Standing Fast in One Spirit

In one paragraph

The pastor preached from Philippians 1:27-30, the next stop in First Baptist Jackson's five-year chronological study of the New Testament. He admitted he had planned to move through these verses quickly to get to Philippians 2, which he called his favorite scripture, but was surprised by how much was packed into them. The passage turned out to be a complete argument for what a healthy body of...

Read together

1. Philippians 1:27-30 main passage for the sermon, read and expounded throughout
2. Philippians 1:1-2 greeting to all the saints in Philippi, used to establish the collective 'y'all' theme
3. Philippians 1:6 he who has begun a good work in you will complete it, reframed as addressed to the group collectively
4. Philippians 1:21 for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain, referenced as last week's message
5. Philippians 4:1 implied in discussion of stand fast, and citizens of heaven
6. 1 Thessalonians walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory
7. Colossians 1 walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work
8. Ephesians 4:1 walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
9. Galatians 5:1 stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage
10. Ephesians 6:13-14 put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand fast, with belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness
11. 1 Corinthians 1:18 the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those being saved it is the power of God
12. Ephesians 1:1 Paul named apostle by the will of God
13. Ephesians 2:8-9 salvation is by grace through faith, a gift of God, so that no one should boast
14. Ephesians 2:10 we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works established beforehand

Talk about it

1. The pastor pointed out that there are no singular 'yous' in Philippians, and that Paul was writing to a group rather than to individuals. How does reading familiar verses like 'he who has begun a good work in you will complete it' as a collective promise change how you hear them?
2. The pastor said that when he first looked at Philippians 1:27-30 he was planning to get through it quickly because he was eager to get to chapter two, but that God surprised him with how much was there. When have you found something in scripture more rewarding than you expected, and what opened it up for you?
3. The word the pastor highlighted, 'sunathlontes', carries the idea of competing on the same team rather than against each other. Where do you see Christians, whether in this church or more broadly, competing against each other instead of striving together for the faith of the gospel?
4. The pastor described suffering as a gift that has been graciously granted, not just something to be endured, and pointed to Paul in prison, Corrie ten Boom, and the martyrs in orange jumpsuits as examples of suffering that advanced the gospel. How does that framing sit with you, and does it change how you think about difficulty in your own life?
5. The pastor closed by changing his regular question from 'would you rather God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience' to 'would you rather God work through your striving together or in spite of your indifference.' What would it look like practically for you to move from indifference to active striving alongside this congregation?