Sermon
The Example of Paul
Number
7 in the series of 15… getting close to half way. We’ve titled this “The
Example of Paul” since it makes a nice parallel structure through Philippians
2:
· The
Example of Christ
· The
Example of Paul
· The
Example of Timothy
· The
Example of Epaphroditus
It is at this point in
Philippians 2 that the Apostle Paul puts himself back into the letter.
But
a more catchy title for the sermon might be
“The Ins & Outs.”
Maybe this will make more sense
as we get into the passage.
It might be best, at this point,
if you all would arrange yourselves into groups of “Ins & Outs.”
Let’s get into the passage.
We’ll go after line by line; if you don’t have a Bible, take a pew Bible and
turn to page ____.
I’m
really sorry for the cliché…
but this is one of those times
when we really need to ask ourselves “what is this therefore there for?”
First off… we need to go all the
way back to 1:27; this is the key to this whole section of Philippians.
Remember how we characterized this verse? Live up to the gospel.
· Stand
Firm
· In
Unity
· Contending
for the Gospel
· In
the face of suffering
· In
Unity (again in Chapter 2)
· Serving
one another
The therefore here is intended
to remind us, and the Philippians, that God has made us citizens of heaven by
His grace… and now it is upon us to live up to this great gift.
As if that isn’t enough, that
therefore is there to remind us out of the verses that immediately precede
these verses.
Paul has just held up our
greatest example, Jesus Himself. We could read this as:
“Your attitude should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus… THEREFORE.” This therefore is intended not only
to remind us of 1:27, but also of 2:6-11… the Bible is serious about this; it
means that we are really supposed to become like Christ:
· Not
grasping for power
· Making
ourselves servants
· Humbling
ourselves
· Being
obedient to God
We’re reminded of the promise in
James: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
That is a powerful therefore.
As
Paul inserts himself back into the text, he reminds his “dear friends” of his
affection for them. In other translations we might read “beloved.”
Beyond
his affection,
he also holds up a mirror and
reminds the Philippians of their obedience. Not just the sort of obedience that comes
from his on-site management, but obedience to God that persists… presumably
beyond their relationship to Paul, out of their relationship to God.
This is the way it is… isn’t it?
It is sort of like a learner’s permit for driving. When I was a teenager I was
looking forward to another 60 or 70 years of driving, but for three months I
had a learners permit. New Christians are like that, for a little while we are
so clueless that we can use a little on-site management (tight discipleship)
but for the long-haul, obedience to God persists not out of a disciple/mentor
relationship but out of personal relationship with God.
If obedience seems to only
persist because of the pressure, or influence of earthly leadership, then
genuine Christian discipleship is not taking place.
That is true for individuals…
and I think it is true for organizations too. Watch organizations in
transition. If a ministry, or church, or Christian organization can’t survive
the transition of a leader… then the organization probably wasn’t functioning
as Christ intends the church to function… as an organism or body. I’ve thought
about this in regard to our church. I’m guessing that if I split in the first
few months, the church would have fallen apart… and if Christian, Laurie and I
all split in the first year, they church may not have endured. But, not that
I’m planning on going anywhere, if I split today… I’m confident that this
church of ours would endure. Somewhere along the way we began to function as an
expression of the Body of Christ… that organism is bigger, and better, than any
leader could ever be.
In this case, Paul is
congratulating the Philippians on their obedience that is thriving out of
genuine, lasting, personal relationship with God.
Out
of that congratulation, Paul then moves to this powerful imperative: Work out
your salvation.
Now, I really don’t like to
spend a whole lot of time talking about what Scripture doesn’t mean… but this
verse is so commonly misapplied, let’s start there.
This is not to be understood as figure
out your own salvation. That might be a message that would be embraced
by our culture… but it is contrary to the context, and contrary to the whole
message of Scripture. This isn’t Paul’s open letter to the residents of
It is also not work
for you own salvation. This is not a proof text for works
righteousness. In academic of philosophical terms, this passage is not soteriological
it is ethical. It is not about how to attain salvation (soteriology);
it is about what we do with salvation (ethics). The word Paul uses for “work
out” might in other places be used for mining or farming… more along the lines
of uncovering or harvesting.
For some of you this is a
re-run, but this illustration so marvelously demonstrates the meaning here.
· You
are the dough
· The
icing is the salvation
· How
do we get what is inside to be evident on the outside? We work it out:
o In
obedience to God’s Word
o Through
direction received in prayer
o Through
lessons learned in suffering
Another thing worth noting, this
would be a handy time to put down our English Bibles and pick-up our
Finally, in this section, Paul
reminds us not to go working anything out as if we can just make our own way… he reminds us that all
of this is in site of God, and we should view this all with “fear and
trembling.”
Which
leads us right into the next section.
There’s nothing to work
out if there is no gift of salvation to start with. There is some
useful insight when we compare the words that both get translated in our
English Bibles as work.
We read our working out and then
we read God who works. They both have the same root (erg) but they have
different meanings. Our working, like I said, is more about harvesting the
benefit, or unearthing.
In this case, the Greek word
that Paul used is precisely where we get our word energy. It identifies God as
the source of power, God as the fuel. Think of a machine… like a lawnmower.
What actually cuts the grass? The machine, right? Could I convince you that it
is the gas that cuts the grass? It takes both, right? And so it is with this
work of living out our salvation. The illustration is imperfect, because God is
more than just the gas (energy), He is energy with intention… but the idea of
overlapping partnership still holds true.
In
this next passage, Paul begins to use his church words.
Do you know what I mean?
I’m amused when Laurie talks
about her missionary experience in the
That just illustrates that we
all have our church words. You know a lot of them.
There are churches that really
go out of their way not to use church words so as not to turn-off visitors. I
commend them for what they are trying to do… but I notice that they usually
just come-up with their own code words. It is just the way it is, groups build
affinity by packing meaning into words that only the group really understands.
Do you see the church words that Paul used? Complaining
and arguing are direct references to the children of
But
it isn’t necessarily just the Philippians’ good
that Paul has in mind.
Without taking the time to lay
this out, it is worth noting that there are church words here again “crooked
and depraved generation” and “shine like stars in the universe” are plucked out
of the OT (Daniel).
The “word of life” is another
church word. Paul is referring to the Gospel. And, once again, that is Paul’s
point… the Gospel.
· Live
out the Gospel
· Work
out the Gospel
· Hold
out the Gospel
Paul’s main concern is for the
spread of the Gospel in
Here
Paul puts all of this in an eschatological context.
(Eschatological… there’s a church word for you!)
Paul puts all of this in the
context of eternity.
Basically he is saying, “this is
worth it.”
· It
is worth it so that I can stand with you, before God, in eternity
· Beyond
that, it is worth it simply to be obedient to God, simply offering my life as a
sacrifice… beyond the results, obedience to God has its own reward.
Finally, Paul returns to this
concept of joy that saturates this letter to his friends in
Joy
is deeper than mere happiness.
Joy is better than temporal
comfort.
Paul is in chains… yet he is
filled with joy.
The Philippians are facing persecution,
yet Paul is urging them toward joy.
Just as Jesus Himself overcame
everything through what was perceived as the ultimate weakness on the cross…
Paul is urging Christians throughout the ages to find joy in all circumstances,
especially in weakness.
Paul is saying “the joy of the
Lord is our strength.” And, “when I am weak, then He is strong.” Rejoice!
So
what?
What do we take away from this passage today? There is so much here… but I want
to drive just a few ideas deeper into our understanding.
First
off, remember the second title I gave to this passage.
The ins are that which the Lord
does in us “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His
good purpose.”
The outs are the living out,
working out, holding out.
Does that sound at all familiar?
Do
you remember one of the themes I pointed out
last month when we started this work through Philippians?
Can you see it here again?
There
is that which God does for us.
We are His children…
and He delights in blessing His children.
Then
there is all that He does in us.
He saves us, but loves us too
much to leave us the way we are.
Eternity is ours, but there is
more to this Christian life than merely a ticket to heaven… so he changes us,
molds us, shapes us, works in us.
Because
His ultimate goal is the triumph of the Gospel… that we would “hold out the
word of life.” God wants to work through us.
He certainly delights in what He
does for us.
Certainly delights to work in us.
But through us… that is the best.
Through
us “holding out the Gospel”
as living testimonies that speak louder than words
of God’s goodness and grace.
The Gospel that finds its way
into the lives of those around us… and all of that for the glory of God.
Let’s
apply ourselves to these “ins and outs”
together, today in prayer.