The Best

Written by Ed Allen
Sunday, 10 July 2005 07:36

Sermons - Joy Under Pressure

Sermon Notes

Philippians 1:9-11

    ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ?to the glory and praise of God.

Introduction

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

Sing the ?Hokey Pokey? together!

Is that what it?s all about? Got to be more to it than that, but many of our ideas about what life is really about don?t add up to much more than putting our right hand in and shaking it all about!

I read an article this week that suggested that it?s all about economics. Economics has been defined as the science of choice. Should I spend my money on a new car, or get a used car and a new TV? Should we go to Disney World or do a cheaper beach vacation this year and save the money? Should I invest more in this relationship or should I move on to something new and hopefully better? Should the country buy bullets or butter? What choice is best? And on what basis do I decide?

The Ancient Greek philosophers like Epictetus and Plutarch, for example, are known to have moralized about living out ?what is best? specifically in the context of making choices about life and about faith. Their world certainly did not present the kinds of choices that our world presents on an individual level, but they still had to decide on certain aspects of their life and their faith. What should they believe? How should they handle themselves? What set of morals should they follow? These philosophers urged their followers to search out ?what is best.? And in doing so, they advised them to use all their knowledge and all their discernment.

You can see how Paul?s prayer for the Philippian Christians would have been startlingly familiar and relevant to his disciples. Let?s read Philippians 1:9-11.

Philippians 1:9-11

    ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ?to the glory and praise of God.

Two general observations:

1. Knowledge is not enough.

A. The Greek world admired knowledge.

1. They believed knowledge made you stronger; it built you up.
2. They believed that knowledge was the ingredient necessary to lead a moral ethical life.
3. God says knowledge is necessary, but it?s not enough. In fact, it?s not even what is most important.

B. Paul?s term ?depth of insight? could also be translated ?discernment.? The word is used only here in the NT, but in other ancient Greek literature it often refers to ?moral perception?, or, the ability to know the right action in a given situation. Paul intentionally links this word with knowledge to undercut the Greek reliance on knowledge. Knowledge for knowledge?s sake does not make us stronger people; it does not lead to a moral life.

1. Paul addressed this kind of pursuit in 1 Corinthians 8:1. ?Knowledge puffs up,? he said, ?but love builds up.?
2. Knowledge puffs up. And more to the point, this idea of knowledge-based strength and morality is not really the point at all. Not only does it not work; it?s wrong headed from the outset.
3. In other words, the point of our behavior is not to make ourselves stronger or more moral. The point of our behavior is relationship with other people. The point of our behavior, the point of our lives, is love.

C. Imagine me thinking that I need to be stronger in order to be more likeable. So I ask someone I respect if I should take steroids because it will make me stronger ? They say, ?you?ve missed the point altogether. The point is not to be stronger. The point is to be nicer and more open with others. That will make you more likeable. Its not that you have the wrong answer. You?re asking the wrong question.?

D. This is why Paul prays that their love may abound more and more! Love is the point of our lives ? love for God and love for others.

2. However, if knowledge is not enough; neither is empty-headed love.

A. Love is the point, but Paul knows that love without substance is not really love; it is sentimentality.

1. Sentimentality is not wrong, but it?s not substantial enough to base life choices on. Marriage, for example, needs stronger foundation than mushy feelings. Must be based on more than sentimentality.
2. I?ve known many people over the years whose beliefs are based on sentimentality ? childhood experiences, warm fuzzies at church ? Not enough to sustain them. Does not produce real transformation. Cannot base a life on sentimentality.

B. So Paul prays that the knowledge and discernment that they are so prone to admire will be a part of their belief system.

1. Christian faith is about the right combination of head and heart.
2. Of course, we have to add that this is not any kind of knowledge. The knowledge and discernment of which Paul speaks and for which he prays is knowledge of Christ. This was certainly clear to them from their association with Paul and will become clear to us throughout this letter.

C. In summary, Paul prays that their love ? love for God and for one another, the love which is really the point of our lives ? would grow larger and larger as it is appropriately supplemented by knowledge of Christ and a deeper understanding of his character and will.

What is the result of pursuing this knowledge-reinforced love?

1. What is the result? First of all, we will know what is best.

A. Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

B. Jeans example: Schwartz was overwhelmed by all the jeans options.

C. According to Schwartz, too much choice leads to:

1. Wasted time spent making choices
2. Psychological burden of choice-making rises
3. Psychological cost of commitment rises
4. Disappointment at not having the best rises

D. How do we navigate through the maze of choices? How do we discern what is best?

1. Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Matthew 6:33
3. Both same essentially the same thing as Paul?s prayer. Pursue God! Pursue the path of love abounding in knowledge and depth of insight.
4. This pursuit must be the controlling influence in our lives ? it must be a daily governor for our lives. Imagine that you could go without food but you knew you would consistently make better decisions if you ate. Would you eat regularly?

2. The result? Secondly, abounding, knowledge informed love results in a life that is pure and blameless.

A. How does this work? How does a life of love abounding in knowledge and discernment lead to purity?

1. Thought of the years that I struggled with anxiety. One of the things that helped me was exercise. Caused me to focus; strain out distractions.
2. Abounding love has same effect spiritually. It clarifies, it centers us.

B. Imagine ? no more shame, no more fear ? pure and blameless.

3. The result? Thirdly, our lives will bear the fruit of relationship with God.

A. See Paul?s phrase ?filled with the fruit of righteousness.?

B. Galatians 5:22-23

C. This is what the lives of abounding lovers looks like.

4. The happy final result of all of this is that others are brought into an abounding loving relationship with God.

A. This is what Paul means by ?to the glory and praise of God.?

B. Listen to how Eugene Peterson translates this passage in the Message.

Philippians 1:9-11 (from The Message)

⁹ So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings ¹⁰ so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: ¹¹ bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.