Inside Out
(Philippians 2:12-30)
1. Today I must humble myself before this congregation.
2. I realized that I skipped a section of Philippians….the Moores through me off!
3. It doesn’t take much to get me confused! But I am not alone.
4. One woman recalls:
When I was pregnant with my now 2 year old, in the UK, Mark’s parents asked if we would like Mark’s old cot for the baby to sleep in. The first chance that Mark and I were alone, I went on and on, something like ’What kind of a country is this, having babies sleep on cots! How dangerous! I want to go home where we know what we’re doing!’
Mark calmed me down, and although completely confused, said he would take me shopping to see if there was anything safer than a cot. When we got to the store, I pointed to a crib and said ’That is what a baby should sleep in, for heaven’s sake!’ He said ever so sweetly, ’Yes, dear. We call those ’cots’’.
Catherine Butler ?Brownie Leader, Frisco, TX - Tejas Council
5. When I realized I had skipped this portion, I said, "Oh no. Some of my favorite verses are there! Chapter 2 and verse 13 is a crucial verse in my understanding of the Christian life….and here I had omitted it.
6. So today, we will talk about how we change as Christians.
Main Idea: The Christian life is a life of growth, and growth means change. Growth takes great effort on our part, but behind it all is God’s work within us.
TS-- Truly serving the Lord Jesus Christ is anything but kid’s stuff, and God demands that we take Him seriously.
I. Let the Salvation Within You SURFACE (12-18)
A. Surfacing takes EFFORT on our part (12)
1. not work “for” but “out”
· a command for us to “bring it out” “come out of the closet”
2. with fear/trembling = fear of failure
3. Salvation in three tenses, past, present, future
4. Both "now" and "not yet"
B. Cannot be NAGGED into existence (12)
C. The underlying source: God working WITHIN (13)
Paul is saying you cannot base your growth on me, but you must recognize that God the Holy Spirit is working within you
· Unique combination of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility
1. Spurgeon asked to reconcile, he said, “How can I reconcile two friends?”
2. For “His good pleasure” = God does not need us, but we can please Him
3. Change begins with God working within us…
4. God works in us to will and to act
???? ??? ????? ? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ????????.
D. This light should CONTRAST with the darkness (14-16)
1. Avoid excessive COMPLAINING (14)
1. does not mean we should never bring a problem to light, but describes an attitude of criticism, often by folks on the sidelines
2. complaining in moderation and a certain context is not necessarily wrong; Jesus complained about the Pharisees, about the unbelief in Israel, about being rejected by His own people, and scolded people for their lack of faith; Paul complained about false teachers, and elsewhere he complains that others have deserted him…
3. But much complaining is an insult to the Sovereign God. Why was I born into my family? Why do I not have a gifted voice, a beautiful face, or a winsome personality?
Other times it is a matter of impatience or thinking the world revolves around us…
From the 9-20-05 Daily Bread
A few years ago, an unkempt, poorly adjusted youth named Tim… was converted to Christ in an evangelistic crusade. Several days later…he was sent to my home so that I could help him find a good church. And so it was that he began attending with me.
Though Tim needed and received much loving help in personal grooming and basic social graces, one characteristic has remained unchanged—his untamed love for his Savior.
One Sunday after church Tim rushed to my side, looking somewhat perplexed. He exclaimed, "Why me? I keep asking myself, why me?" Oh, no, I thought, he’s become another complaining Christian. Then with arms outstretched, he went on to say, "Out of all the people in the world who are greater and smarter than I am, why did God choose me?" With that he joyfully clapped his hands.
Over the years I’ve heard many Christians, including myself, ask "Why me?" during tough times. But Tim is the first one I’ve heard ask that question when talking about God’s blessings..." Joanie Yoder
2. Avoid unnecessary ARGUING (14)
· if we are noted for our complaining or constant arguing, we may as well hush up when it comes to witnessing; we disgrace the grace that saved us…
3. When we have CREDIBILITY others listen (15-16)
· sincere=?????? ‘pure, sincere, ’ literally ‘unmixed,’ ‘unadulterated’ (from ???????µ?); for the word is used of pure wine (Athen. 2:45 E), of unalloyed metal (Plut. Mor. 1154
4. When others mature, EXPENDING ourselves is worth it (17)
1. Paul measured success in how strong his converts were; he was out to make disciples, not merely fill up buildings.
2. If he were put to death for serving Christ, his death would be a sacrifice of worship to the Father…especially if his ministry had been effective
Growth takes great effort on our part, but behind it all is God’s work within us.
II. IMITATE Those Whose Salvation Has Surfaced (19-30)
A. Timothy: Completely SOLD OUT to the Lord (19-23)
· Timothy would report about Paul and help them
1. Truly UNIQUE among the folks who were then working with Paul
2. What this tells us about complete SURRENDER
· It takes great effort, and is unnatural for us to be genuinely concerned about others, especially those who in no way will benefit us…thinking of others, putting oneself in their shoes, looking out for others in counter-sin nature…
B. Epaphroditus: Concerned About the Impact of His Problems Upon OTHERS (25-30)
(1) He was a spiritual leader in Philippian church.
(2) He had been sent to bring a financial gift to Paul
(3) While with Paul, he had become seriously ill.
(4) His friends in Philippi heard about this illness and were panicking; Epaphroditus heard about their fears and felt bad for them.
(5) God graciously healed Epaphroditus.
(6) Paul sends him back to Philippi and commends him for his service
1. Greatly INCONVENIENCED himself for God’s Kingdom
· People want a religion of convenience.
· As a matter of fact, when someone wants to join the church as a member, we tell them that if they want to be a member, they have to attend regularly and serve in some capacity…we are not interested in members who merely sit and give, as important as that is…
· Nobody loves convenience more than I, but to serve Christ faithfully, you must be willing to inconvenience yourself
2. Risked his very LIFE
· Epaphroditus put his life on the line to travel to Paul and almost died while with Paul
· American Tourists Mistreated, Pastors Tortured & Church Ordered to Close
· August 8, 2005
CHINA: House Church Pastors Tortured in Prison & Shanghai House Church Faces Forced Closure?
China Aid learned that more than 210 Chinese house church pastors and believers have been arrested in Hubei, Hebei and Henan Provinces since July 2005. Two American tourists in China were also mistreated in this most recent crackdown on a house church in Hubei Province.
On August 2, 2005, while two American tourists were preparing to have Christian fellowship with 41 Chinese House church pastors and believers at their host family’s home in Lutou Town, Zaoyang City, Hubei Province approximately 30 Chinese plain-clothed police officers rushed into the house.
According to several eyewitness reports, the two American theological students, believed to be from Westminster Theological Seminary Campuses in Texas and California, were handled very unprofessionally. One sustained injuries to his wrists after being handcuffed because he wanted to put his shoes on before he was forced into an unmarked police car.
The same day, the 41 Chinese pastors and believers from the evangelical South China Church were taken to No. 2 Zaoyang Prison. At the time of this report 30 had been released. The remaining eleven, including 38-year-old Ms. Wang Hua and 32-year-old Ms. Wang Xiao, as well as the hostess, Ms. Ren Daoyun, are still in prison.
According to eyewitness reports, many of them were tortured. Sixty-year-old Ms. Ren has been repeatedly beaten by Mr. Lei Youxin, the director of the prison. He kicked her, punched her face, and beat her head against the wall with a prison chair. One eyewitness told CAA that Ms. Ren’s mouth was bleeding and swollen.
Another 17 year-old evangelist Mr. He Baobao was hospitalized for a serious nose bleed due to the repeated beatings by his interrogators. (source: www.persecution.com/news/index.cfm?action=fullstory&newsID=331)
· This is relatively minor when it comes to persecution….so if others suffer so greatly, is it too much for us to be inconvenienced? Or are we going to grumble?
Growth takes great effort on our part, but behind it all is God’s work within us.
CONCLUSION
1. Most of you are saved.
2. That means most of you, myself included, want to serve God and want to know God better.
3. But we all struggle – myself included – because we are tired of being troubled with details, don’t want to clean the house, don’t want to rush off to church, don’t want to have to prepare, don’t want to be embarrassed, don’t want to risk being bored…
4. But it is worth it folks. The believers in China are convinced of it. Now we need to convince ourselves.
Growth takes great effort on our part, but behind it all is God’s work within us.
