Sep 15 2019 - Philippians 2 - Growing in Obedience

Joan: Brothers and sisters, we have received a letter from Paul and I would like to read it today.
In your relationships with one another... Philippians 2:5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

⁶ who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
⁷ but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
⁸ He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
⁹ As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will 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.

We’ve read that many times. I wanted Joan to read it this morning – Some scholars believe that it was one of the first Christian creeds - written almost like a hymn to be sung. For me, it is one of the richest summaries of the gospel in the New Testament – this passage more than any other brings out the fullness of what Jesus did for us

Phil. 2:12 ¹² So then (therefore – based on our understanding of what Christ has done for us – here is what you need to do – because Jesus became Man and became obedient to death on a cross – as that as the foundation – here is how we live and think: ), my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

In the middle – work out your salvation – there is a lot of discussion about that. Because of all Jesus has done for you – your focus is on faithfulness and obedience. That is our motivation – to be faithful and to obey – and to do it with fear and trembling. That can come across as being afraid – but not about punishment or judgment – Jesus has already taken our punishment – but rather – remember that you are living in God’s presence. It is like when the teacher is in the room – well, used to be – but when a substitute came in – all you know what broke loose!

But he is saying – all the more – we live in the presence of God – so we should be obedient – like Jesus was obedient – laying his rights down. Now He is enthroned – and in His presence we live and dwell – so our faithfulness and obedience should be of the fear and trembling – you know how when you are with someone who loves you – and yet you are messing up? It is a whole different type of fear.

Faithfulness and obedience can overwhelm us because – sometimes it is hard to be faithful and obedient. We hear verses like that – and we look at all the ways we have not been faithful and obedient and we get down on ourselves.

For each of us – there is usually an area we find ourselves falling in. No matter how hard we try – we blow it and blow it – and we can be overwhelmed by it – and that is where vs. 13 comes in – it is God who works. We cannot even do the smallest obedience without the power of God to help us do it.

We think – I can’t do this! Exactly! You can’t do it without the power of God living inside of you – enabling it to take place.

Back to the ‘work out your salvation’ – I thought if you were saved you were saved – not work for your salvation – but I think something bigger is at work here – The word SALVATION – going back to Genesis 3 – Adam and Eve are living in this wonderful garden – and they are not to eat of the tree – and they do it – but God enters in and provides salvation for them. Then the rest of history is humanity failing and God providing salvation.

As we go back to the Bible Project – the biggest way salvation is used – is in the beginning of Exodus – its biggest meaning – BEING RESCUED FROM SLAVERY. The nation of Israel is enslaved to Egypt – and God’s work begins with rescuing them from slavery – He redeems them. Slaves could buy their way out of slavery – and God purchased for them their freedom.

Now, when we get to the New Testament – (and us) – What we see – slavery is a metaphor for sin and death and evil and darkness. That is humanity’s slavery – and Jesus rescued us from slavery. He purchased our freedom – by emptying Himself – not regarding equality with God something to grasp, but being obedient to death on a cross.

The Theology of Salvation - I have a little book here – and I will give you six things – Take one of them – aspects of salvation – take one and dwell on it this week – whichever one fits best for you.

First – our sin has been paid for – so we are forgiven. Salvation means you are forgiven.

Everything has been forgiven

Second – Salvation – we have been reconciled to God – our relationship has been restored – we live in a right relationship with God. Your relationship has been made right with God. Have you ever been estranged from someone – or there is tension and this break? You feel it – and it is in the air – and you know the feeling when it is restored. That is what happened with us and God.

We have been justified – made right in God’s eyes – We say – oh, no, I’m not – but He says – YOU ARE – because of the cross! You are holy and righteous. Sometimes the last thing we feel is that we are holy – we feel unholy – but God has made us righteous in His eyes – and He would never want you to think of yourself in any other way.

Fourth – Because of our salvation – we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit – He has come to live inside us and to empower us! Maybe that is what you need!

Fifth – our identity has been transferred – darkness to light

Sixth – the image of God has been restored in us – we HAVE been transformed. It will take our lifetime or until He returns – but it has taken place in our lives – the transformation has already happened – we are dead to sin – alive in Christ!

Focus on one of those this week.

Some things to think about in our daily experience and disciplines.

We need to live in His power – to spend our day, taking moments to discover God’s presence working in our lives – He IS present and He IS working – even in your most mundane tasks – and it is a matter of us believing that.

Focus on a growing love relationship with God focus on His love for us! God loves me and wants to have a relationship with me.

Sanctification – the transformation of a person at the heart level. We focus on behavior – but God’s first focus is our heart – we are being transformed day by day

Fourth – to learn how to live in a way as to make His kingdom come and His will to be done. How do I make that part of my activity? How would I do this lousy job - if I was doing this lousy job… in heaven?

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

Well, that’s convicting – without complaining or arguing.

¹⁵ so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation

Well, that makes it even worse! We need to watch out for all complaining and arguing. But I don’t think Paul’s main concern here is about complaining about the weather or about your job – but rather – there is a specific complaining and arguing going on in this chapter – complaining about others in the church and arguing with others in the church – when he says – so you may be blameless – innocent – HOLY? To be holy – all I have to do is not complain? He is talking about complaining about other followers of Christ – and the world in which we live, complaining is the norm – complaining about the neighbor who doesn’t kill his weeds, or the neighbor who uses bad chemicals to kill his weeds….

When we complain and argue – it is like taking fresh water and throwing dirt in it – but rather – you won’t be like the world, but …

, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Your witness is preserved – it becomes bright – when there isn’t complaining.

Jesus said it this way – by this shall all men know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.

It is okay to disagree and have differences of opinion – but we live in a world that doesn’t understand that – the ability to have disagreements in a civil way is almost unheard of – so if we learn, we are beaming lights.

There is a destructive power to complaining and arguing. A couple of real destructive ways – when we go to third parties to do the complaining. It is always critical to go to the person who has given offense. The only caveat being – if there is some type of abuse – then you get everyone involved. When it is a personal offense – someone says something that offends you – only one thing is allowed – and that is to talk directly to that person. There is that caveat.

It works out – in church ministry – if someone is leading a ministry and you don’t like something they are doing – you talk to them – in love! How novel! Appear as lights in the world – two themes – gospel partnership p- by doing this, we become gospel partners with Jesus – living without complaining and arguing.

¹⁶ 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.

Holding fast – firmly – a broad term – the key is not which term to choose – but the next words – the word of life – the word of the gospel – the word of Jesus – and it is that to which we must hold fast, firmly. Maintaining the truth of the gospel – proclaiming the gospel – and it happens in different ways – Chris shared, Sue shared, Jeff shared – and they all did it in different ways.

¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,

What does that remind you of? What Joan read – Jesus was emptied – we get poured out. Paul will give examples – Jesus was poured out for others -

I rejoice and share my joy with you all. ¹⁸ You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

That doesn’t mean, oh yeah, rejoice with me – he is saying – you need to be poured out for the sake of others. For Cindy and I – the best illustration I can think of – being poured out in the sacrifice and service of our kids – there are times where our kids – because of our love for them – it is like we are being poured out for them – for their well-being. Our lives just pour out.

That experience is one we are to have – not just with our family = but with the family of God.