Jump directly to the Content
Jump directly to the Content

Sermons

Home > Sermons

Where's the "Gift Return" Receipt?

How to appreciate the gift of suffering
This sermon is part of the sermon series "Harmony and Humility in the Church". See series.

Introduction

Let's suppose there's a small town on the edge of Iraq, near the Saudi border. Let's call the town Mosel. It's a small community with no other towns within 30 or 40 miles.

Let's suppose this town unexpectedly captures Osama bin Laden as he tries to slip into his Saudi homeland. The town leaders immediately contact our commanding general in Iraq to come take him away. He does, and before long bin Laden is taken into custody to await trial.

The United States government is so grateful to this town that the president makes a trip to meet with Mosel's leaders. He rewards them with improvements to their community: roads, schools, electricity, and air-conditioning. Some of their brightest young men and women are brought to the United States for education in our finest universities. One of them earns a PhD in geology, returns to his hometown of Mosel, and discovers the largest pool of underground oil on the planet. Nobody knew it was there, but there's a vast subterranean lake of oil, dwarfing any other known source of oil in the world.

The town leaders again contact the United States. "How would the United States like to enter into a direct and exclusive agreement with Mosel to have sole access to all this oil at bargain prices? We'll sell it to you for just half the world market price." Suddenly there's the possibility that all of our energy needs will be met forever, and that the price of gas will drop down to 40 cents per gallon!

The vice president proposes that the U.S. should offer to make Mosel the 51st state of the United States of America. Then America could deal with Mosel as one of its states. They could station troops there permanently, build all the pipelines and refineries they needed, and make sure things are environmentally safe. They could do anything they wanted because Mosel would belong to them.

That means the people of Mosel would be U.S. citizens. They'd elect senators and representatives; they'd get Social Security; they could come to the mainland any time they wanted to. The American Bill of Rights would protect them: they'd have freedom of speech, they'd be innocent until proven guilty, and all laws would apply to them—property, inheritance, voting. They'd be full citizens of the United States.

So the President makes another trip to Mosel and asks them, "How would you guys like to be citizens of the United States?" He explains the plan.

Never in their wildest dreams did they ever imagine they would become citizens of the United States! Free citizens of the richest, most powerful country in the world. "How quickly can we make it happen?" they would ask.

Three months later, there's a little green sign on the side of the road just before you enter the town of Mosel: "Welcome to Mosel, the 51st state of the United States of America. Population: 9,000." From then on, if you're a resident of Mosel, you're unique and special throughout the region.

The apostle Paul had some friends who lived in a town just like that—a small town far from any others. If you lived in that small town, it was like living in imperial Rome itself, even though Rome was 800 miles away. This town, Philippi, had a unique status. The sign outside the town said: Welcome to Philippi, a colony of Rome.

Its citizens were Roman citizens and had been for 90 years. It all happened when they were on the winning side in a battle that was fought on a plain just outside their city limits. The battle was a civil war between Caesar and two of his generals. The town of Philippi backed Caesar, and when he won, he showed his gratitude by making the town a colony of Rome. Lots of his top military retired there, because to live in Philippi was to be a citizen of Rome. They spoke Latin, wore Roman clothing, used Roman money, and followed Roman customs.

Paul had some friends who lived in that city. They were part of a small church he had helped start. And as Paul writes to them, a small church in a city that prided itself on being Roman citizens, he says to them: You are citizens of someplace more important than Rome; you are citizens of heaven. Your church is a group of citizens, formed not by Caesar but by Christ, loyal not to Rome but to heaven. You are citizens of heaven, placed in the city of Philippi, and Christ is your Lord, your King, your Ruler, your Leader, the one to whom you pledge allegiance.

Paul wrote to his friends about being citizens of heaven. Using the phrase "your citizenship," he told them how to act as citizens of heaven. And we want to listen carefully to his words, because he is speaking to us too. He is saying to us: You believers are citizens of the most powerful country on earth. But more importantly, you are citizens of heaven, citizens with a King above and a purpose below.

We're going to drop into Paul's letter just after he's finished giving the Philippians the news about himself. He's been under house arrest for two years. Surprisingly, he tells them, this hasn't hurt the gospel; in fact, it's actually helped it advance. Caesar's personal bodyguards, young men who will influence the country for decades to come, are being won to the Lord. Local pastors in Rome are preaching more boldly. The gospel is progressing, and Paul is happy.

He's also pretty happy at what all this means to him. In a few months he's going to have a chance to display Christ at the highest levels of Roman government—to exalt Christ before Caesar's court. That's only going to add to his reward in heaven. After he lifts up Christ at his trial, it doesn't matter whether Caesar releases him or sentences him to death. It'll be a win-win situation. To live—that means he'll serve Christ more. To die—that means he'll see Christ sooner. He expects, however, to live and to come see his dear friends again.

Stand for God's truth.

In Philippians 1:27, Paul encourages the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. The phrase conduct yourselves refers to heavenly citizenship. In Greek, the words conduct yourselves mean "live as citizens." More than citizens of Rome, you are citizens of heaven, so conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

What does it look like to live as citizens of heaven? What will it mean to live worthy of the gospel? Paul goes on to explain: It means we'll stand for God's truth and not be scared off. We won't be frightened by those who oppose it.

Not only that, but Paul wants to hear that they stand firm in one spirit. They're united together. They all have a common resolve, contending as one person for the gospel. To live worthy of the gospel is to stand for God's truth, and not be scared off.

It might mean, in high school or college, that we have to say, "Yes, I'm a virgin. And by God's help, I hope to stay one until I'm married. Someone's going to get something special that no one else has ever gotten. Someone's going to know that they're the only one who's ever gotten it, and that they can count on it for the rest of their life." And if someone starts to ridicule or make fun, we don't back down. We have a quiet strength. We are citizens of a King, and we know His truth.

To live worthy of the gospel is to stand for God's truth and not be scared off.

It might mean being willing in business to say to the corporate bosses, "I don't feel comfortable taking our international clients to nightclubs, and I don't feel comfortable arranging for 'hostesses' to entertain them in their hotel rooms at night. I don't think we should do business that way." And if someone starts to attack or get angry, to browbeat or intimidate, we don't back down. We are citizens of a King, we know his truth, and we will not give way.

To live worthy of the gospel is to stand for God's truth and not be scared off.

It might mean that in conversations with relatives or friends we'll have to say, "There aren't many ways to heaven. There's only one—you must believe in Jesus Christ as your savior from sin. Other religions can't give you eternal life; you must believe in Jesus. You can't just be a good person and earn your way into heaven. You must believe that it's only by Jesus' death that your sins can be forgiven." And if someone starts to get hostile, to get agitated and say that we're being narrow-minded, we gently answer, "Truth is narrow. Two plus two equals four. And the only way to be saved from your sin is to believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for you."

To live worthy of the gospel is to stand for God's truth and not be scared off.

When we stand for the truth and can't be frightened away from it—when we stand for God's truth and no amount of ridicule or harassment can get us to back down, no threat of punishment can intimidate us, no fear of loss or litigation can make us change—a disturbing impression is made on people and a wonderful sense comes to us.

The disturbing impression made on them is that they are under God's judgment, that they are lost and heading to destruction. When we stand for God's truth and cannot be scared off, it is a sign to them that they are under God's judgment. Look again at verse 28: "without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed." How is it a sign to them? Because when they see us stand firm, deep in their heart they know it's not natural for someone to stand against the ridicule or hostility of a group. Deep in their heart they know that when a group begins to browbeat and threaten or attack, people cave in. They know the normal human response is that when you see you're going to be penalized for a view, you find some way to back off from it.

But when they see us continue to stand without being intimidated, it makes a disturbing impression on them, because something unexplainable is happening. They see a quiet strength inside us that they don't have. They see a certainty and strength that can only be explained as coming from somewhere else. And deep in their heart a convicting voice says to them, "You know they are right, and unless you change, you'll be under the judgment of the God who is in them."

When you stand for the truth and are not scared off, a disturbing impression is made on them—that unless they change, they'll be under the judgment of God.

Suffering is evidence of our salvation.

At the same time, a wonderful sense comes to us. When we stand for the truth and cannot be scared off, even though we're ridiculed or harassed, threatened or punished, we sense that God has genuinely saved us, that we truly belong to God, and that our salvation is certain. When we stand for the truth and cannot be scared off, even though we suffer for it, it is a proof to us that we are genuinely saved, that we truly belong to God, that our salvation is certain.

Why does our standing firm and suffering for the truth become a proof to us that we are genuinely saved? Because suffering is God's way of identifying those who are his. Suffering is God's way of confirming those who belong to him. Suffering is God's recognition and assurance that you are living worthy of heaven's kingdom.

The Bible says that all who desire to live in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). If you're suffering for righteousness, that proves you're living godly and you belong to him.

The Bible says that we'll go through many hardships and tribulations to enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22). If you're going through hardships and tribulation for the sake of righteousness, it's evidence or confirmation that you're entering the kingdom.

Suffering is God's way of identifying those who are his. Suffering is God's gift of assurance that you are a citizen of heaven. That's what Paul means in verses 29-30 when he says, "it has been granted to you"—that is, it's a gift that has been given to you—"on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."

It has been granted to you. It has been given to you. The sense is that it's a loving and especially thoughtful gift that proves something wonderful to you: that you belong to him. Suffering is God's gift that tells you, you are saved.

At first glance, suffering may not seem like a gift we'd want. We'd be tempted to look for the receipt. But God says: There's no receipt. The gift is too important, too special, too significant. It tells you something wonderful. Suffering tells you that you're living worthy of my kingdom, and that you belong to me.

Conclusion

My friends, you are citizens of heaven, citizens with a King above and a purpose below. You are called to stand for God's truth and not be scared off, and to know deep in your hear that you belong to him. Live worthy of the gospel that saved you.

Donald R. Sunukjian is professor of homiletics and chair of the Christian Ministry and Leadership Department at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.

Related sermons

Facing Off Without Falling Apart

Seven principles for proclaiming the gospel in hostile territory.

Unbreakable?

We demonstrate the power of Christ by enduring hardship.
Sermon Outline:

Introduction

I. Stand for God's truth.

II. Suffering is evidence of our salvation.

Conclusion