Untitled Sermon

It’s Father’s Day and I’ve got a parenting question. What’s more important, obedience when mom and dad are looking or obedience when they’re away? It doesn’t take much to fake it and obey when mom and dad are looking. But we’re on to something quite different and more profound if dad isn’t looking and we still obey.

“What you do when nobody is looking is who you are.” Or Robert Murray McCheyne, “What a man is on his knees before Almighty God, that he is, and no more.”

The apostle Paul is separated from his beloved church at Philippi. And they have a few issues that need to be addressed. He has just given us them a beautiful picture of the sacrificial love and obedience of Jesus. It’s a model and a call to unity with one another. In our text this morning he is going to build upon that. See if you can spot what he is calling them to do.

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It has been said, I believe by John MacArthur that your life either tells the truth about God or it tells a lie. I will tell you from the beginning what we are doing with this text. I am to make one major point and it is this. A grumbling and fighting spirit is not properly wrestling with the hope of the gospel. Or to put that positively one who is joyously poured out for gospel advancement is wrestling with the hope of the gospel. A grumbling and complaining spirit isn’t consistent with the character of God. A hopeful, loving, joyous, faithful heart is consistent with God’s character. Love hopes all things.

In other words a grumbling spirit is lying about God. Now that’s a helpful statement but it is only true if we are image bearers. If we aren’t supposed to reflect who God is then it doesn’t really matter what our lives look like. But the overall story of the Bible declares that we are called to be image-bearers. From the beginning pages of Genesis we see that God created man and women in His image. They were told to multiply and fill the earth. This would have spread the image (the glory) of God to the nations. But something happened in . Man rebelled against God’s loving rule, and now the image of God becomes increasingly distorted.

From the beginning pages of Genesis we see that God created man and women in His image. They were told to multiply and fill the earth. This would have spread the image (the glory) of God to the nations. But something happened in . Man rebelled against God’s loving rule, and now the image of God becomes increasingly distorted.

That is a great quote but it is only true if we are image bearers. If we aren’t supposed to reflect who God is then it doesn’t really matter what our lives look like. But the overall story of the Bible declares that we are called to be image-bearers. From the beginning pages of Genesis we see that God created man and women in His image. They were told to multiply and fill the earth. This would have spread the image (the glory) of God to the nations. But something happened in . Man rebelled against God’s loving rule, and now the image of God becomes increasingly distorted.

We see through the early pages of Scripture the horrible story of man’s increasing wickedness. But God does not give up on humanity. He continues to call people out of this darkness. At one point God calls an entire nation out of darkness to be a light to the nations. It is His intention to restore people as true image-bearers. Israel was to lead in this. They were to reflect God and display Him for all to see how great God is. But Israel failed and the image of God was further distorted. Thankfully, God did not stop there. He sent His Son Jesus, the perfect image bearer. He genuinely displays God’s greatness, but He also dies on the cross to restore people to God’s original intent as joyful image bearers. This is the gospel (in part).

But Israel failed and the image of God was further distorted. Thankfully, God did not stop there. He sent His Son Jesus, the perfect image bearer. He genuinely displays God’s greatness, but He also dies on the cross to restore people to God’s original intent as joyful image bearers. This is the gospel (in part).

Jesus saves people out of sin and darkness to once again display His greatness through our enjoyment of Him. And so we are called, as we see in this particular text to live out the gospel. We are called to be genuine image-bearers and to display the image of God to the nations by our life and our lips. That’s the story that is running underneath this text and it’s essentially what Paul is saying in verses 12-13. Quite a bit of ink has been spilled in discussing verse 12 and it’s relationship to verse 13.

Verse 12 can make us Protestants squirm a bit because it seems to sound like we are supposed to work for our salvation. But there is really no need to squirm. If we understand the different ways that Paul uses the word salvation. I don’t think it’s disconnected from what Paul said in 1:19 or 1:28. In verse 19 he uses the word salvation kind of with double meaning. No matter what happens he will be “delivered” either ultimately or he’ll be set free from prison. In 1:28 the major note is of being saved on the last day when we stand before Jesus but even there Paul is saying, “This is a sign that you’re with Jesus”. It’s holistic.

For us when we ask the question, “Are you saved?” what we tend to mean is “are you justified?” or “have your sins been forgiven”. But there is a difference between salvation and justification. Justification for Paul points to our innocence before God. It is by grace alone through faith alone. Completed in one moment. But the word “salvation” means something a bit more.

Although Paul can occasionally refer to salvation as a past event (; , ; ; ), most of his references to it place it in the future, and he often connects salvation with the Day of the Lord (; cf. 3:15; ; ). Those who have been justified can be assured that they will be saved, but their salvation awaits the final day. illustrates the difference between justification and salvation in Paul’s thinking: “Since we have been justified by [Jesus’] blood,” Paul says, “how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

So here is what I see Paul doing here. Notice throughout this letter (and really all of Paul’s writings) how often he is calling his audience to join with him. Look at 1:30. Look at what we saw last week about “complete my joy”. There is a connectedness there. And this whole time I’m convinced Paul has been using his own situation as a bit of an example for them to follow. He’s showing how Jesus has saved him and how this has changed everything about him. It’s only through the power of God that somebody can joyously endure this unjust prison sentence that Paul is enduring. This is all part of his “salvation” his “not being ashamed on the day of Christ”. And so what’s he doing…he is calling them to “work out your own salvation”. Make this your own.

It’s not him saying you need to work to make sure you’re saved or you need to work so that you’re saved or anything like that. When Paul says, “work out your own salvation” the most simple way that I could summarize verse 12 would be to say “Live out the gospel with utmost seriousness”. This is not a call to earn your salvation by your human efforts. That would directly contradict verse 13. Nor is this really talking about initial—accept Jesus into your heart—type of salvation. This is talking about the whole process of salvation. To “work out” means to fully accomplish. This section is another one of those that Paul likes to use—God did this—now you live this out. But it is not like God says, “I started it, now you finish”. Again that would contradict verse 13.

when Paul says, “work out your own salvation” the most simple way that I could summarize verse 12 would be to say “Live out the gospel with utmost seriousness”.

he most simple way that I could summarize verse 12 would be to say “Live out the gospel with utmost seriousness”.

His call in this whole passage is to

This is essentially what Paul is saying in verses 12-13. Now we could spend a ton of time on this particular passage but because we only have a short amount of time I hope to simplify what Paul is saying and work from there. The most simple way that I could summarize verse 12 would be to say “Live out the gospel with utmost seriousness”.

When you see “work out your salvation” this is not a call to earn your salvation by your human efforts. That would directly contradict verse 13. Nor is this really talking about initial—accept Jesus into your heart—type of salvation. This is talking about the whole process of salvation. To “work out” means to fully accomplish. This section is another one of those that Paul likes to use—God did this—now you live this out. But it is not like God says, “I started it, now you finish”. Again that would contradict verse 13.

Verse 13, then, is the fuel for this call. We could spend a ton of time here as well but let’s make it simple. In verse 13 Paul is saying that we are empowered to “live out the gospel with utmost seriousness” or to say that another way God is actively working to make us genuine image bearers. God is changing our desires, He is empowering us, and He is doing all of this for His good pleasure. So, we can sum verse 12 and 13 up by saying, “God is making image-bearers to shine, therefore shine!”

But verse 13 is the fuel for that call. Again, we could spend a ton of time on verse 13 but I will try to make that as simple as possible. In verse 13 Paul is saying that we are empowered to “live out the gospel with utmost seriousness” or to say that another way God is actively working to make us genuine image bearers. God is changing our desires, He is empowering us, and He is doing all of this for His good pleasure.

So, we can sum verse 12 and 13 up by saying, “God is making image-bearers to shine, therefore shine!”

But what specifically does that mean? What does it look like to shine? For that we turn to verse 14. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing”.

Taking a cave tour. Lights go out. Tiny candle lights up a ton. Light shines brightest in the darkest of places. We are called to be light of the world. Our world is filled with outrage. It’s been called a culture of outrage. And sadly, we Christians have joined in this. The social media accounts of many believers doesn’t look much different—more hopeful—than that of unbelievers. You can shine by not being a grumbler. That’s going to stick out like a sore thumb. Any fallen and miserable creature can see the remnants of the fall and find things to complain about. It takes a heart that has been redeemed to tell a bigger and better story.

God has been doing so much in my heart on this issue over the past year or so. Seriously, I’ve been so transformed in this area. But it’s made me hyper-attentive to grumbling and complaining. Even in preparing this sermon I was really attentive as I went to and fro to how much complaining we engage in. It’s really bad. And I’m not talking about the complaining of this monk who joined the monastery:

There is a story that’s behind what Paul is saying in this passage.

I want us to really wrestle with what God is saying to us in this text. “Do all things without grumbling or complaining/disputing/wrangling”. Or consider give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So here is my question. if God calls us to be thankful in all circumstances, do all things without grumbling, what is Jesus doing and ? And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

How do we cry out to God without it becoming a complaint or grumbling? If Scripture says give thanks in all things and do all things without complaining and grumbling what do we do and say whenever life is really tough and difficult? Do we just put on a happy face? Is that what faith looks like?

Or to ask this another way, how do we cry out to God without it becoming a complaint or grumbling? If Scripture says give thanks in all things and do all things without complaining and grumbling what do we do and say whenever life is really tough and difficult? Do we just put on a happy face? Is that what faith looks like?

Or consider this. Scripture says, “Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you.”

You are out in the desert with your family. Food and water is scarce but you are holding onto a promise that just around the corner is an absolutely beautiful land and you’ll be able to enjoy all of it’s fruits. But then a report comes back that the land is filled with enemies—powerful enemies—they aren’t going to just move out and let you have the land. What happens in that moment? Anxiety. Fear. “Cast all your care upon Him because he cares for you.”

But listen to and . And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Or . Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

What is the difference between grumbling, complaining, and casting our care upon the Lord? We know that God is true and every man is a liar. We know that God is consistent and unchanging. We know that the promises are true and that he does want us to cast all of our care upon him. We know that there is a type of and 14 grumbling that is met with wrath and a type of complaint that is met with fatherly care and concern. What’s the difference? How do we obey ?

God gives us the answer in his word. The Hebrew word for the book of Psalms means praises. It is the Hebrew song book. 150 psalms and at least 60 of them are psalms of lament. That means 40% of the songs are about bad situations and praying that God will deliver you from them. To put that another way 40% of the songs in the song book God has given us are biblical complaints. is one of those.

What does this mean? It means there is a believing way of complaining and there is a faithless way of complaining. I believe what Christopher Wright has said is true. Speaking of the frequency of these laments in the Bible he says:

The point we should notice (possibly to our surprise) is that it is all hurled at God, not by his enemies but by those who loved and trusted him the most. It seems, indeed, that it is precisely those who have the closest relationship with God who feel most at liberty to pour out their pain and protest to God without fear of reproach. Lament is not only allowed in the Bible; it is modeled for us in abundance. God seems to want to give us as many words with which to fill in our complaint forms as to write our thank-you notes.

And yet we have forgotten this language or perhaps never even been taught how to speak the language of lament. In times of difficulty, whether it is as simple as a bad day or a horrendous phone call or being wrong accused, we resort to what we know. And that is often unhelpful Christian platitudes—often only slightly connected to Scripture. Or we follow the path of unbelief and begin grumbling—which is the unbelieving way of complaint.

Again I turn to Christopher Wright:

…the language of lament is seriously neglected in the church. Many Christians seem to feel that somehow it can’t be right to complain to God in the context of corporate worship when we should all feel happy. There is an implicit pressure to stifle our real feelings because we are urged, by pious merchants of emotional denial, that we ought to have “faith” (as if the moaning psalmists didn’t). So we end up giving external voice to pretended emotions we do not really feel, while hiding the real emotions we are struggling with deep inside. Going to worship can become an exercise in pretence and concealment, neither of which can possibly be conducive for a real encounter with God. So, in reaction to some appalling disaster or tragedy, rather than cry out our true feelings to God, we prefer other ways of responding to it.

Here is why I’m doing this sermon…..coming to church heavy and burdened. What do you do? Do you fake it? You see I’m convinced that part of the reason why we engage in unbiblical complaining and grumbling is because we’ve never learned the language of lament. I want this morning to explore how the Bible tells us to grieve…to complain…to make our requests known to God…to cry out to God our true feelings and to do it in a way that is not following the unbelieving Israelites but to do it in a way which even Jesus did.

I’ve actually done a decent amount of study on this and I’ve found three major differences between the language of lament and the language of grumbling.

I’ve actually done a decent amount of study on this and I’ve found three major differences between

First, the language of lament deals with what is, while the grumbler deals in the could be’s

Look at .

They are actually engaging in false prophecy and fortune telling here. “Our children will die in this land”. They don’t know that do they? In fact what happens? Later God says, “those kids you said would die…actually they will live in the promised land, but not a single one of you b/c of your unbelief (except Caleb and Joshua) are going to set foot in the Promised Land.

As I studied this I found that in almost every instance of grumbling the people were engaging in fortune telling. They were anticipating that things would turn out badly and that feeling became almost an already established fact. And as I studied through every one of the psalms of lament this is something I never saw.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Even in perhaps the darkest Psalm. there is no fortune telling. It deals with what is. So it’s not grumbling when I say God this hurts. This is what my emotion is right now. This is what I’m feeling. This is what I’m thinking. The Psalmist asks, “How Long, O Lord? And the grumbler says, “I’ll tell ya how long.”

What is going on here…it’s reflective of that heart of unbelief. It’s taking the position of God. Only God knows the future. But the grumbler puts himself in the place of God—omniscient, ah I know how this is going to turn out. Seen this before. He places himself above the situation.

Secondly, The language of lament trusts in God’s character, the grumbler questions God’s character

We are going to die out here. Why did you bring us out here to kill us? It’s questioning the goodness of God. But lament never questions the character of God. “God I know you are good—but this doesn’t make sense. What is going on right now, God”. Do you see the difference? My God, my God why have you forsaken me. But also declares the goodness and greatness of God throughout. Lament has the good character of God as a non-negotiable. It’s not up for question. While also having one foot on the ground and dealing with the muck and mire of a fallen world.

Thirdly, The language of lament rests in God’s sovereignty, the grumbler kicks against it

This was an interesting one that I found so often in the Psalms of lament compared to the grumblers. and . There is a connection here I believe. Look at Korah’s problem. Who put you in charge…we are just like you Moses and Aaron. Who put you in charge Jesus. We know your family, you are a Galilean just like us. It’s kicking against what God has done with someone else and how it relates to you. It’s discontentment with your own lot.

I also noticed threats and unholy actions so often resulted. Go back to Egypt. I’m not following your leadership any more Moses and Aaron. I’m going to abandon Jesus because of these hard things.

But why does this matter? Is this just making sure we say right words? The Scriptures aren’t concerned with lip service. God is after our hearts. The biggest issue is that the heart of a grumbler isn’t trusting Jesus. We see this on full display in .

The grumbling in .

God provided the Manna. God provided the living bread.

We don’t like it

1) Food over Sabbath---rather be fed than fathered

2) Couldn’t give up their sovereignty, they couldn’t trust God just as in Numbers

3) They are offended at his claims---just as in Korah’s rebellion

4) And the metaphor itself that Jesus uses about union with Himself

This is hard who can accept it. It’s not a problem of understanding it’s a problem of following. It’s not information they lack its obedience. They don’t actually want to follow Jesus and so they resort to grumbling against him. Tear him down to size.

That is inconsistent with thanksgiving. But lament is not. So how was Jesus praying from the Cross and still doing so with a heart of thanksgiving? How can we pray the Psalms of lament and still be obedient to the Scriptures about joy, thanksgiving, trust, etc. Because what we are doing in these is saying…

Here is reality…here is how I feel about this reality…but yet I hope and trust in you. I know that this isn’t the end of the story. This is what praise and trust and faith is. It’s seeing things as they actually are and trusting in the character of God. It’s a belief that perhaps our eyes and our limited perspective is deceiving us. It refuses to question the way that God is ordering His world and a the same time refusing to believe that it doesn’t actually hurt. It’s fully human with eyes fixed on the Lord.

And this is why you end up shining like stars. Believers know the full story. I said it earlier and I’ll say it again, any fallen and miserable creature can see the remnants of the fall and find things to complain about. It takes a heart that has been redeemed to tell a bigger and better story. And that’s what Paul means when he speaks of shining like stars. It comes from . What Paul is doing here is showing how believers with new hearts are doing what Israel failed to do in the wilderness. But God has redeemed our hearts through Jesus. And so we are shining. Something different is taking place.

Grumbling is consistent with rebellion. It’s consistent with the fall. But redemption is telling a sweeter story. What can cause a man to be “poured out like a drink offering” and to do it joyously? And then have the gall to invite others into the fire with him? Only those who’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

There is quite a bit of truth to what Charles Spurgeon said many years ago:

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A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, "Do you have anything to say?" The monk replied, "Food bad." After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts. He said, "Bed hard." Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, "I quit." "It doesn't surprise me a bit. You've done nothing but complain ever since you got here."

I’m talking about just the everyday grumbling that happens when we interact with one another at the gas station, the grocery store, the restaurant, our friendships. Keep your ears open to this. Notice how quickly we jump in on this. Notice how we have a tendency to bond on these issues. Friends this is not where we want to bond. This is not helping our witness it’s is muddying it up. Thanksgiving is important to the mission.

A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels, "Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we -- not you -- ought to cry out!" Those complain first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped up in a napkin. 

But work isn’t going to be the answer. “Fear and trembling” is. What does that mean? It means awe.

Feast on the work of Jesus and the character of God.

Poured out like a drink offering. Joyously partnering in this. How does this happen? Where does this come from?

It is God who is at work in you....He is changing everything.