Entrusted with your faith

Introduction/Scripture

Philippians 2:12–16 NIV

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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 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 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.

Pray.

Entrusted with something illustration. School?

When I was discerning a call into ministry. We were praying about how this would work out. We couldnt afford seminary. God brought people out of the woodwork to help it happen.

Entrusted with this responsibility. But I have to live into it. I have to work this thing out. I did not earn it, it was given to me. And at the same time it is up to me to flesh it out. To steward over this gift.

Stewardship Campaign: Entrusted

Stewardship is defined as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

It begins in an acknowledgment of what has been given to you. To us. Entrusted.

We have been entrusted with:

faith

the next generation

financial resources

with the gospel

So we are running at some things hard in the coming year that have surfaced in prayer and discernment as our focus.

Impacting our next generation by fully staffing children and youth departments.

Growing Christians in faith as people move forward along the discipleship pathway programs.

Expanding our global impact by taking discipleship training to Tanzania.

Strengthening our partnership with Vida Abundante Methodist Church.

Expanding our digital and social media outreach by hiring a digital ministries staff member.

Over the next four weeks we will be calling you Marvin members to join us in this journey. Inviting the rest of you to prayerfully join too.

First, the call is the faith that has been entrusted to you. And that is what brings us to Paul and the letter to Philippi:

Background

Let’s look at the letter a little. This letter does not develop one idea throughout the book of Philippians like he does with some of his other stuff. I wouldnt even say there was some main problem he was trying to address much like corinthians and other places.

The center of gravity is this hymn, or poem that is right in the middle of chapter two.

All these vignettes operate around this poem that describes the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, exaltation. And then all the other sections kind of takes key ideas and explores it.

Our section is right there after the poem. Let’s look at it:

Philippians 2:6–11 NIV

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

then the next verse is our first one:

Philippians 2:12 NIV

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,

anytime you see therefore in english, pay attention to what is going on around it.

Faith begins in response to the Gospel

This is what faith is…your response to this gospel. When Paul says to work out your salvation....the first part of that is for you to respond to this truth. I dont want to make assumptions about who is in the room. I grew up in church and did not know Jesus. I grew up in a church going family and there are still some in my fam that have not responded to this gospel.

John Wesley on justifying faith:

more than the apostles (full confidence in the cross and resurrection

more than just intellectual acknowledgment but an obedient walking after him.

Therefore, work out your salvation

This is the verb, the command for the whole section. We have compressed salvation down to a single moment. Salvation is the entirety from the moment that God’s grace began to call you to Him....all the way through Glory. The command here is to work it out that which has been accomplished. The words could be apply, or fulfill, or live in.

A couple of questions we should ask here. What does it mean to work out this salvation? And how do we do it? This is where the entrusted comes into play. Two things are required....

Two things to see here

Individual responsibility and corporate application

Diligence and intentionality

Individual responsibility and corporate application

Also, this verb is plural. So in texan…yall work our yall’s salvation. Paul is writing to the whole group. To the church and collectively he says that all yall must work out your salvation.

I wanted to title this series, “It’s not my job.” Because with each one of these entrusted, there is this sentiment that the responsibility falls on someone else.

Covid exposed this, as everyone was sent home and quickly the church was not there to feed content. You felt this if you thought to yourself....how do I do this now?

I felt this.

Here is the thing, I cannot follow Jesus for you.

But then, there is a corporate responsibility. The means of grace comes in community. Means of grace is the avenue, the ordinary means through which God brings the extraordinary.

Scripture, prayer, worship, Holy Communion, fasting,

You have to show up.

Diligence and Intentionality

Then Paul says to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

I was discipling a young man for a while that God so caught up on this verse and iterations of it where we are called to have a fear of God. He would say, “why are we to fear God, isn't he love?”

Growing up, I can think of one time when my dad was going to kick my butt. I outran him in the house....but besides that he was never one to invoke fear. But I feared him.... not how you think usually, but because he loved me so much I wanted to live up to it.

When you hear of what Christ has done, when you live into what God has done for you, it should bring about respect and awe.

God is at Work in you

Now here is the radical thing, the promise of Philippians 2 when it comes to working out your salvation is not simply a, well now you need to work hard. The beautiful thing is that there is this stupid radical promise married to our responsibility and that is that we show up because God is at work in us.

Philippians 2:12–13 NIV

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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do you see this radical two way street?

Because of what Christ has done for you..... work out your salvation.....work out your salvation because what Christ is doing in you.

New birth.

When you give your yes to God. When you follow him, there are two changes that take place.

A Relative change:

lost —> found

orphan —> Family

Dead in Sin —> Alive in Christ

In relation to God, your position has now changed. I think we get that.

But there is also a real change

The Spirit of God brings new life in you. The old is gone and the new is here.

I think here we are functional atheists. Faith. Hope. Love. poured into the life. Now afforded to you. Born in you. is the spirit that Raised Jesus from the dead.

Closing:

These doors will be wide open. We want to reach as many people as possible. We will have Easter in Bergfeld with 800 people. We will practice hospitality and be invitational for visitors. But we will continually call you to take hold of that which has taken hold of you, as Paul would put it.

You have been entrusted with life. Now walk in it.