A "Drink Offering" Series

INTRODUCTION

Paul began chapter 2 calling for the church to have an attitude of humility and cooperation standing together during a time of persecution.

Last week, Paul explained that our development, our mindset, our attitude in life, should model that as of Christ Jesus Himself. Today, he teaches that if we portray a spirit of humility then Christ will shine through our lives. We (as John said) must “decrease” so that He can “increase”.

We must be like that of a “DRINK OFFERING”.

A life that is so consumed by Christ that others do NOT SEE OURSELF, BUT INSTEAD they see JESUS CHRIST!

Continuing from showing the attitude and example of Christ, he now begins by saying in VS 12 ‘THEREFORE’ - ON ACCOUNT OF THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS…

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 2:12-18

VERSES 12 & 13

12-1) ‘work out your salvation’

The phrase “work out” means -

- Carry out to the goal – to cultivate – to fully complete the assignment

Salvation talks about the work of Christ - to achieve Christlikeness

SO it becomes: CARRY OUT THE GOAL OF BECOMING CHRISTLIKE

12-2) ‘fear & trembling’

Not a ‘terror’ but a ‘caution’. A ‘caution’ that says: Think before you talk, Pray before you act, Seek before you step.

A ‘caution’ that considers ‘whether or not’ one’s actions will please or displease – NOT ANOTHER – but GOD!

[SCR] – 1 PETER 1.17

1 Peter 1:17 (NIV)

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

A ‘reverent’ fear that exercises caution in showing disrespect to God by the manner in which we live.

The thought is completed in VS 13 showing the other side of the relationship

13-1) ‘God who works in you’

Vs. 12 described our ‘work to become like Christ’. Now he describes God’s working in our life…

13-2) ‘to will and to act’

Lit – ‘the willing and the doing’. The ‘willing’ which is always being done by God in a way that He WANTS AND DESIRES to works in our lives to bring glory to Him Name.

DON’T MISS THE WORD “WORK” – on both sides:

The GRK meaning for ‘WORK’ is ‘worketh’ & gives us our word ‘ENERGETIC’

God, through His Spirit, ‘energizes’ ‘US’ (12a) giving us the desire, the intent, the energy to become like Christ as ‘HE’ (13) works in us to carry out His good and perfect will (purpose) we’ve talked about in Ephesians 2.10!

[SCR] READ HEBREWS 13.21

God WORKS by ‘equipping’ us and building up ‘energy’ for OUR WORK which is ‘doing His will’. Paul shows that both work at the same thing – to make us more Christlike!

TRANSITION

And in doing this work, through this relationship, we are to ‘shine like the stars in the universe’…

VERSES 14 – 16

14-1) ‘EVERYTHING – w/out complaining or arguing’

The words here seem obvious and on ONE side – it is.

a) ‘grumblings’ and deals with our actions & attitudes toward each other.

b) ‘arguing’ describes an ‘inward murmuring’ dealing with our attitude towards GOD. Listen to the AMPLIFIED:

Philippians 2:14 (AMP)

14 Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves],

- When we grumble towards another – that thought is easy to understand.

- But when we complain, doubt, and fuss from within, we are actually doing so to God Himself.

Don’t want to…, I can’t…, I’m not good enough…, Too tired… etc.

INSTEAD (15)

15-1) ‘shine like stars in the universe’

One key thought. ‘BE A LIGHT!’ When you go outside at night, you see that stars in the sky. When GOD LOOKS DOWN on this dark world, He sees THOSE WHO ARE HIS OWN as little LIGHTS DOWN HERE.

‘w/out fault’: But a light that doesn’t go light and dim and light and dim BUT one that just as Christ showed through His life and death, shines all the time.

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever noticed what often happens when a light burns out? Many times when a light is turned on for the last time it produces a sudden burst of light until the element burns into darkness. A sudden explosion of light is followed by the search for a new lightbulb.

None of us would want to light our homes with flash bulbs. We want a steady consistent light that will make the room comfortable to be in. Our lives are to have that same kind of consistency.

Jesus said that our lives should be as lights for the world to see.

As ‘children of God’ Paul says “shine like STARS IN THE UNIVERSE”. Live in a way that shows no fault.

This little light of mine – I’m gonna let it shine.