Shine as Lights (Part 2)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[PROPOSITION] Changed by the crucified, risen, and exalted Christ Jesus, those of us who follow him shine as lights in this dark world and prepare ourselves for the day of Christ by holding fast to the gospel of Christ.
When we think about holding fast to the gospel of Christ, we might think of taking a stand for the truth as it is revealed in the Bible and it surely means that. Even more importantly, however, is living a life according to the truth as it is revealed in the Bible.
But an aspect of holding fast to the gospel that I don’t think about often enough is how the gospel, in changing me, changes the way I live before others and the way I treat others - especially my fellow followers of Jesus, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
[CONTEXT] Paul began to address this very thing in his letter to the church in Philippi when he wrote in ...
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Paul went on to describe the greatest demonstration of humility - the greatest demonstration of counting others more significant than yourselves - the greatest demonstration of looking to the interest of others in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
As we repent of our sins and trust Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins, the Holy Spirit of God works in us and enables us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That is, as we place our faith in Jesus and commit ourselves to him as Lord, the Holy Spirit empowers us to put on the humility of Jesus - to put on the God-and-others-first mindset of Jesus.
[TRANSITION] The world we live in is dark. It’s dark because it has turned its back on God and when you turn your back on God, you turn your back on people, because people are made in the image of God.
The world is dark because it has adopted a me-first mindset.
Those who follow Jesus should be different. The church should be different, because we now have turned to God by his grace through faith in Christ. And we are now enabled to live out the same God-and-others-first mindset that Jesus demonstrated so perfectly.
It’s because humanity has rejected God and, therefore, humanity has rejected itself because it is made in the image of God.
But many churches (or at least many individuals within churches don’t get that message) and thus they continue to operate according to a me-first mindset.
Why do these things happen?
Now, if we’ve come to God through faith in Jesus, that changes. We love our neighbors as we love ourselves because we see the image of God in our neighbors. We love our enemies and pray for and bless those who persecute us because we see the image of God in those who oppose us.
They are puffed up with pride. They insist on their own way. They look to their own interests rather than interests of others.
Some say its the glorification of violence in video games, music, television, and movies.
It keeps happening because a byproduct of rejecting God is rejecting the image-bearers of God, human beings.
[CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT]
This is how Jesus lived before others and how he treated others
The Philippians had at least a little of that going. Some individuals were at odds within the church because they refused to live out a God-and-others-first mindset so here in our verses this morning...
Paul commanded the Philippian Christians to do all things in regard to one another without grumbling or disputing.
This would a bright testimony to a dark world.
It would make him proud to be called their pastor on the day of Christ’s return.
And they could do it, he said, by holding fast to the word of life.
[TRANSITION STATEMENT]
Those are things I want us to NOTICE this morning: The Command, The Reasons, and The How.
Some say its caused by the epidemic rise in pornography, which teaches people to objectify and devalue human beings.
Some say its because prayer was taken out of school.
I tend to think its all of that plus that fact the news media unintentionally promotes this sort of thing by making the attacker famous by plastering his name and face across every TV screen worldwide.
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
Notice #1: The Command (v. 14).
Notice #1: The Command (v. 14).
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
Philippians
[EXPOSITION]
[EXPOSITION]
Paul commanded the Philippian believers to do “all things” without grumbling or disputing.
The phrase “all things” seems really broad until we remember the beginning of the chapter and understand that Paul must have been referring to all things pertaining to the way we treat one another in the family of God.
The phrase “all things” seems really broad until we remember the beginning of the chapter and understand that Paul must have been referring to all things pertaining to the way we treat one another in the family of God.
There is a long list of commands in the NT concerning the way we ought to treat one another in the family of God. These are sometimes referred to as the “one another” commands. Listen to several of these commands.
Be at peace with one another ().
Be of the same mind with one another (; ).
Accept one another ().
Wait for one another ().
Gently and patiently tolerate one another ().
Be kind to one another ().
Be tender-hearted toward one another ().
Forgive one another (; ).
Bear with one another ().
Seek good for one another ().
Love one another (; , ; ; ; ; ; ; , ; ).
Serve one another ().
Be devoted to one another ().
Be subject to one another ().
Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another ().
Greet one another (; ; ).
Bear one another’s burdens ().
Speak truth to one another ().
Comfort one another ().
Encourage and build up one another ().
Stir up one another love and good works ().
Pray for one another ().
Be hospitable to one another ().
Now, all of these commands are challenging, but some are really challenging.
The ones that seem really challenging to me are the ones about putting on humility toward one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and especially serving one another.
[ILLUSTRATION]
About six years ago, I had the honor of performing the wedding ceremony for one of the girls in the church I used to serve.
During the rehearsal, the bride-to-be wanted me to say everything I would say during the actual wedding ceremony. I said no problem and during the exchanging of the vows, I mentioned serving one another.
Afterward, the girl told me, “I really don’t want anything in there about serving one another.”
I said, “Oh, it’s going to be in there. There’s no changing that.”
[APPLICATION]
We might wish that serve-one-another command really wasn’t in the Bible, but there’s no changing it.
It’s there and we must obey it.
And we must obey it without grumbling or disputing.
[EXPOSITION]
Now, these two words - “grumbling” and “disputing” - are interesting because together they address the complaints we express with our mouths and the complaints we express only in our minds.
The word “grumble” refers to murmuring, which is a whispered complaint expressed in secret or under the breath (see ; ; ; ).
The word “dispute” is sometimes translated as “questioning” or “arguing.” This disputing, questioning, or arguing is, however, more inward or outward. It’s more in the heart and mind than it is on our lips (see ; ; ; ; ).
But both words carry this nothing of secrecy. Grumbling is expressed in secret and disputing is kept in secret. That is, until its not.
[APPLICATION]
Here’s what I mean: if inwardly dispute the command to serve one another or tolerate one another or bear with one another, it won’t be long until we are grumbling about having to obey those commands under our breaths.
But this kind of discontent is like a volcano. What starts as an inward disturbance soon becomes a subtle rumble before the big eruption.
[ILLUSTRATION]
For example, you remember Moses leading God’s people in the wilderness. In it says...
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,
Now, that was the eruption, but what happened before? Someone began to question in their minds Moses’s leadership. Then whispered about it to their friends. Then that grumbling and disputing erupted into full-scale conflict.
[APPLICATION]
As Christians, we should be different.
We’ve been changed and enabled by God’s grace in Christ to do all things in relation to one another without grumbling or questioning.
When it comes to those one-another commands, there should be no disputing them in my mind.
When it comes to those one-another commands, there should be no grumbling about them under my breath or whispered complaints about them to whoever will listen.
We can - and we should commit to - doing all things without grumbling or complaining.
[TRANSITION STATEMENT]
That’s THE COMMAND.
Notice #2: The Reasons (vv. 15-16).
Notice #2: The Reasons (vv. 15-16).
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
[EXPOSITION]
There are two reasons Paul gave to the Philippians for why they should do all things without grumbling or disputing.
The first reason had to do with testimony.
The second reason had to do with pride.
{Testimony}
Paul told the Philippians that they should obey this command to do all things without grumbling or disputing so that they would be blameless, innocent, and without blemish.
That is, they should obey this command so that the testimony of the world would be, “The Philippian Christians are blameless.”
The testimony of their consciences would be, “I am innocent.”
And the testimony of God would be, “They are without blemish.”
In other words, the world, their consciences, and God would all testify that they had treated one another in a Christlike manner if they obeyed this command.
Now, this Christlike treatment of one another would set the Philippians apart from the rest of the me-first generation among whom they lived.
Paul described that generation as “a crooked and twisted generation,” which he quoted from , which says...
They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation.
That verse comes from the song of Moses, a song that testifies to God’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness as they turned away from the true God to false gods. By quoting that verse, Paul described the whole world in that way.
The whole world has turned away from the true God and turned to false gods. And chief among false gods is the false god of self or, we might say, the false god of me-first.
By quoting that verse, Paul described the whole world in that way. The whole world has turned away from the true God and turned to false gods.
Thus, as the Philippians lived out a God-and-others-first mindset in a me-first world, they would shine like lights in the world. They would show the way of Christ - the love of Christ - in how they treated one another.
{Pride}
{Pride}
Now the second reason Paul gave for obeying that command to do all things without grumbling or complaining had to do with pride.
Now this is not sinful pride, but God-glorifying pride. It’s the pride that Paul would feel in them on the day of Christ (i.e., the day of judgment) if Christ found them as “children of God without blemish” in regard to how they treated one another.
How proud Paul would be as their pastor to present them to Christ as a unified body, doing all the one another commands without grumbling or complaining.
He would know that his running and laboring, his striving and working, all his effort was not in vain as he got to present them to Christ without blemish in this regard.
In essence, Paul said to the Philippians, “Obey this command so that no one - not the world, not your own consciences, not even God - can justly accuse you of wrongdoing in your treatment of one another. And obey this command to make me proud when we are all standing before Jesus.”
[APPLICATION]
Some innovative churches (and some that only think they are innovative) use the slogan, “Different to make a difference.”
It’s not a bad slogan for a church, but the church that really wants to make a difference will be different in this way: it will do all things - obey all the one another commands concerning the family of God - without grumbling or questioning.
The church that would be different to make a difference will work to do all things so that not even God can find fault with their treatment of one another.
It will work to do all things so that even the most sensitive conscience will have have testify to that church’s innocence in love for and service to one another.
It will work to do all things so that even the Jesus-hating and church-hating world in we live will have to admit that we are without blame when it comes to how we treat one another.
The church that lives out the God-and-others-first mindset to that degree will make a big, bright difference in this dark world.
[ILLUSTRATION]
I was watching something the other night about this group of refugees that had been run out of their homes, but had relocated to some remote mountain top in Thailand.
Changing locations didn’t, however, change their religion. They were animists, which means that they thought that most everything had a divine essence.
It wasn’t until some Christians came to live among them that these people even heard about Jesus. Now, many from that people group have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
When asked what made them interested in Jesus in the first place?
They said it was how the Christians treated one another.
They said watching the Christians interact with one another made them realize they were missing something - and that something was a someone named, Jesus.
[APPLICATION]
Do you think God would say that our obedience to this command to do all things without grumbling or disputing is blameless?
What do our own consciences say?
Do you think anyone would want to follow Christ because of how we treat one another?
[TRANSITION STATEMENT]
{move on to #3}
Notice #3: The How (v. 16a).
Notice #3: The How (v. 16a).
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:16
[APPLICATION]
Maybe we sense that we are not as obedient to this command as we ought to be. Maybe we realize that no one would want to be a Christian based on the way we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. Maybe our consciences are screaming, “Guilty!” rather than, “Innocent!” Maybe we know that God would find us riddled with disobedience rather than without blemish when it comes to this command.
If that’s the case, what do we do? How do we repent? How do we obey this command to do all things - all the one another commands - without grumbling or disputing?
Here’s the answer: We hold fast to the world of life.
[EXPOSITION]
The word of life is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the good news that, although we have sinned against God and deserve to die as a result, God the Father has sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place upon the cross. And then God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This was proof that he had accepted the sacrifice of Jesus and proof that all those who trust in Jesus have been made right with God.
It’s that gospel - that word of life - that called us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s marvelous light.
It’s that word of life that called us from death to life through faith in Christ.
It’s that world of life - the gospel - that changed us and changes us still as we hold fast to it.
[EXPOSITION]
Paul knew the Philippians stood zero chance of treating one another in Christlike manner unless they held on to the gospel - the word of life.
He knew that unless they remembered the graciousness of Good toward them in Christ, they wouldn’t treat one another graciously.
Thus, he reminded them that they were to be people holding fast to the word of life, which is the same as saying that they were to be holding on to Jesus.
[APPLICATION]
Here’s the reality we don’t want to face: when I treat someone in a less-than-Christlike way, it’s because I haven’t been holding fast to Christ.
I haven’t been reminding myself of God’s graciousness toward me in Christ.
I haven’t been filling my mind and heart with the words of Christ, which is every word in the Bible.
I haven’t been pouring my heart out in prayer to Christ.
I haven’t been examining my obedience before Christ.
I haven’t been finding my joy in Christ.
I haven’t been truly worshipping Christ.
I haven’t been living for Christ.
In short, I haven’t been loving Christ.
And when I don’t love him as I should, I will not love his people as he commands.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let’s come to Christ and hold fast to Christ so that we can love one another as Christ commands.
Second command in this passage: Do all things without grumbling or disputing (v. 14)
Why?
Reason #1: Purity ...that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation...
Reason #2: Witness/Projection ...among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the world of life...
Do you know how a projector works?
Reason #3: Pride …so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.