MetaJoy

  • by Hoon Kim
  • Sunday, February 14th, 2010
  • Series: Supernatural Joy: The Book of Philippians

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  Sean and Star Wars….  So I asked Sean, “are you good or bad.” 

  • Likewise OURSELVESàLast Samuraiàhonor.  007, Batman, Ironman, Matrix, Titanic… 
    • Good movies place us in the story.

Why are movies so powerful?  Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer’s Journey give us a HINT… 

  • Hollywood’s most popular guidebook for writing screenplaysà“Every good story is a variation on the same basic narrative pattern, just as every symphony builds on a fundamental music structure.  And what is that universal pattern?  It is a sequence of events that takes the hero THROUGH death to RESURRECTION.” 
    • ‘same basic narrative pattern’à Anakin’s virgin birth, dies à Darth Vader, Luke à messianic figure.
    • But this = PATTERN OF THE GOSPEL!  Phil.2:8-11, “8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
    • Vogler is POINTING to the existence of a MASTER STORY which all movies echo.
      • Meta/Master Narrative (meta = "beyond") idea à a unifiying theme + direction to history/ culture. 
      • Thus, a MASTER-narrative = Greater story, where the greater story frames the 'little stories'.
        • Sean is putting himself in the story line with JEDI SWORDS and CLONE masks.
          • This BEHAVIOR is part of our IMAGO DEI…

 

 

TRANSITION: Bible reveals that EVERYONE, W/T EXCEPTION, lives IN + according to a METANARRATIVE.

  • Greater story OF our life stories.  Our story WITHIN God’s story.
  • Choices and decisions we make everyday are defined by what we believe the GREATER NARRATIVE TO BE.
  • We see this practically in Timothy and Epaphroditus.

 

Philippians 2:19-30, “19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.  20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.  21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.  25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.  27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.  28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.  29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

 

 

 

 

The Text in Context

  • Paul was glad to have news of the Philippians + a gift from them.
  • Now through the letter, he was updating them of his situation.  He wanted them to know how God was advancing the kingdom through his imprisonment (1:13-14) and uncertainty of the verdict  (2:23).
  • At first 2:19 picks up Paul’s missionary accounts with fellow servants T+E.  (2:20-1:18 = spiritual teaching)
    • Situation:  Having sent Epaphroditus, the Philippians may have hoped that Paul would have sent Timothy to update the Philippians and minister to them.  Instead, Paul sent Epaphroditus, with a clarification (2:25-30).  Paul shows great sensitivity, as he doesn’t want his friend to be misunderstood or criticized.
    • But the reference to T+E also COMPLETES THE PATTERN OF TEACHING IN PHIL.2. 
      • Vss.1-4:  Be humble…
      • Vss.5-11:  …because you KNOW THE ACCOUNT OF CHRIST
      • Vss.12-18:  … and Work this out salvation with fear and trembling (vv. 12-18).
        • Paul is saying: T+E embody the qualities you are to imitate.  They are working out into their salvation BECAUSE/ BASED ON the greater story of PHIL.2:5-11
          • His preexistance, incarnation, servanthood, sacrifice and exaltation.

Vs.21 INDICATES THERE ARE 2 GRAND-NARRATIVES

  • Gen.3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring  and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
  • 2 Generational Lines:   Genesis 3:15 talks about two "descendants": serpent and of Eve. 
  • One line promises a redeemer, the other line is to oppose the Redeemer.
  • One day, a cataclysmic confrontation where a son of Eve will inflict a mortal blow against the serpent, but at a price.
    • Genesis 4: we see the confrontation between the two lines vividly portrayed.  Cain kills Abel, his brother.  Abel is humble but persecuted by Cain, who is proud, arrogant and self-sufficient.
      • Story of Godà Serving and Redemption
      • Story of the Serpentà self-seeking, self-centered, selfish, self-aggrandizing, self-focused.
        • 1John 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
          • The problem is when we begin to interact with the metanarrative of God as spectators in the same way that we watch movies for entertainment.Vs.21  DEFINING MARK: SELF-SEEKING, SELF-CENTEREDNESS

21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

  • Paul Tripp and ice cream for his wife.
  • GENESIS 3:  “You will be like God”
  • Westminster Shorter Catechism:  “Chief end of man is to glorify himself and enjoy themselves for ever.”
    • NOTICE HOWEVER:  External behaviors may look alike, but the MOTIVATION is different.
    • Family Ministry… beware…
    • IN CONTRAST, CHRIST WAS THE MOST SELFLESS, SELF-SACRIFICING, SELF-GIVING PERSON.
    • LIKEWISE, Paul was a servant.  Likewise, Tim/ Eppi were servants.
      • REPENT

 

THESE ARE TO BE WORKED OUT WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING AS GOD WORKS WITHIN US.

Vs.20  DEFINING MARKS 

20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 

 

PEACE:  guilt of sin à inactivity  (spectator)

  • SEE Our storiesà finished story of Jesus.
    • Otherwise, we tend to define ourselves by our worst momentsà failure.  Best momentsà pride.
    • Now we have encouragement and humility.

 

COMPASSION (genuinely concerned)

  • Jesus is the most compassionate person who ever existed.
    • Incarnation AND Temptation

 

MISSION: 

  • JESUS WAS THE MOST RELEVENT MISSIONARYà INCARANTION.
  • LIKEWISE:  Timothy was UNIQUE + KNEW THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS +CARED.
    • Serve the EKKLESIA, the body of Christ:  I chose not to use ‘church’ à think EXISTING events, programs + depts.  (Although a good starting point…)
      • SERVING: < uniqueness, gifts, experience, $, > MEET < current circumstances, history> à SERVICE.
      • God Creator/ creativeà creative… does new things.  NOT REPETITIOUS
        • We need to be a church that serves and ministers to our generation and culture.

 

SACRIFICE

  • JESUS WAS THE MOST SACRIFICAL PERSON.
  • 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”
    • Phil.1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
    • Phil.3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and  may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…