The epistle to the Philippians reveals Christ as the central and controlling principle of the Christian life, serving as both the purpose and the pattern for believers. Chapter one emphasizes Christ as the ultimate purpose, with verse 21 stating, "For to me to live is Christ." Chapter two presents Christ as the perfect pattern, urging believers to "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (v. 5). Chapter three highlights Christ as the glorious prize and ultimate goal, "the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (v. 14), while chapter four points to Christ as the empowering source for daily Christian living, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (v. 13). Ultimately, the sermon concludes that receiving Christ is the essential step to living a Christian life with a new purpose, pattern, prize, and power.
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Beloved friends, we welcome you to the ministry of God's precious and His holy word. We welcome you to that book of books, the Bible, which reveals God in Christ to our hearts. By the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we thank God for this wonderful book we can possess. Today we commence a study in that epistle of Christian experience. It was written by Paul the Apostle to the beloved people of God in Christ at the city of Philippi. We call it the epistle to the Philippians.
It is a letter pulsating with Christian joy from the beginning to the end. You'll find the repetition of those words again and again, joy, rejoice and rejoicing. They are so frequently mentioned, the letter could be called the Epistle of Christian Experience, for it denotes to us and reveals what is and should be the normal experience of the Christian life. But let me make a careful discrimination to all my listeners about this fact by saying, we who are Christians We may have to confess at times some experiences of life could not be called Christian experience.
In other words, is there not a distinction between Christian experience and often the experiences of a Christian? Are there not occasions when in humiliation we Christians have to confess certain actions or words that we have spoken? were not Christ-like in their character? So as we study Paul's letter to the Philippians, let us keep in mind that the epistle from the beloved Apostle's heart is one of his own personal testimony, the revelation of what Christ his Lord and Savior was in controlling his life.
Do remember, it is one of the prison epistles Written by Paul when he was a prisoner in Rome. And it shows to us, though he was in prison, for the testimony of his Lord. Nevertheless, he was still enjoying Christian experience. For Christ was the center, as well as the circumference of his life, even there. Shall we not summarize our whole introduction of this? epistle in one word please may I emphasize it the word is Christ for the very simple divisions chapter by chapter in this letter concerned the fact may I give you a very simple outline of the whole epistle emphasizing the teaching of each chapter in chapter one the key verse I'm sure could properly begin be stated verse twenty one for to me to live is Christ revealing the controlling principle
of the Apostles life and what should be the controlling principle of the Christian life of every believer that controlling principle and purpose is Christ what greater what better purpose could a Christian live for than to say truthfully as Paul did for to me to live is Christ in chapter two we have a key verse in verse five where Paul writes let this mind be in you the humble the lowly mind of Jesus let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Here he declares so perfectly the pattern for the Christian to follow. And in the verses that continue, he certainly describes the pattern in detail. How the Lord Jesus lived in his lowly earthly life as he lived in this world, he alone is the perfect pattern or the example for the believer to follow. No other person, whether great or small, good or bad, should ever be the believer's pattern for his or her life while upon the earth. Did you ever sing the old hymn and the words that I now quote from it, my fellow believer, the desire that expresses how we should long to live?
The poet wrote to say, Be like Jesus, this my song, in the home and in the throng. Be like Jesus all day long. I would be like Jesus. What a blessed desire to pattern the life after his lowly, humble life upon the earth. In chapter three and verse fourteen we have another key verse. Paul's saying, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul here declares the ultimate, the final goal, the great prize ahead for the Christian is to be with Christ, his and her Lord in glory above.
To see him. And not to see him as he was upon the earth, but to see him as he is. No longer the lowly man of Nazareth, the despised man and crucified man of Calvary, but to see him glorified, a Christ glorified in heaven above. Did not John the Apostle write, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Note, John did not say, we shall see him as he was. Though that lonely life is the pattern for you and for me to live by, while here upon the earth, The glorious goal and the prize that we shall reach is to see Him in heaven above, glorified, resplendent in glory forever, and exalted in the glorified Christ, the supreme objective and the goal for the believer's life. At the end of it all, the end of life's journey, what is the greatest goal?
Yes, I know many others are looking forward to seeing loved ones, delighted with the prospect which will be reunited with those who've gone before us. But oh, greater than all, is the joy of seeing the Savior himself, the Christ in glory. Then in chapter four we have another key verse. Tis found, I believe, in verse thirteen. where Paul wrote to say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me or who empowers me. May I add, and truly it is right, all through all the believers light upon the earth, in all and through all your circumstances in mind, the strength and the power for Christian living, daily living must be Christ.
I cannot live a Christian life without him. So again, as we summarize, by the way of introduction to this epistle, one precious word, one blessed name, that is the secret of Christian experience. That word and that name is Christ. Let me repeat the outline of the letter again. Chapter one. Christ is the purpose or the principle that controls and should control my Christian life. Chapter two, Christ only is the perfect pattern, the true pattern to follow for my Christian life.
Chapter three, Christ is the prize, the ultimate goal for me to look forward to. at the end of my Christian life. When my life work is ended and I cross the swelling tide and the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side and his smile will be the first to welcome me. I shall know him, I shall know him by the print of the nails in his hand. I shall know him. I shall know him.
Blessed be God, though glorified, the print of his nails in those blessed hands will never remind me of that one who died to save me, now glorified, will receive me to glory too. He's the prize at the end of the Christian life. But let me not forget, whilst chapter four declares it, Christ is the power for my Christian life. Without him, I cannot live the Christian life as he would have me. Perhaps there's some listener that does not have Christ.
No one can live a Christian life until they have Christ. You, my friend, can receive Christ today this very moment and become a Christian. May I say what it means to become a Christian? I quote the words of John in chapter one of his gospel, verse twelve, to as many as received him, to then gave you the power, the right, the privilege, or the authority, to be called the sons or the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. What does it mean to become a Christian? It means I receive Christ, his blessed person.
That is the true meaning of believing. It is not merely a mental agreement concerning him, though certainly there's some truth to believe about him. But I receive him, the very person who died for my sins, and bore the penalty. My beloved, if you're unsaved, why don't you receive him? I do not invite you to join the church. I do not invite you to meet the preacher. I do not invite you to do anything upon the earth. By way of any effort? I say, Will you not open your heart and say, Lord Jesus, I will receive thee as my Savior today.
Then you'll have a new purpose for living. Then you'll have a new pattern for living. Then you'll have a new price for living. Then you'll have a new power to live a Christian life. Oh, blessed Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, by thy Spirit sanctifying and blessed thy word to every believer's heart. and to every unbeliever's heart and soul. For their salvation, we ask, in the Savior's precious name. Amen.