Shining as Stars
Notes
Transcript
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it’s really great to see you all here today… after my last message I thought maybe 1/2 more would have said enough of this guy, I’m moving on!
I understand that I was pretty hard on you. I was maybe asking questions of you that you weren’t used to answering.
We talked about the who and why we are followers of Jesus.
What would we do if we are asked to sacrifice our very lives for following Jesus and what we see if we look in a mirror, what kind of follower of Jesus do we see?
Ultimately and thankfully Jesus isn’t nearly as concerned about our past as he is about our future.
We can make a change, a new way with Christ anytime in our lives. Dedicating our way to the things of Christ. Leaving our previous life behind.
That does come with a warning… we don’t know the day or the hour, or even the minute or second when we are going to be called to heaven or when Jesus will return.
We must not be caught at that time, not in redemptive relationship with Jesus, because...
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
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That should give us all an urgency for our friends, our enemies, and our world that needs to come to faith in Christ.
Let’s get our passage… Phil 2.13-30
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,
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“Therefore...”
When we see a “Therefore” in scripture we really must pay attention to what the “there” is Therefore. This is called good exegesis. Because context is everything especially in these verses.
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There is a lot here to unpack...
“Therefore my dear friends...” - Paul here is reflecting back to the beginning of the letter. And he is specifically calling the first hearers of the letter “dear friends.”
Here is the question that he asked the Philippians and by extension us
Do we deserve to be called good friends of the Gospel, do we make salvation, our own and others a privilege in our lives?
And finally at the end the verse...
“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
Now wait a minute Jeff, You have told me over and over and in a hundred ways that salvation and living a redemptive life is not about “works” but it by faith “alone.”
Yes and yes, I would advise anyone, who volunteers at church and other really good causes in our community who does this work to get to heaven or to please God to STOP!
As the prophet Hosea says...
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
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Stop “doing” and start “being” a follower of Jesus!
For those of us who are saved by Grace through Faith alone… For those us that at the core of our spiritual being know beyond any doubt are not only hearers of the Word but are ready to be “doers” of the Word…
A world of service awaits… Shining as stars!
I think about the many, many service opportunities there are in our community. And I know how you serve in many of those.
I’m not saying there is not room for more.
If you’d like to begin with something simple think about our food bank here in Sunnyside.
Lot’s of work to be done, different kinds of work to done all in service to the less fortunate in our community.
“Fear and Trembling.” - Don’t be “afraid” of God and when standing before him there is no need to tremble. your relationship with God should be dealt with in all seriousness and reverence do to Him as the creator of the universe and everything that is in it.
I want to look at the New Living Translation for verses 14 and 15
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,
15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
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If you underline in your bible… take out your pen or marker
Underline verses 14-15.
Isn’t interesting that roughly 2000 year ago this was written but yet it speaks LOUDLY to who we are and we should be. We should be shining as stars in the universe.
Paul loves to use the Old Testament. He was a OT expert before encountering the Lord. He soon realized that he scriptures from the very beginning calls for an inclusion of Jews and Gentiles and by extension everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.
The world of the OT is active then and now. Moses complains of the treatment of the Lord
5 They have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation.
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Question: Can all of us agree here that we can draw a line in the sand and NOT be part of a world full of crooked and perverse people in this generation?
That we teach our children and our adults that we are followers of Jesus and no longer have to live like that...
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.
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Don’t let Paul’s sacrifice be for NOTHING! He is poured out as a drink offering, a metaphor that would have been clearly understood at the time.
Our understanding of the phrase should be something like this...
“Even if we feel like we are being persecuted for our faith, sometimes to imprisonment or death.
We are willing to do that because we see service and sacrifice from our brother and sisters in Christ. Because of this we should be glad and rejoice!”
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We see and hear from our world, imprisonment and torture for the sake of Christ. For some reason, only known by God we have for the most part escaped that here in the United States.
As we wander farther away from our foundational principles we too can expect increasing pressure and tension on the remaining who call on Jesus.
WHEN THIS HAPPENS… We should those “Shining as Stars in the universe.” And stand up fearlessly and courageously in our faith.
Paul commands the Philippians and by extension us to stand true, to have the mind of Christ, and to work out their salvation in obedience.
Above all they and we are called to be like Christ!
There is a break here in this passage… Paul knows his time in chains is coming to an end and his death is near.
It is important that he sends out disciples 2X2 to continue his work.
He sends out two Shining as Stars, among many possibilities
The first is Timothy,
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.
20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.
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Timothy’s qualifications...
He takes a genuine interest in your welfare and
Verse 22
22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
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So… what does it take to “Shine as a Star”
A genuine interest in the welfare of others
And serving in the work of Gospel
Let me see what I observe here is Sunnyside, WA. How the people treat each other. Owner, manager, worker in a dairy in a business, a restaurant, a farm, a warehouse....
It’s not perfect and we have some distance to go… but there is a leveling of the playing field going on. Owners, managers know that they need workers and workers know that they need owners and managers to provide.
Now let’s see if we can make the leap to serving Paul with the work of the Gospel.
Winning other with the Good News.
The other is a Epaphroditus...
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
These two stand as further examples of the mind of Christ. They both served unselfishly considering others better and themselves.
They were each of value to the church and together the formed a team that represented who Paul was to the church and were active in ministry long after Paul was martyred.
Question: So what stops us from having the character of Timothy and Epaphroditus, of having the zeal for the Gospel that they did.
Us!
Here is some application in our lives
We stop ourselves from taking the next step in our lives...
We get “saved” and then think, whew, I’m in. I can stop because I’m in, done, I’m saved.
I got wet, I committed my life or for us baptists, I committed life then I got wet so now I’m good.
You see those two acts in whatever order simply prepared us for what’s next.
Let’s use Jesus as an example and his baptism, his beginnings to ministry
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
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This was the beginning of Jesus ministry… This was his opportunity to call His disciples, show His Miracles, show His healing of the lame and the blind.
Ultimately it was his job to train and lead and to give the Holy Spirit to ALL believers. And to go back to father, leaving the “work” to us
He left us with a pattern to become “Shining Stars.” Please don’t get me wrong… accepting Christ as your personal savior leads you to everlasting life with Him in Heaven.
But there is SO MUCH MORE!
If you have doubts and questions… let me remind you of the Apostle Thomas.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Ya, that’s easy for you Jeff, you haven’t experienced the faith rocking, doubt encouraging life that I have...
Let’s compare stories… I show you how I came to my conclusion and you tell me how you got to yours.
I’m not going to hammer down for your conclusion...
I’m going to share mine and let God do His thing...
Here is another...
Jeff, my sin is so great I can never be forgiven… ever!
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
There is NO SIN greater than any other. Claim the verse in your life, your sin is NOT as great as the power of Christ to forgive from 1 John 2.
The New International Version Chapter 2
But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
I’m not trying to convince you of anything.
You see when you accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit, all of Him came into your life. He gave us gifts. It’s our responsibility to use them.
As we close, let me bring this back to the place that we started
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 according to his good purpose.
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
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.
Remember you are “Shining as Stars” use this light in our world to win as many as possible to redemptive relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let’s Pray!