Shine Like Stars

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.