The Guinness Book of World Records honor for the longest novel rests with a book called “À la recherche du temps perdu” (translated: In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust. The book contains over 1.2 million words and it follows a narrator’s reflections on loss of time and lack of meaning in the world.
Rumor has it (though unconfirmed) that Ernest Hemingway came up with the world’s shortest story on a bet. There is no title but the beginning and end of the story reads like this: “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” Short but impactful.
While the above mentioned stories are polar opposites in word count, they share one thing in common: human grief. Today’s reading is even shorter, but infinitely and eternally more impactful.
We’ve been in chapter 1 of Philippians where we find Paul, enslaved in Rome. Spiritual darkness and demonic legion are concentrated on this City and Paul is chained to soldiers. Upon hearing reports of people preaching Christ for the wrong reasons, Paul drops a verbal payload far shorter than either of the examples above. Yet, these words could be a hinge point to your whole life.
“What Then?” That’s your reading for today.
The world is filled with strife. Lines are being drawn in the sand and the church is being pulled all over the place. We’re being pulled into political movements. We’re being pulled into revivals possibly run by apostates. We’re being pulled into globalism. We’re being pulled into secret movements supposedly engineered to stop globalism.
The name of Christ and His Bride are being pulled into all of this. It can be stressful to see supposed believers conforming on both sides.
Here’s what we have to do: see these things going on and say, “What then?” Christ is being preached. We can’t police the movements of the world. We can’t be overcome by worry.
We can circle in tight as a church and reclaim our legacy not as mere Christians, but as active disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. “What then” is what Paul -- filled with God’s Holy Spirit -- uttered in response to those who would try to draw him (and the early Church with him) out of his lane.
Our directive is to seek and save the lost, and to give them the good news.
What if you, disciple, rested in the fact that you are called not to worry, not to join, not to confirm, but to say “what then” and to roll up your sleeves, gird yourself in spiritual disciplines, and get to work directly working for justice -- not just talking about it -- and telling the world about Christ and His blood shed for them?
Philippians 1.18a
18 What then?
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ What do you think gave Paul such boldness amidst such turmoil in his ministry for the Lord?
+ Do you think this boldness is available to you?
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ See 2 Peter 1:3-9 below. Can you read this passage by Paul’s running mate and say “I am practicing the disciplines of a disciple, not what the world knows as a ‘Christian’?” If not, there is no condemnation. There still time to heed Christ’s words: “Follow me” and be a faithful disciple.
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?