Rooted series

philippians 2:12-18

Philippians 2:12–18 CSB

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Hey rooted!

introduce my self

I remember a time when I lived in Missouri and there was a high school there called Hickman high and their mascot was a giant baby. They are the Hickman kewpies. Now if you grew up in Missouri going to this school I’m sorry but seriously change your mascot. There is something unnatural about a full grown baby.

Babies are selfish being. Yes they are cute but they are little sinners. Its all about them. Feed me, change me, hold me, and on and on. The same is true of our faith. Hebrews says it this way…

Hebrews 5:12–14 CSB

12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. 13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

Yes preachers and podcasts and books are all good. But if all we ever do is take someone else’s word for it we will never dive in to God’s word personally and see what God is showing me.

Paul is telling that church of Philippi that even tho I’m not there keeping working out your salvation.

But he says this not to a unsaved people but rather those who have always obeyed. Obeyed what? That is where the therefore comes in.

Therefore… The therefore points back to what was shared last time and that was the Gospel. Paul is stating that since you have the Gospel get to work.

Paul also says work out your own salvation… For it is God who is working. We are not working FOR our salvation but working OUT our salvation from the inside the salvation given to us by God. And it’s God’s anyway.

Because God is already working in you, bring that salvation into the way you actually live.

But sadly this is where the Church usually stops. They pat the pastor on the back and tell him good message and head off to lunch.

I love how this passage from Ephesians informs us how we are to continue working out our salvation.

Ephesians 4:11–16 CSB

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Paul is equipping the saints (the church) to do the work of the ministry.

And what is so awesome about the Bible is that it doesnt leave you hanging on how to go about working out your salvation. Paul gives us two metaphors in the next verses to help us understand how to do this very work.

Philippians 2:14–16 CSB

14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

grumbling and arguing come from selfishness and vainglory. This is how the world operates. You do you. You live your best life… even if it means run over everyone else to get there. Make sure you are at the top. And yet time and time again Jesus, the perfect example, showed us what it meant to be a servant. Paul tells us to be…

Blameless (Complete Christian character) and pure (Inoffensive living) introduce metaphors.

First, Believers are to be morally Faultless in a world crooked and perverted by its failure to understand the word of God.

Even if all your coworkers are doing it, you know its wrong so you don’t join in.

Second, they are to shine like stars whose brilliance contrasts with the darkened world.

This is not a Hollywood star fame. This is a contrast of light in a dark world.

Matthew 5:14–16 CSB

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

I picture my boys with a flash light.

We are called to be blameless and pure

In all of this, again, its not by our own strength or will power or sheer grit. But instead by holding firm to the word of life.

Philippians 2:16–18 CSB

16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

THEN….

We rejoice. Paul goes from talking about endurance (running and laboring) to even more of giving up ones life for the Gospel of Christ.

This is even crazier to think that Paul is telling the church to rejoice even in their sufferings when he is in prison.

And this is not a 5 star prison. this is Paul in a dungeon with little to no light sitting in his own waste writing to the church to rejoice.

As I end today I want to end the way Paul does. Philippians 2:18

Philippians 2:18 CSB

18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Let us people a people who rejoices in all circumstances. Not prone to grumbling and complaining. How do we do this?

In the shadow of the cross and before the throne of God.

I want to leave you with a challenge: when you walk into a room do you stand out because of your faith or fit in to the culture. I would encourage you to examine your life, and be a light in this dark world.

Lets pray.