Having just posted my Greek exegetical commentary on Philippians 1:27-30, it seemed rather fitting to me to post the manuscript of a sermon I preached on Philippians 1:27-30. Unfortunately, although I’m somewhat sure the sermon was recorded, I have not been able to get a copy of the mp3 due to some difficulties. I believe the audio is lost forever. So, posting the manuscript is about all I can do. But if the audio ever shows up and I get access to it, I will surely post that as well. In either case, here is the introduction to the sermon, just to wet your whistle.
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
“For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosever believers in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16).
These are things many of us have all learned from our youth, either when we were young physically or young spiritually. But have the truths of these words lost their impact on us?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Christians talk about the Gospel as simply elementary. They’ll say, “the Gospel is what you need to know in order to be saved; but once you’re saved, there are bigger and better things to move onto.”
Bigger and better things to move onto? . . . Don’t tell the angels that! You’ll burst their bubble. 1 Peter 1:12 says that the angels look in wonder at the Gospel. Now if angels think the Gospel is something to behold, something to be in amazement of, something to never “move on” about, I think the same should be true of us.
Oh, but it’s not just the angels, people. Notice what Paul calls the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15—what he delivered to the Corinthians of first or most importance! The Gospel is the most important thing, and many of us would never deny that. But, Paul is not writing to unbelievers here. Paul is writing to Corinthian believers. He is reminding believers of that which is still of first importance to them.
This morning I want us to come to grips with what the Gospel means to us as believers.
Kirk E. Miller 