LeRoy May 28th (Philippians 2:13
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Transcript
It’s God who works in you
It’s God who works in you
Songs:
2 Amazing Grace
7 Cornerstone
32 You are my all in all
Favorite
I’ve never restored a vehicle, but it takes a great deal of patience and searching to find parts as well as the energy and skill that is needed bring it back to the original condition.
The closest that I have ever come to restoration was when I fixed the table on my mower/conditioner. I was on some new to me land, and I was swathing some wild oats. The sun was right in my eyes, not literally, but I think each of you know what I mean. I hit a rock that was partially sticking out of the ground. It wasn’t good... I’ll just put it that way.
To make a short story long, I was able to straighten the table where the knife runs, but at the end of the season, I decided to do some major work to make my New Holland 2300 run smoothly. I replaced the knife, and the guards as well as the hold-down clips and the batts on the pick up reel. I wanted to spare no expense so that it could be ready for the next season.
When I was done, it turned so freely and I was pleased with what I had accomplished. Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I’m confident that when God starts a good work in you, He will complete it.
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
Tonight , I’d like to look at a few verses of Scripture from Philippians 2. Let’s start with Philippians 2:12-13
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.
According to this passage, it looks like it’s a both and. God works in us and yet we get to participate in this Christian life. We have been given a free will to choose to serve the Lord.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling
The prophet Isaiah, had a vision of the Lord. After he had seen the Lord, he thought that he was toast. He said,
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
As we see God’s holiness, we see our inadequacies, and yet God’s grace is greater than all of our sin.
Sometimes, we are afraid of people that are in authority, maybe we think that they can ruin our lives. In some countries, they can even take the lives of innocent people.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
God cares for you more than you can even imagine. If every hair on your head is numbered, can He not care for each and every care that you might have? Can He not care for our needs, because He knows us better than we know ourselves.
God works in us
God works in us
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
We aren’t alone. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He starts to work in us. He changes our desires. Things that we never thought we could live without, we find that we don’t do anymore.
God gives us a new heart, and He gives us the power to do the things that please Him. It’s not about will power. Will power is a daily battle, and often we struggle to say no to food, or habits that we have struggled with.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
God has given us everything that we need for a godly life in Christ Jesus. God works in us, as we work. We aren’t saved by works, but we do good works because we are saved.
There is only one place where success comes ahead of work, and that’s in the Dictionary. (John Hagee)
It’s like driving a car. The power is there when we start the engine. We trust that the power steering and brakes will work, but we still have to steer the car, and press the brakes to stop.
God is working in us. He has started a good work in you, and I am confident that He will complete it.
He won’t force us to do anything, but when you hear that small still voice, when your conscience is speaking to you, we need to be willing to change, to listen, to obey.
It’s just like when we’re coming to a stop sign, it’s a warning sign. Let’s do our part, and I am confident that God will do His part.
Let’s pray!
Closing Song : 21 Lord I need you