Shine Like Stars – August 28, 2022 – Larry Hale, Sr. Pastor Glenvale Church of God, Marysville PA
Philippians 2:12-18 NIV
This year’s theme for Camp Yolijwa was “Shine Like Stars”. The name for the theme came from Philippians chapter 2 verses 14 and 15.
This morning I would like dig a little deeper into what makes us shine like stars. But, first I want to give you a little background so we have a better understanding of Paul and his relationship with the Philippian church.
It starts back in Acts 16
It was a momentous day in the history of Christian missions when the Apostle Paul came as far as Troas on his Second Missionary Journey.
Troas was on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, across the Aegean Sea from Greece.
You may remember from scripture that One night, in a vision, a man of Macedonia appeared to the apostle, saying, “Come over to Macedonia, and help us” (Act_16:9). Immediately, Paul sailed to Macedonia with Timothy, and also with Luke and Silas.
They landed at Neapolis, then journeyed inland to Philippi, a Roman colony, governed by Roman officials, who granted rights to the inhabitants of Philippi to become Roman citizens.
On the Sabbath, Paul and the others went down to the riverside to PRAY and met a group of JEWISH women who were gathered for prayer. One woman was Lydia (a seller of purple) NOT THE MATTRESSES – Purple DYE.
Lydia accepted the GOSPEL MESSAGE and became the FIRST CONVERT… on the European continent.
The FIRST CHURCH was planted there was the Philippian Church…
But Paul's stay in Philippi did not prove entirely peaceful. A young woman possessed with a spirit of divination (foretelling future events) met the servants of the Lord and for some time followed them, crying out, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Act_16:17).
Not willing to accept the testimony of one possessed by an evil spirit, the apostle commanded the demon to come out of her.
When her masters, who had profited from this girl's predictions, saw what had happened, they were furious with Paul. They dragged him and Silas into the marketplace to face the representatives of Rome. These magistrates, commanded that Paul and Silas should be whipped and thrown into prison.
What happened in that Philippian jail is now well-known. At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, opening all the doors of the prison and causing the prisoners' chains to be loosed.
The jailer, thinking that the prisoners had escaped, was about to kill himself when Paul reassured him that his inmates had not fled. Then the jailer cried out, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The memorable answer came back, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Act_16:31). God's grace had won another CONVERT at Philippi.
In the morning, the local authorities urged Paul and his companions to leave town as quickly as possible. This Paul refused to do. He reminded them they had beaten him, a Roman citizen, and had imprisoned him without a fair trial.
After continued appeals from the magistrates to leave the city, Paul and his companions first went to visit in the home of Lydia, met with the believer and encouraged them once more. Then, they left town. (Act_16:40).
FAST FORWARD TEN YEARS…….Paul is in PRISON again and while there he wrote to the church in Philippi thanking the church for a gift that was brought to him By Epaphroditus.
While there, Epaphroditus became very ill and almost died. But praise God, he healed.
Paul sent him back to Philippi with the letter that we are going to look at today.
In chapter 1 of Philippians, verse 7, Paul wrote that the Philippian church had a SPECIAL PLACE in his HEART.
I can relate to Paul’s love for the church. I LOVE GLENVALE CHURCH… DEEPLY love Glenvale Church.
Throughout Chapters ONE, Paul encourages the church to KEEP ON GROWING (9)…. In KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING. (10) to LIVE PURE and BLAMELESS lives (as they await the return of Christ), because PAUL wanted them to bring GLORY and PRAISE to God.
In verse 11, He EMPASIZED his desire for them to be FILLED with the FRUIT of their SALVATION. That they would GROW to be MORE like JESUS
And, like Paul, I want you to live lives that are BLAMELESS, PURE, GROWING in GRACE, GROWING in PEACE, growing the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, growing BOLD in your witness…. BECAUSE I too LONG for ALL of US to bring GLORY and PRAISE to GOD!!
OUR MESSAGE TITLE TODAY IS: “SHINE LIKE STARS”
Reading from NIV
Philippians 2:12-18 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, (13) for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
(14) Do everything without grumbling or arguing, (15) so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky (16) as you hold firmly to the word of life.
And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (17) But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. (18) So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. (NIV)
PRAY!!
OBEY / WORK OUT / DO GOD’S WILL
How many of us can say that, because of our great faith, we shine like stars. Our faith walk is so consistent and constant that the light of Jesus SHINES through us, that others may see Jesus in us.
Phil 2:12 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, (13) for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Apparently, the Philippian church was pretty good at obeying the Lord. The apostle Paul gave them accolades for their obedience, whether he was with them or not.
The church of Philippi had a HEART for GOD….. They WORKED diligently for the Kingdom, so why did Paul say…. CONTINUE to work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling?
I noticed that he doesn’t say work for your salvation or even work on your salvation he says work out your OWN salvation. (NIV omits the word OWN).
Commentator Jon Courson writes:
What does it mean to work out one's salvation? It's like going to the YMCA; it means you exercise it and strengthen it.
Notice also that Paul says we are to work out our own salvation…
And why is it that Paul says we should Work out OUR own SALVATION… to STRENGTHEN and exercise our faith? Verse 13 TELLS US WHY…. because it is for God who works in you to will and to act, in order to fulfill his good purpose.
God is WORKING through you, as you exercise your faith…. So that ultimately you will FULFILL the PLAN he has for you….. and He does it for His satisfaction and delight.
FEAR GOD:
Paul doesn’t just say, continue to Work out your salvation. He says To do it with fear and trembling,
The word FEAR in this context means that because of the GREATNESS of the LORD should cause you to LOOK upon HIM in AWE…. (He is the only one we can really call awesome (with a CAPITAL A).
He reminds us we should use serious caution and SCRUTINIZE ourself, so that we may avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Jesus or DESTROY the family of God (the church).
MR GRUMBLE 14-15:
Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
The church should NEVER CRITICIZE… CONDEMN, nor COMPLAIN about our FAMILY.
God brought us ALL together for His reason…. He WANTS us together, as a STRONG, UNIFIED FAMILY…. Winning souls, to disciple new BELIEVERS…. Being CHRIST to everyone we encounter.
We must FULLY SURRENDER to HIS WILL….. fully SUBMITTED to our KING……
Once again, I refer to Courson who wrote: A submitted mind doesn't murmur or make excuses or disputes.
As I tell my kids, "When you get good at making excuses, that's all you'll be good for."
That's why Paul says, "Don't make excuses and defend your positions. Don't murmur."
Murmuring was a real problem for the people of Israel. After God opened the Red Sea and crushed Pharaoh's army, the Israelites sang for a few moments, but then they started murmuring because they didn't have water to drink.
When God gave them water, they murmured because they didn't have the right kind of food. And they murmured yet again when the land to which they were going seemed intimidating to them (Exodus 15, 16).
Scripture tells us the Lord hears us even as we murmur in our tents, even when we think no one is listening (Deu_1:27).
So, why does Paul warn us to "Do all things without murmuring," says Paul.
(15) so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky (16) as you hold firmly to the word of life.
Would you agree with me we live in a warped and crooked generation.
But, Paul stated that if we CHOOSE to live without grumbling and complaining, we will DISCOVER one day that we are no longer CRITICAL… we become CHILDREN OF GOD (WITHOUT BLEMISH), innocent, uncontaminated in the midst of a morally crooked and spiritually perverted generation.
We become like the LAMB of GOD (Jesus), without SPOT or BLEMISH, Shining like a BRIGHT STAR, leading people to the source of contentment, peace and love.
Please try this the next time you are in a line at the post office, the bank or the grocery store. Instead of complaining about the wait, begin to thank God for the blessing of so much food we have to choose from, or instead of murmuring about the weather, you verbally express thanks to God because we are not living in an extreme drought or flooding, like much of the world is in today.
If you simply choose to say, "I will not murmur or excuse my behavior; I will not defend my position or dispute my situation," you will shine as a light in the world.
LASB states: If all that people know about a church is that its members constantly argue, complain, and gossip, they get a false impression of Christ and the Good News.
I LOVE to be around positive people who help me to see the good in everything, despite the evil in this world.
We should be morally pure, patient, and peaceful, so that we will "shine brightly" in a dark and depraved world.
16b And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Paul said, if you do these things, NOT ONLY WILL YOU SHINE LIKE STARS but also when he stands before Christ, he will be able to, like any good pastor be able PRAISE GOD that you listened, obeyed, grew in FAITH and that we ALL honored God.
It is good for us to know that our teaching bore good fruit and that we HAVE NOT LABORED in VAIN.
POURED OUT:
Philippians 2:17-18 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. (18) So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Pouring out of a drink offering is symbolic of the sacrificial blood of Jesus that was poured out on the cross.
Williams comments:
The apostle compares the self-sacrifice and energy of the Philippians with his own, magnifying theirs and minimizing his. They were both laying down their lives for the sake of the gospel, but their action he regards as the great sacrifice, and his as only the drink offering poured out upon it. Under this beauteous figure of speech, he speaks of his possible approaching death as a martyr.
Courson writes:
"If I end up losing my head here in Rome"—which he eventually would—"rejoice with me. I'm happy," said Paul.
The African impala can leap ten feet high when running at full speed. But when you go to a zoo, you'll see impalas kept in areas with only a four-foot fence.
Why?
Because if it can't see where it will land, an impala won't jump. Here, Paul is jumping at the opportunity to go to heaven.
Why? Because he had seen where he would land. God gave him a sneak preview OF HEAVEN. And what he saw there was too good for him to even articulate (2Co_12:4).
Paul could not describe the GLORY of Heaven!
Paul's mind-set was like Christ's—submitted to the will of the Father. Whether he lived or died, it didn't matter to him, for he knew right where he'd land.
(18) So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Psalm 116:15 states: precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Paul’s passing was precious to God and when you pass, your passing will be precious to Him also.
For Christians, death is entry into ETERNAL Joy. So, even though you grieve at the passing of a loved one, there should definitely be an element of JOY!!!
ENDING:
The world has its stars and God has His.
The stars of this world are mere mortals, the popular, famous (in too many cases, infamous).
However, God’s stars shine the brightest in the darkest of night.
IF you CHOOSE to FAITHFULLY Follow Jesus and obey His commands, you will be one of the BRIGHTEST, SHINING stars to a DARK, DARK world.
Go and be the LIGHT!!!!
