THE OUTWORKING OF GOD’S INWORKING Philippians 2:12-18
Proposition: The Lord desires His people to live out what God has already worked within that life when that person trusted Christ.
Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to diligently work out what God has worked within in total commitment to the Lord.
INTRODUCTION: DRIVING ON THE PRECIPICE
Illus: Tapping their feet nervously, three men stood in line, each awaiting an interview for a highly paid job during a time of severe economic recession. Finally, seated before the interviewer, the first man was posed this question. “You are being interviewed for the position of truck driver on the most dangerous road in the world, the 43-mile-long Unduavi-Yolosa Highway in Bolivia. On one side, the road clings to the cliffs of the Andes Mountains; on the other side there is a precipice with a 1600 foot plunge to the ravine below. There are no guard rails at all; only crosses placed by grieving relatives of the thousands who have plunged to their deaths since the highway was built 60 years ago. Would your normal driving habits permit you to drive at the edge of the road next to the precipice, or in the middle of the road, or snugly against the mountain?” The first man answered without hesitation. “I could easily drive right along the edge. I’m a skilled and confident driver and I’ve never had a wreck. I’m not afraid of anything and I’m willing to take risks to get the truck to its destination on time. I’m your man.” The second man responded, “I would stay in the middle of the road because I feel safest there. You can always count on me to arrive safely.” The third man replied, “I would stay as far from the edge of the precipice as possible to protect myself, the truck and its cargo. I would not drive in the middle because I could get hit from trucks coming from both directions. I would seek the safest place possible and that would be driving snugly against the mountain.” His answer won him the job. This is also the best answer for our walk with Christ as we let God working out what He already has worked within.
“Work out your own salvation” is really the central message of our text. We are called to work out what God has already worked in. Salvation, you see, is a process. Sometimes we forget that because of the way we use the word. When we ask someone whether they are saved, what we are really asking is whether they have made a commitment to Christ. Salvation, on the other hand, refers to the fullness of God’s redemption. Salvation begins with regeneration–– we call it being born again. It continues with sanctification–– the process of spiritual maturity whereby we are progressively conformed to the image of Christ. It culminates in glorification–– when we receive our spiritual bodies and are brought into the actual presence of God. If you are Christian, you are now in this second stage of salvation–– sanctification. God desires that, over time, every area of our lives becomes transformed. Paul gives us several pictures of Christians who are Christ-minded and doing this. He portrays them as obedient children of God, seeking to honor the Father; as stars shining in a dark world; and as athletes who hold out their batons to the next runner. In vv. 17-18, Paul describes himself as a drink-offering being poured out on the altar. Where there is Christ-mindedness, the humble mind, there must be sacrifice and service.
I. GOD WORKS IN A WILLING SERVANT: Be an OBEDIENT Servant not a NEGLECTFUL Slacker “Work out your salvation (v. 5) — “Work out” is a word which always has the idea of bringing to completion. It is as if Paul says: "Don’t stop halfway; go on until the work of salvation is fully wrought out in you." So what are you to do? While there is a beginning point in our salvation experience, the point of repentance and justification—the time of our faith commitment to Jesus Christ—this is only the beginning. We are to "work out" our salvation, to grow into maturity, into the full stature of Christ.
1. The appeal (v. 12)—The appeal “Work out your own
salvation”-- Here there is a personal independence. Yet we need to get busy and set to work on our salvation. They were told to "work out," to put into practice in their daily living, what God had worked in them by His Spirit. There was a tendency to lean too heavily on Paul, that is, on his physical presence with the church at Philippi. The Philippian Christians had been obedient to the Lord and to His servant Paul in the past (cf. 1:27). Even though Paul was no longer with them and might be unable to return to them, he wanted them to continue to obey. Note that Paul did not say "work for your salvation." We obtain salvation by receiving it as a gift (Eph. 2:8). The apostle had in mind the present aspect of our salvation, sanctification, in which we are laborers together with God (1 Cor. 3:9; cf. Titus 3:8). We work out our salvation by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit who leads us in the will of God (Gal. 5:16). The working out of this means the realization of the power of God (v. 13 ) to do His will, victory over sin, and the enjoyment of communion with God. They were responsible for living out the meaning of their salvation, for moving toward that goal in obedience and loving commitment to their Lord. But we could liken the gift of salvation to the gift of a gold mine. If someone were to give you a gold mine of incalculable worth, you would have a treasure, but the gold would not do you any practical good unless you worked it out of the mine.
2. The action (v.13) “It is God who works in you”—The action-- Paul has been urging his readers to do right even though he was not in Philippi to motivate and enable them to do so. Here he reminded them that God was at work not just with them but in them to provide motivation and enabling strength. God would enable them to work out their own salvation. God carries out this work through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and His main tool is the Word of God. This verse assures us that God will help us. At other times we cannot even seem to want to do right. Here we learn that God can also provide the desire to do His will when we do not have it.
Illus: There was little girl once listening to a preacher who was preaching on this text, and saying it’s not by grace that we are saved - and the little girl tugged the arm of her mother, and said: ’Mother, how can you work it out if it hasn’t got in?’ How can you work it out if you haven’t got it in? Do you see the difference here? It has to be in before you can work it out. This is the primary difference between Bible believing Christianity, and the religions of this world - because religion is an attempt to work in, rather than let God work something in, you’re trying to work the thing in.
3. The accomplishment (v. 13b) “for His good pleasure”— It
is comforting that the apostle adds for His good pleasure. Every good is freely given of God; no man deserves any thing from Him. It is for the sake of & with a view to the execution of God’s good pleasure that God, as the infinite Source of spiritual & moral energy for believers, causes them to work out their own salvation. This verse gives us confidence that God desires both to motivate & to enable us.
Illus: There was a little girl, whose father was a pastor. One day, she came to her father and said, "Daddy, can a person go their whole life without sinning?" The father answered, "No, honey, I’m sorry, but that’s just not possible." "What about a year, daddy? Can a person go a whole year without sinning?" She con-tinued. "No, I don’t think that’s possible either." "What about a day, can a person go a day without sinning once?" "It’s very unlikely, no, I don’t think they can."
"What about one moment, daddy, can a person go one moment without sinning?" "Yes, that is possible." "Then daddy, I want to live my life, moment by moment." Isn’t that how we should live our lives? So live moment by moment, as if this moment where your last one before you reach eternity.
II. GOD WORKS IN A WATCHFUL SERVANT: Be an ongoing Shiner not an outright Whiner (vvs. 14-16) “Do all things without complaining and disputing”—He challenges God’s people not to murmur and complain with one another. He exhorts them to “Shine as lights in the world.”
1. Contentment: A Christ-exemplifying temperament (v. 14) “Do all things without complaining and disputing” --The word "without" suggests isolation, so Paul was saying that the believer is to be isolated from murmurings and disputings. Murmuring arises in discontented souls. The problem is that many cannot live their lives in being patient and contented with living out your life in the Lord. The tragedy is that we are children at times, but in the wrong sense, in the way that we bicker over nonsense. We pout with our mouths and we sulk over, at times, imaginary slights and hurts from our brethren and sisters in Christ. Paul says an essential part of this, to be a child of God, to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ, is to quit complaining. We can be discontented with our circumstances--someone seems to be getting ahead of us or things are working out as we planned--and as a result we murmur. It can easily overtake us, if we are not careful, and become an embittering habit. Sometimes one can obey outwardly but murmur inwardly, which is a sign of disobedience.
Illus: S.S. Teacher, “Are we going to be shiners or whiners.” Many Sundays one of the boys would say, “Pastor, we are shiners, not whiners.”
2. Confession: A Christ-exalting testimony (vvs. 15-16) “Shine as lights in the world”-We are living in a dark world. All around us are people whose lives are bent and warped by sin. We were once as bent, just as selfish and just as crooked as other people, but our lives have been rekindled with light from on high. God has set us in this dark world as lamps. Our lamps shine when we do things without murmurings and disputings.
1). The truth visualized (v. 15) “”blameless and harmless, children of God without faith in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation”-- The word “innocent” means “blameless” or “unmixed” or “unadulterated.” It’s actually used of unalloyed metal, metals that aren’t mixed; it’s used of wine that isn’t mixed with water. What Paul is saying here is: “You’re not to be mixed with the world, the sentiments of the world, the philosophies and attitudes of the world. You’re to be different, and you’re to be seen to be different for the sake of the witness of the gospel of Christ.” The challenge is to let the light shine out unhindered.
2). The truth verbalized (v. 16) “holding forth the word of life”-- As luminaries in a world of spiritual darkness, they were to "hold out the word of life." An allusion, some think, to those towers which were built at the entrance of harbors, on which fires were kept during the night to direct ships into the port. Genuine Christians, by their holy lives and conversation, are the means of directing others, not only how to escape those dangers to which they are exposed on the tempestuous ocean of human life, but also of leading them into the haven of eternal safety and rest. Always preaching Christ in word, in life and in deed. That was their work. Unless they did this they were a failure.
III. GOD WORKS IN A WARM-HEARTED SERVANT: Let your life be a living sacrifice for Jesus now, not a Christian who has left one’s first love (vvs. 17-18) “I am being poured out”—Paul’s challenge: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Jesus reminds the church at Ephesus: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…”
1. The sacrifice “being poured out as a drink offering”—Obedience is the one essential to working out our salvation. For Paul there was a degree of obedience that deserves special note: abandonment. The extravagance of his obed-ience is almost shocking: "I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith" (v. 17). My biggest problem is an unwillingness to give up control, to abandon myself in faith to the Christ-life process. When I press myself, I have to confess that I can’t believe my life is going to be good unless I can control it, unless I can make the plans and dream the dreams and then work for their fulfillment. Our trust in Christ must bring us to the point of abandonment, a willingness to "pour out our lives," believing that we don’t need to, nor can we, control the future. The future belongs to God. As an apostle of the Gentiles, Paul saw himself as the priest presenting to God the Gentiles as an acceptable offering. He also saw himself as an offering, a sacrifice on behalf of others. Paul is saying: "Your Christian fidelity & loyalty are already a sacrifice to God; and if death for Christ should come to me, I am willing and glad that my life should be poured out like a libation on the altar on which your sacrifice is being made This tells us that sacrifice & not self-indulgence is the basis for all achievement.
2. The satisfaction (v. 18) “For the same reason…and rejoice with me”--An exclamation of joy (v. 18)--Paul was perfectly willing to make his life a sacrifice to God; &, if that happened, to him it would be all joy, & he calls on them not to mourn at the prospect but rather to rejoice. To him every call to sacrifice & to toil was a call to his love for Christ, & therefore he met it not with regret & complaint but with joy. Most people associate sorrow with suffering, but Paul sees suffering & sacrifice as doorways to a deeper joy in Christ. The apostle urged them not to sorrow over their own trials & his, but to rejoice as they worked out their own salvation. They could share their joy with Paul as they communicated with him & assured him of their joy in the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
1. We are to trust Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. That takes a real commitment.
2. We must remember that growth in our spiritual life is not a series of disappointing “ups and downs.”
3. Rather, it is a sequence of delightful “ins & outs.” God works in—we work out!
4. The example comes from Christ, the energy comes from the Holy Spirit, and the result is—JOY!
Illus: Billy Graham was interviewed by Charles Gibson during his recent
New York crusade. Gibson asked if he was looking forward to heaven and Billy said, “Yes! I can’t wait because I want to see God!” That brought back a memory. In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson’s disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don’t expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn’t find it. The conductor said, "Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it." Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. Several minutes later the conductor made his way back through the coach and saw Einstein in a terrible fit, on his hands and knees, looking under the seat for his ticket. “Dr. Einstein,” he said, “I told you not to worry. We trust you.” Einstein looked up and said, “But you don’t understand. I don’t know where I’m going!” Having said that Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing.. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, ... I also know where I’m going." This is all because Jesus is our best Friend.
Prepared by: Gerald R. Steffy
6206 N. Hamilton Rd., Peoria, IL 61614
E-Mail: grsteffy@yahoo.com to receive
MY SERMON NUGGETS weekly
