Escape Room

We are coming off a week in which we gathered last Sunday with other local church congregations here in Grandville and had a combined worship service together. And starting right around the corner in May I am beginning a new series on faith practices—sometimes called spiritual disciplines. Today, though, is one of those fifth Sundays. Every time there is a calendar month that has five Sundays, we take that fifth Sunday and focus our attention on creating a service that is especially mindful of our students.

At the same time, I want to bridge the gap between our experience of gathering together with many other people of Christian faith to all worship in one place, and what is coming next with a focus on faith practices. And all of that in the context of a service which focuses towards our students. I think we can handle that—in fact, I think it all works out perfectly.

Have you ever been to an escape room? Escape rooms have only become popular in the last ten years or so. It is a game to play with a group of friends. It’s one of those places where you go with a group and are placed inside of some kind of room that is decorated with a theme of some sort. The group is closed into the room and has to start piecing together clues from items found in the room in order to unlock or open up adjoining rooms with more clues until eventually you solve all the clues and unlock the last door to make it out. Sometimes there is a time limit and you have to get out before time runs out, and sometimes it is just a matter of working as fast as you can to set the record for best time among all players.

Escape rooms are a fun game, but can also be team building experiences where people have to figure out how to work together in order to solve all the clues and make it out. The youth group is going to go try out one of these escape room places later this spring. I’ve done it before a few times with a group of people. It is a fun activity for a group.

Today’s message is a little bit of an escape room. Or in other words, you are not going to get out of this sermon and leave this room unless you solve the clues. I will reveal that as we go along. But I am going to start out by turning in the Bible to Philippians 2 where the apostle Paul has a little something to say that might relate to an escape room.

Philippians 2:12–18 (NIV)

Philippians 2:12–18 NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Let’s think on this one for a little bit. What does it mean that salvation is something that has to be worked out? On the one hand, that does not make sense since the Bible also declares that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works (see Ephesians 2). That makes it seem like there is nothing we can ever do that works towards our salvation. On the other hand, elsewhere in the New Testament it says that faith without works is dead (see James 2). And that makes it seem like there is definitely something we put forward that works towards our salvation. This is confusing; maybe it even seems like the Bible is contradicting itself. Let’s solve this little puzzle and find our way through this.

There are three things to unlock in this one short phrase we see in Philippians 2:12. We need to unlock what Paul means by “work out.” We need to unlock what Paul means by “salvation.” And we need to unlock what Paul means by “fear and trembling.”

Greek word κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai)

Job number one is to unlock what we understand by the Greek word κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai) which is translated here in our English Bibles as “work out.” The reason this is tricky is because whenever we see the English word “work” connected to the English word “salvation” it leaves us wondering what it is we have to do in order to be saved. Does anyone know what the actual meaning of this Greek word is? Most of the time it shows up in the New Testament it is in the past tense and refers to something that has already been done. In that case it means something that has been worked towards its end, or a task that has been accomplished.

to accomplish, complete to cultivate

But here in Philippians 2:12 Paul writes that we are to continue to work out our salvation. The “working out” here is not past tense; it is not something that has already been accomplished. Does Paul mean to suggest here that our salvation is somehow not yet complete? Not fully accomplished? Of course, that cannot be what is meant. After all, the last thing Jesus said from the cross before he gave up his spirit was “It is finished.” Of course we believe that scripture tells us our salvation is complete. Christ has fully accomplished all that is needed for us to be made right with God.

So then, the “continuing” sense that Paul attaches to “working out” our salvation cannot possibly mean in any way that our salvation is incomplete or unfinished. What does it mean, then, that we continue to work out our salvation. As I have said, most of the times this Greek word shows up in the New Testament it is past tense referring to something that is already completed and accomplished. However, the small handful of times it is used in the Bible as something continuing—something yet ongoing—it carries a different meaning. In that sense it is actually a farming term that means “to work the soil” or “to till the ground.” We might best capture it in English by saying “to cultivate.”

even our accomplished and completed salvation can still be cultivated

Your salvation in Christ has already been accomplished by Christ. Your salvation is already complete. But Paul is going next level here by saying to the church that even our accomplished and completed salvation can still be cultivated. You can still work and till the soil of your soul in which your salvation has been firmly planted by the grace of God. This is what Paul is trying to tell us. It is not that you have to do good works so that you can work for your salvation. Rather, you are given the opportunity to cultivate the salvation that has already been given to you—not working for your salvation, but working out from your salvation. That unlocks our first puzzle. “Continue to work out” in Philippians 2:12 really means “cultivate.”

Let’s move on. Job number two is to understand what Philippians 2:12 means by “salvation.” Let me point out that the New Testament uses the word “saved” or “salvation” many times in many places. But let me add that the apostle Paul in particular also uses the “justification” many times in the New Testament. Those two words, salvation and justification, are not just two different ways to translate the same Greek word. They come from different Greek words and they mean two different things. Whenever Paul uses the word “justified” or “justification” he means something different than when he uses the word “saved” or “salvation.”

Justification is how the Bible talks about the way God has made us righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We are justified only because of what Christ has done for us. And notice this especially, justification is often mentioned in reference to the individual. It’s personal. Christ died so that you (singular) can be justified before God.

salvation is bigger than individual justification

Salvation is bigger than that. I have talked about this before in sermons. Salvation includes justification as one part of what it means to be saved. But there is more we can say about salvation beyond simply pointing to being justified before God by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is important. Because whenever we limit salvation to only being personal justification, we lose the greater gospel message of what it means to be saved. If salvation is nothing more than individual justification, then salvation results in nothing more than eternal life in heaven. For many people, that is what it means to be saved; it means eternal life in heaven.

is the gospel just fire insurance?

If that is the only thing salvation means, then the gospel message of Christ in the Bible is little more than fire insurance. Just believe these things about Jesus so that your soul doesn’t burn in hell. Faith is just a ticket that guarantees fire insurance for your soul. If that is the narrow definition of salvation that we understand, then Philippians 2:12 means exactly that. I better work my faith with fear and trembling, because the alternative is hell. Is that what the gospel is? You better believe in Jesus or else. You better have faith unless you want an eternity of punishment.

is this world just an escape room?

If that is true, then this entire world is nothing more than an escape room. If that’s true then the goal of Christian life is to use faith to unlock the door to eternal life and get out of this world. Is that what the Christian life is all about; this world is just one big escape room and your job as a person of faith is to escape? I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like much of a gospel to me. It sounds more like a threat. I don’t want you to be scared into accepting faith. The Bible tells us that love is what calls us to faith.

salvation is the complete restoration of shalom

Salvation is bigger than individual justification. Salvation also encompasses the way in which God redeems his entire creation. I often refer to this as the restoration of shalom. You have been redeemed by the blood of Christ so that the shalom flourishing of God can be restored in his creation. And this restoration of shalom can be cultivated. The thriving and flourishing of God’s world as he intends is something that can be “worked out” (to use the words of Paul).

Jesus has justified individuals to become part of a redeemed community of believers who together strive for the restoration of shalom

It seems obvious here that Paul’s use of the word “salvation” in Philippians 2:12 carries this broader meaning, referring to the larger restoration of shalom which results because Jesus has justified individuals to become part of a redeemed community of believers together. That unlocks our second puzzle. “Salvation” in Philippians 2:12 means more than simply the justification of individual souls; it is a reference to the redeemed community of believers who cultivate the restoration of shalom.

fear and trembling = reverence and respect

Let’s move on. Job number ### is to understand what Philippians 2:12 means by “fear and trembling.” Is it that we are supposed to be scared that we might not be getting this right? Should we be terrified that maybe we’re missing something or getting it wrong? Often the Bible does not use the word “fear” in ways that do not refer to being scared or terrified. Whenever we read in the Old Testament that the people are instructed to live in the fear of the Lord, it is not a command to be scared of God. It is a command to live in reverence and awe. To live in the fear of the Lord is to hold God in high respect and reverence. It is a humble posture of service to God.

reverence and respect for God because it is “God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (vs 13)

Paul has a double meaning in mind here. The working out of our salvation (cultivation of shalom) is something that happens when we live in reverence and awe of God. Paul points this out because the very next thing he says in verse 13 is that it is “God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Living in reverence and awe of God is a humble acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit working through us.

reverence and respect for one another so that we may shine as blameless and pure children of God (vs 15)

But Paul also gives a very practical application of what this cultivating of shalom looks like in the Philippians community of believers. We see it in job ###. It is the gathering of a community that comes together with one another and for one another. Look at the way Paul says it in the very next verse of Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:14–15 (NIV)

Philippians 2:14–15 NIV

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

stop tearing each other apart; instead, build each other up

we all bear the image of God as people redeemed by Christ

Stop tearing each other apart. Instead, build each other up. Because when you do that for everyone to see, the Bible says you shine like stars in the sky. Remember that you are part of a community of believers all called by God. The Holy Spirit resides in all God’s people. There is a sense in which we also live in reverence and respect with one another because we all bear the image of God as people redeemed by Christ. We work out our salvation—cultivate God’s shalom—when we live together as a community which works together to build one another up, not tear each other down.

escape room is not so much about getting out and reaching the end as it is about being in community as a group while you are all together inside

I don’t know of anyone who goes to play an escape room all by themselves. I suppose it could be done as an individual game, but what’s the point? What fun is that? Even though the goal of going to an escape room game is to solve all the puzzles and unlock all the doors to get out, the real goal of an escape room is to be working together with a group. It is not so much about getting out and reaching the end as it is about being in community while you are all together inside.

What can you do this week to take one more step forward in being part of a community of God’s people? Do everything without grumbling or arguing. That’s a good start. What about something positive as well.

Philippians 2:17–18 (NIV)

Philippians 2:17–18 NIV

17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

what can I do this week to take one step forward in being part of a community of God’s people?

a community that continues to cultivate the restoration of shalom with reverence and respect for God and for one another

How about this. Identify one person this week who you have admit you do a certain amount of grumbling about—one person with whom you might often argue. And rather than grumbling or arguing, find one way to bring a moment of joy instead. Say something uplifting instead of something disparaging. Do something helpful and encouraging instead of something spiteful and divisive. Keep it simple, start by identifying just one person within your community and proactively doing just one thing to share joy. In so doing, you are continuing to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.