life as I thought about this middle school years.

I couldn't help but remember, in fact, I remember rightly being upset with God's design.

Short and skinny, still skinny, but I'm not sure Frankie the neighborhood bully would pummel me back. One time my mother had to rescue me as he pummeled me in front of all the neighborhood kids that took years to to to to grow out of to get over counseling seminary.

The whole thing so that I could go to the past, not long after getting pummeled by Frankie. I saw an advertisement about bodybuilding powder yet.

Is that whatever you were drinking. I know some you guys done that to what admitted the big canister at a picture on it with a guy flexing his biceps, and I knew is a middle score that was what my life was missing. So, my sweet mother went along every night for several months, made me a milkshake and added this powder so that I could put on weight. It look like sawdust. It felt like sawdust and it tasted like salt. I never gained 1 pound and I finally gave it up as a child part of maturing in part of growing up is coming to terms with how God made you and for some of us it's a tough time. Same is true spiritual spiritual growth is coming to terms with the way God equipped you and gifted you assigned you, but to remind you, here's the good news.

God did the equipping. God did the planning. God does the assigning and every assignment is critical to the team as we move together in the same direction side-by-side with the same desire to advance the gospel of the glory of Christ, so team and teamwork in the words of Paul's metaphor athletes together number one were committed to the same desire this one mine one suit they were moving in the same direction striving together. Thirdly, a team is delivering the same declaration look at the last part of verse 27, striving together for the faith of the gospel. This phrase for the faith of the gospel appears only here in this form. In the New Testament and in the it's difficult to nail exactly down what Paul has in mind.

He probably has everything in mind them about the to give you but Paul might have in mind the idea of striving together as we as we have placed our faith in the gospel or striving together for the faith which is the gospel or our faith generates sores generated by the gospel might have all of these in mind so knowers as a church we are committed to the same desire. We are moving together in the same direction to declare and deliver to our world the same gospel which is by faith alone gospel which produces faith, the gospel which is the result of faith a gospel that reinforces our faith and by the way inside doing this is where we get into trouble because the world may not necessarily appreciate our declaration of one gospel bio I get a little queasy when I hear church leaders out there and I read statements by church leaders talking about many faith, beloved, there are not many face there is one faith, everything else is tragic speculation there not many lords there's one true and living Lord that's gonna lead us next lords day. Lord willing into this third aspect of what it means to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. Paul called it the gospel of Christ in Galatians 172 Timothy. He said we have been entrusted by this glorious gospel of God. First Timothy 111 so the church is effectively a team effort to deliver and declare to our world, saving gospel faith in Jesus Christ.

We don't hedge that we don't compromise we been told to deliver. Paul is already in effect told the Philippian church that they are going to share in his reward his gospel ministry there in a different location with a praying foreman there supporting him. Paul views himself along with Philippian church is effectively being on a team together delivering the gospel of grace.

Let's refuse the temptation to disengage.

Don't buy into the insanity of our world living for yourself in the church serving yourself the church focusing on yourself church ever accomplish anything to gain. You have an appointment to fill.

Where is as we as a church demonstrate teamwork which is commitment. We are committing the same desire when my moving in the same striving to delivering to our world the same declaration as the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes were marked more by strife than by striving together, but with God's help. Let's commit to biblical teamwork.

This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stevens currently working his way through a series from Philippians 1, entitled moving forward in the lesson you just heard is called no room for superstars. If you'd like to listen to this lesson again. We posted it to our website which is wisdom online.I also want to make sure you know about our smart phone app you can install the wisdom for the heart and to your iPhone or android device and take the ministry of wisdom for the hard where ever you go will be back tomorrow so be with us here on wisdom of the heart