07. God's Work In You

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Genesis 2:15 NASB95

Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

From the very beginning… God intended mankind to work, to have responsibility! This is prior to sin entering the world, prior to the fall… those things would male work harder.

In our society today it almost feels like more view work as a four letter word!

There is no desire to do something if it takes effort

There is no taking responsibility for ones actions or inaction's

Laziness has permeated the hearts and minds of our society

Foolishness has become common… Proverbs has something to say about these attitudes we see becoming more prominent in our society

Proverbs 18:9…

Proverbs 18:9 NASB95

He also who is slack in his work Is brother to him who destroys.

Proverbs 21:25…

Proverbs 21:25 NASB95

The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;

There is quite a bit more but for the sake of time I think you get the point… Paul addressed this attitude with the Corinthian church. (THAT IS RIGHT… CHURCH!!!) We are not immune from this mindset and attitude! 1 Corinthians 3:11-16

1 Corinthians 3:11–16 NASB95

For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

I address all of this to help set a scriptural foundation for you as we look at our passage today in Philippians 2:12-18 . Paul is addressing what we DO, more importantly we will see what GOD IS DOING… the sanctification work in you and me! Paul will look at the concept, the attitude, and product of this work...

Philippians 2:12–18 NASB95

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

The Concept of Our Work

I stated when we started this amazing letter to the Philippians that the chapter breaks actually make sense.

In Chapter 1 we Paul able to rejoice in circumstances due to a single minded focus on Christ and being in His service.

In Chapter 2 Paul shifts from the single minded focus to having the mind of Christ, submissive and selflessness.

With this mindset consider how Paul begins with “SO THEN...” , You and I have an example! Christ Himself

Humble and obedient attitude, lifted up by God!

Our example goes beyond image and challenges us to look at the substance! (and that takes work!)

Think through these two verses with me...

Obedience… Paul commends their attitude of obedience… an attitude like Christ!… and it does not depend on who is around or not!

“Work out your salvation...” (Accomplish) NOT FOR YOUR SALVATION!

We don’t try to work for or earn salvation shaking in fear that we may not do or be ENOUGH!

Christ was and is enough! This is called sanctification… becoming more Christ like (and we have an example!)

The NLT states this well… Philippians 2:12-13

Philippians 2:12–13 (NLT)

...Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Fear and trembling should keep us from being arrogant or self-righteous why...

“God is at work IN YOU” (Implementing)

God is the One who is WORKING to make us into the IMAGE / LIKENESS of His Son

He is working harder than you and I are

“Will and work for His PLEASURE” (Function)

You and I ARE children of God, YET… we serve Him

We serve to do His will, we serve at His pleasure for His pleasure! (Never forget this!)

But also remember, God is good… Narnia quote: “ Aslan, He’s a lion! Is He safe? Beaver replies, SAFE! have you not been listening, He is a lion, NO! He is not safe, but He is good!”

With that in mind we shift from our thinking through this to looking at our attitude in what we do...

The Attitude of Our Work

Did you notice how vague Paul was here as he writes these believers… “DO ALL THINGS” (THIS IS A TOTALITY) without:

GRUMBLING: Your discontentment expressed… internal murmurings of the heart

DISPUTING: Debating, to argue about differences of opinion… external conflict with others

BOTH deal with our attitude about how we approach what we do

THE REASON: is absolutely powerful…

We live in a dark and perverse generation

Our ATTITUDES are a light for the world to see

That generation may not have known… Paul, Peter, John, or even Jesus personally

But they knew the Philippian believers

The world around you sees you… this generation

We do this by holding fast / firmly to the Word of God

Paul states the product of such work, such efforts, as the church strives to have the mind of Christ… he rejoices over the Product of our Work...

The Product of Our Work

First of all Paul would glory or be proud of them… because he didn’t toil, or work in vain!

Paul admits serving the Lord is hard work “poured out like a drink offering” … in other words Paul has sacrificed in his serving and work.

Paul is rejoicing in his service… (in prison, hardships, gospel going forth!)

He encourages them to enter into his joy!

Paul says share with me what and how God is working IN YOU and THROUGH YOU!!!

Share your work, your service, your difficulties… so he too could enter into their JOY

But Pastor Jed… it is so hard, the world is so evil, living for and serving the Lord is so stressful and not easy… LOOK TO CHRIST hold FIRMLY to His Word!!!

Scripture says:

Take my (Christ) yoke, it is easy and the burden is light

Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world

The world is watching… what an honor to serve our great God, to live and do ALL we do for His glory and it produces true joy in our lives and hearts that we can share.

SIN has made work difficult… BUT CHRIST has made work and serving God a JOY!!!

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