What Puts the Tiger in Our Tanks?
(Philippians 1:20-30)
1. Let me talk to you about Ants. Not the kind that marry uncles, but the kind that live outside. According to a CNN article,
2."Like humans, fungus-growing ants are true farmers and the survival of the colony depends on the food they grow. Anywhere from a few hundred to over five million ants can inhabit any given colony at one time, and every single one has a job to do.
"The gardens consist of a special fungus the ants eat. Certain ants within the colony weed the garden, some dispose of waste, some excavate new underground chambers, and still others forage outside the nest for new compost on which their gardens grow.
Just as humans protect their homes and families, the largest and strongest "soldier" ants attack intruders, including army ants, anteaters, and even human scientists…
"Some ants care for aphids, a kind of insect that feeds on plants. Ants tend to these slow-moving creatures by protecting them from parasites and predators.
"Then, the ants "milk" these so-called pets for honeydew, a sweet liquid produced by the aphids just for the ants.
"Both creatures need something from the other, and the exchange of services works out well. The ants provide protection; the aphids return the favor with nutrition for the ants.
"…It’s fascinating to watch the efficiency with which the ants work. Each ant has a particular job that helps the whole colony survive. Cooperation is key to the ants’ survival." (source: cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2002/fyi/news/03/04/bugs.ecology/)
Main Idea: It is tough to stay motivated to serve the Lord. We all gravitate toward room temperature – being lukewarm. How can we stay motivated? Last week, I mentioned there were four motivations we can find in Philippians 1. The first was the "motivation of example." Today, we will contemplate three more motivations.
I. Motivation by FOCUS (20-23)
A. Our focus: glorifying God. (remember this; this is the answer to the "what’s it all about" questions)
1. Paul had a UNIQUE calling: a spiritual CRUSADER.
• His calling as a Christian is like ours; his calling as an APOSTLE is unlike ours.
• His MOTTO can be found in verse 21.
2. We are likewise to FOCUS upon glorifying God, but our focus is not as pin-pointed.
We are not apostles, we are not Pauls and we are not supposed to be…
• Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1 gives direction for YOUTH.
"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment…. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth…"
The reason I need to say this is because I have known children, raised in Christian homes, where the parents reared their children to be Too responsible and not allowed to enjoy their youth (in the name of effectiveness for the Lord); but then, in their 20’s or even 30’s, they try to be teenagers…We do not want our kids to go from a child immediately to an old man or old woman…responsible? yes! Dedicated to God? yes! But still enjoying the legitimate pleasures of youth!!! Over-correction is the wrong route…
• 1 Corinthians 7:32-33 mentions the DIVIDED attention of marriage.
"I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided."
If you do not want to divide your attention between the Lord and your spouse, then don’t get married. If you don’t want to argue, don’t get married. If you are not willing to work at a marriage, don’t get married.
• Church LEADERS are to be chosen from this second category (1 Timothy 3).
"Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife… He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect…"
• Why? Probably many reasons. One of them, in my opinion, is that having a family breaks a man of that stubborn idealism that many of us guys pick up during our teen & young adult years, and so we become more realistic in dealing with fellow Christians.
• Some PHASES of life are more conducive toward ministry or growth.
3. Christians should not be AFRAID to die, but we are generally in no hurry. Paul was in a hurry, probably because of his life stage and all the TRIALS he suffered.
B. Focus often creates MOTIVATION.
People get motivated about anything by sure concentration of effort: stamp collecting, yodeling, cemeteries, or newts. What you concentrate on gets your attention and interest. We can get motivated about serving God by concentrating on the things of God.
How can we stay motivated?
By Focus. That’s why personal Bible study & church involvement is crucial.
II. Motivation by Experiencing PURPOSE (24-26)
A. We are motivated when we feel we are NEEDED. (24-25)
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." (Charles Kingsley, quoted on
1. We need to help others make PROGRESS.
• Many Christians stubbornly think they can grow independently from other Christians. But they miss so much because of their stubborn determination to isolate themselves from the rest of the team.
2. Our faith in Christ does not cause us to IGNORE the needs of others.
Wanting to go to heaven when we can be serving God here on earth is a legitimate longing but can also be quite selfish…if we do not counter-balance by a desire to serve others…
B. We are motivated when surrounded by those we influence or love. (26)
Small church of 10 elderly members (had been serving themselves)…
C. God has designed the church so that each of us is INCOMPLETE.
How can we stay motivated?
By experiencing purpose. This church needs you, but if you have not been serving, we’ve been making the best of it without you. Find your niche. AWANA secretary. Nursery co-ordinator. Children’s Church worker; visiting shut-in or elderly folks; music or drama; offering to pick up someone who needs a ride…or cleaning…or serving in the community…Rescue Mission…tutoring…
III. Motivation by Camaraderie (27-30)
• Camaraderie: "a spirit of friendly good-fellowship," "Goodwill and lighthearted rapport between or among friends; comradeship."
The idea includes solidarity, esprit de corps, and a sense of bonding
Sometimes we get a taste if this among certain Athletic teams, soldiers who fight side by side know it, as do many firemen and police officers.
• I brag about the church I pastor; this is a great church, and I know it and I show it
• Some people love to be critical, and even perfection is just "okay."
• Such people lose out on the blessings of camaraderie because (1) they discourage it, and (2) others refuse to share their enthusiasm just to have cold water poured on it…
A. Taking PRIDE in one another. (27)
B. Experiencing the UNITY of the faith of the Gospel. (27b)
(1) standing firm in one Spirit (HS or attitude or both)
• One reason our church has done so well over the past few years is because we have a united team; at one time, we had lots of people with their own agendas…
• We have a positive, rather than whiny, spirit
• And we finally settled on an identity and mission statement
(2) contending as "one man" literally, one soul ????
• A united team can work in harmony like the old Viking row boats (beat)
• But, although we contend as one man, we all contend in differing ways…
• We call this, unity amongst diversity
(3) the verb contending is sunathlountes, meaning to be athletic with others (team); too many Christian are monoathlountes, contending alone
(4) working together builds Morale and Enthusiasm; take AWANA, a typical Sunday morning service, or even a Fun Night/Food Contest…
C. Withstanding common ENEMIES together. (28-30)
• Many Christians do not know who are our enemies and who are our brethren because they make not distinction between key doctrines (the fundamentals) and secondary doctrine; not all doctrines are equally crucial…
• Sometimes the enemies of the Gospel are within the professing church….that’s another reason why each of us must become fluent in the Scriptures…
--God has graciously ordained that we suffer for Christ; for most of us in the U.S., the suffering has been minimal, mostly social pressure (thus far); God nowhere tells us to Seek Suffering...
--Suffering and persecution reveal whose side we are on…and we sometimes are surprised that those within the church are really on the enemy’s side: gay marriage, the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, or salvation by grace through faith apart from works…give us an preview of the sorting of the wheat and the tares…
• We Americans do not know how to suffer for our faith; we have had little experience
• But over the centuries, the faith of the Bible has often been a painful faith…and there is a fellowship of suffering that Paul alludes to in vs. 30 that few of us have thus far experienced…
• But whether we are persecuted or not, we must remember that the Christian life is more of a battleground than a playground…one reason for our Summer Sunday Night series on the cults & false religions…
How can we stay motivated? By experiencing camaraderie.
CONCLUSION
1. Have you ever wondered what you could do for the Lord—if only you were motivated?
2. It takes work to stay motivated, but it sure is worth it!
