Playing Till the Whistle pt. 2
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Last week we began walking through this passage, Philippians 2:12-18 and its very practical implications from the previous week’s deeply theological passage. I told a story about how I used to play football and had learned that you always play till you heard the whistle blow. I related that to the Christian life in that we must be continually working out our salvation with fear and trembling until the whistle blows on our lives, whether that be death or the return of Christ. Today we are going to deal with the second part of these verses in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi.
We looked at the connection between our work and God’s work in verses 12-13 and how Paul acknowledged their obedience but then commanded continued obedience to God and offered them encouragement. Our motivation to continue in this journey of sanctification is that God is working in us. As Christ-followers we have that guarantee.
Remember, we are saved by grace through faith. Paul is not advocating for salvation by works. He says to work OUT your salvation and not work FOR your salvation. This is the practical living out of our Christian life and growing more conformed to the image of Christ.
In today’s sermon, we are going to continue to look at this focal passage while exploring the connection between avoiding grumbling and shining as lights in this world and the connection between sacrifice and rejoicing.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
15 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,
16 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.
17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
I. The connection between avoiding grumbling and shining as lights in the world. (v.14-15)
I. The connection between avoiding grumbling and shining as lights in the world. (v.14-15)
Paul gives us an admonition to do all things without grumbling or complaining.
When we express our discontentment and start arguing with one another, it leads to a spirit of division in the community of believers. It brings division into the church. Paul instructs the Philippian Christians to abandon these things and do that which promotes unity in the church.
Does that mean we must agree on everything?
NO.
But we must be unified. Unfortunately what happens a lot of times is people begin to see that things in the church are changing or not going the way they want them to. Their preference isn’t being met. In some cases, they believe their preference isn’t just their thing but that it’s the only godly thing to do. And what they do is they start talking to their friends about it. Or kind of murmuring and grumbling in the background. Paul addresses these issues right here. He does that because Christian perseverance is hard. You are doing things that your flesh wars against. You’re showing godly hospitality, forgiving those who have wronged you, loving those around you, your spouse, and your kids, and sharing the gospel. It’s difficult doing these parts of Christian discipleship sometimes and when our heart is out of joint with it, the temptation is to complain and grumble. It’s not just established churches that deal with this. Even young church plants deal with it. I read a church planter who said,
Exalting Jesus in Philippians Avoid Grumbling and Arguing (2:14)
In our young church plant I have watched people come and go in two-and-a-half short years. Often people come in with great enthusiasm for all that’s involved in a church plant—the sacrifices, the challenges, the relationships, the risk, the vision. Then over time, the honeymoon ends, seasons change, and disappointment and discontentment set in. The temptation to complain and argue becomes very strong. This is also a temptation for the pastors! The challenges of leading a church could tempt one to live in self-pity and despair, spewing out Israel-like grumblings.
Did you catch that he said Israel- like grumblings? Did you wonder what in the world he was meaning by that?
We can see grumbling and arguing and it’s effects in the people of Israel in the Old Testament.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
God had delivered them from Egypt. But eventually, they get discontented with their situation and don’t recognize or acknowledge God’s provision for them.
24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
They grumbled against God about the food they had to eat and they grumbled about the leadership of Moses. The outcome was that God has them wander in the wilderness for 40 years until all of the generation of complainers died.
26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me,
Complaining and grumbling sometimes shows itself via whispers against an individual person. Sometimes it rises to the level of vocal arguments. I’ve seen both in churches and disunity follows. Again, these generally aren’t over things that truly matter. However, if we have a genuine concern, there is a biblical way we are to go about dealing with a personal difference and it does not include complaining and grumbling or having an argument.
I’ve been going through the book “Lead” , by Paul David Tripp and I stumbled upon this quote yesterday and I knew I had to drop it into the sermon because it was so spot on with this.
Even though I may not be aware of it, my complaint about the bad service at a restaurant is not just a complaint about my particular server but also about the manager who trained her and watches how she does her work.Grumbling about horizontal difficulty is at once a complaint against the one who lords over those difficulties.
And here's what's deadly about this. A life of quiet or not so quiet complaint hammers away at your confidence in the wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness of God. It causes you to rest less comfortably in his care. Why? Well, because you tend not to seek out and rely on someone whom you no longer trust.
In verse 15 we see Paul contrast this idea of grumbling and arguing with blameless and innocent. What he’s doing is contrasting the purity expected of God’s children with the sinful ways of the world around us.
Shine Like Stars
Allusion to OT Daniel 12:2-3
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
When God’s children reflect God’s character in their conduct, it makes them stand out against the backdrop of darkness in the world. It shines brightly and puts on display not your goodnesss, but the transformative power of the gospel.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Not only should we avoid complaining and grumbling because it sows division but also because it’s offensive to God. We don’t want to offend the Lord and in not doing it, we shine out against the darkness in the world.
We have an opportunity everyday to use our language for that which dishonors God or that which honors God. When someone asks you how you are doing, what do you say?
“Better than I deserve.” - Dave Ramsey’s response. If they wonder at your response it gives you an immediate opportunity to talk about the good and the rescue from your sin that you have in Jesus. Because if you know Jesus then you truly are better than you deserve.
How do we do this? (avoid grumbling and complaining so that we shine like stars)
By holding firm to the word of life. - refers to the message that brings life: The Gospel
As a follower of Christ, a Christian, your mission is to proclaim and defend the Word of Life. It’s our source of vitality.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
II. The connection between sacrifice and rejoicing.
II. The connection between sacrifice and rejoicing.
When in verse 17, Paul says he be poured out like a drink offering, that sounds strange to us. In the ancient world you could pour a drink out as an offering to a god. I’m wondering if that’s where our expression, “pour one out,” truly comes from. (maybe delete that)
When he talks about them as as source of pride, he is talkign about the fact that the Chrsitians in Phillipi who are mostly not Jewish but Gentiles represent the fulfillment of Paul’s ministry - his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles.
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
Paul rejoices amidst his suffering. He is following the example of Jesus who was not only willing but actually joyous to suffer for the sake of the gospel. It brought Paul joy to suffer so that the gospel would go forth. It brought Jesus joy to suffer so that the plan of God of salvation for men would be accomplished.
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
If you follow Jesus in an honest and faithful way, you will suffer. And you can look forward to the joy on the other side of it for sure, but I am telling you that God can give you joy unbounded even in the midst of your suffering. If He is your Lord, your King, your Savior, then you can have JOY. I’m not talking about being happy. I’m talking about a deeper thing.
Conclusion and call to action/response
Play till the whistle(trumpet)… the day of Christ
Look forward to it. But don’t stop till it comes.
Where are you at with this message?