Some time ago, I began blogging on our Sunday sermons to help myself review; today, I’m continuing that by covering our Nov. 22 sermon, on Phil. 2:14-18, by Pastor Peter Kim. You can stream the recording of this service here.

As usual, I won’t summarize the sermon, but will focus on what I take away from it. Our text was Phil. 2:14-18, and we spent the most time on these verses:

(v14) Do all things without grumbling or disputing… (v16) …holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

P. Peter noted how easy it is to unite a group in grumbling, in complaining, in hating a common enemy; this comes naturally and leads to tight-knit groups. But Christians are to be a light, being different; grace causes those who are not thankful to be thankful. Holding fast, here, means holding fast to the gospel and giving thanks for what we truly have through God in Christ; how he has not treated us as our sins deserve, and that beyond that, that he is actually providing for us throughout life. We often focus on what is not going right, and it can lead us to grumble, but instead, we are to hold fast to the gospel; that provides absolute security.

Romans 8:32 asks how we could believe that God will not also, along with Christ, graciously give us all things that we truly need, since he’s already given the greatest gift of his son. The real, great gift we have is not in the things that God might give us in this life, not in externals, but Christ himself. In view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ, everything else becomes rubbish, or no big deal. In Phil. 4:11-13 Paul learned the secret of being content in everything (even suffering in prison). Maturing in Christ is that – learning, not in a knowledge sense, but being deeply affected by truth.

Overall, my big take-aways were two things – first, to keep a tight watch on my attitude so that I catch myself sooner when I’m tempted to complain about people doing wrong things. God is still sovereign and he is still trustworthy. Second, I want to be more deeply affected by the truth of what God has done for me in Christ, so that I, with Paul, will be content in all things. But that can only come from considering more what he’s done for me and how wonderful a privilege I have in Christ to be God’s child.