Framework of a Call to Unity

The point: Recognize that your feet will not walk as they ought unless your head and heart are drinking in the realities of lofty Christian doctrines.

This metaphor illustrates that true Christians have a deep understanding of doctrine (head and heart in the clouds) which grounds their practical obedience (feet firmly embedded in the soil).

We must recognize that here in this passage is set before us this very vital truth that the most profound doctrines of the Christian faith ooze with the most practical demands and implications for Christian conduct. In other words, the Bible describes a true Christian as a person whose head and whose heart are in the clouds, but whose feet are firmly embedded in the soil of the practical concerns of obedience to the will of God. And according to biblical teaching, a man's feet will not, cannot walk as they ought, unless his head and his heart are where they ought to be. And unless a man's head...

3:45 - 5:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He delves into the first part of the framework for Paul's call to unity, explaining that Paul appeals to the assumed existence of specific spiritual realities and experiences…

This story illustrates how a general motivates his proven troops by appealing to their existing love of country, patriotism, and desire for honor, mirroring Paul's appeal to the Philippians' existing spiritual realities.

If we're to understand what the apostle is doing in verse 1 and 2a it will help us to understand and perhaps to think of a couple of illustrations that I'll try to set before you. Imagine with me now you kids listen carefully because you can relate to this I'm sure that there's a field general who has some cracked troops who have proven themselves again and again in the worst the most intense and arduous situations of battle and hand to hand combat. Now there's a very strategic battle ahead and so the field general gathers this group in a crack fighting outfit around him having laid out the fa...

25:33 - 27:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He delves into the first part of the framework for Paul's call to unity, explaining that Paul appeals to the assumed existence of specific spiritual realities and experiences…

This illustration depicts a dying father appealing to his children's respect, gratitude, and confidence in his love to motivate them towards family unity, paralleling Paul's appeal to the Philippians' spiritual experiences and relationship with him.

No no he's assuming each one of them exists and what he's doing is he's reaching as it were his finger into the hooks in their heart and he's saying if I'm going to draw their hearts into this battle I'm going to find all the hooks I can he knows that patriotism burns in their breast he knows there is love of country love of wife love of children love of honor and so he says if if if if then he summons them to their throne to their task now look at Philippians 2.1 if there is therefore here's the general with his crack troops at Philippi and he's going to summon them to a noble Christian task ...

27:45 - 29:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be 'silly enough' to believe that a Christian ought to be motivated for one thing alone (e.g., the glory of God), but embrace the multiplicity of biblical motives.

This quote from an unnamed author emphasizes the powerful and compelling nature of Paul's persuasive framework for his call to unity.

ah but you see it wasn't merely a human tie for the way we treat the servants of Christ who are united to him is regarded by Christ as the way we treat him inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my little ones you have done it unto me so when Paul says make full my joy he's not speaking as a private individual or one who is detached from Christ I the apostle who with you is joined to Christ and your desire to advance my joy is tantamount to advancing the joy of my Lord to whom I am joined and your insensitivity to my joy is your spiritual father is insensitivity to the joy of my L...

48:26 - 49:55 Read in full sermon