Introduction and recap A citizen s guide to joy: Joy in temptation Philippians 2:12-30 Discussion Questions 1. In what context do you most feel under peer pressure? 2. Humility is to mark all our relationships. This will be counter-cultural! Why do some people seem to thrive on being disagreeable; why are others so driven by selfish ambition or arrogance? Work it out vv12-13 3. Why do you think Paul asks them to obey much more in my absence? 4. What does he mean when he asks them to work out your salvation? Why with fear and trembling? 5. How do you think we might put this command into action? 6. And what happens at the same time as we work? Why do we underrate this miraculous work? Shine like stars vv14-15 7. Any grumblers or complainers or arguers among us? What s the key to doing everything without these?? 8. What will be the impact on our relationships? 9. What will be the impact on the world? What do you make of that description of shining like stars? (See how important our relationships with one another are for our witness!!) Hold fast to the word of life vv16-18 10. Hold fast is the more accurate translation, rather than hold out. So how does this work? What impact will us holding fast to the word of life have for our shining like stars? 11. How do you make sense of Paul s desire to boast on the day of Christ that he did not run or labour for nothing? Note this is not about Paul s ego, because what he is saying in v17, if I may paraphrase, is something like I m not saying I m so great or anything; I don t mind if my service for Christ is seen as something quite small compared to yours I m happy! Timothy and Epaphroditus vv19-30 12. What stands out for you in Paul s account of both these men? 13. And so comes to an end this huge section which began in 1:27 all about living worthily. Read the conclusion to the sermon again and see if you can identify something that has challenged you personally and/or something which you consider as a church we need seriously to take to heart.
A citizen s guide to joy # 6 Joy in temptation Philippians 2:12-30 Peer pressure is alive and well. And often we think of it in terms of teenagers... but it s across the board. Everyone wants you to be like them. Have another drink Try this new thing Come with me Think like me Vote like me Share my racism Fight my cause Belittle others with me Join my club See things my way Do things my way If you don t You re odd You re not in my group I won t like you No one will like you You won t get very far here! And that s just as true in the retirement village and down at the club at is it in the playground at school! We all feel the pressure to fit in To pretend sometimes, so we belong To compromise sometimes, so we re accepted...maybe it s true HERE sometimes too!? The Apostle Paul has been calling us to something different. 1:27 - to citizenise worthy of the gospel... that is live counter-culturally... So that what characterizes our lives is not the values, the passions, the priorities of this life, but the values, the passions, the priorities of the one to come.
So that we consider ourselves first and foremost, citizens of God s kingdom, not of this world. And last week we saw a little of why this is important and a little on how it may be done WHY? 1:27 so that we might contend as one for the gospel... Hard to contend as one for the gospel, if many of us we live in a way that contradicts the gospel!!...why the church and the church s mission is SO damaged by all the sexual abuse stuff that s coming out and yet to come out! It goes against EVERYTHING we stand for... care for the vulnerable, covering up sin, let alone sexual ethics... no sexual engagement with others outside marriage!... The whole sexual abuse thing - It s wrong... inexcusable... it s revolting, it s pathetic... and it s the exact opposite of what Paul is commending here... Specifically, Paul says that a life in a manner worthy of the gospel a life which is appropriate to the gospel a life which embraces the gospel will be seen in the way we relate to one another as believers... Like minded The same love One in spirit and purpose Nothing out of selfish ambition Nothing out of vain conceit Valuing others above self Looking to the interests of others...all amazingly summed up in humility......as seen convincingly in Jesus Do you recall? Did not cling on to being very nature God... Servant Human likeness Death...on a cross THAT is what is meant to mark us out... THAT is how we are to be different. The world around... where we live... People often have to disagree so we notice how important they are Have a range of different loves Often hard to have one mind and purpose Often motivated by driven by selfish ambition
As for valuing others above self? Or looking to the interests of others? dog eat dog world... look out for no. 1 I wonder how this went down in the Philippian church? There was Lydia brilliant in trade successful business woman... How hard was it for her to care for the slave girl who had been possessed? Or for the jailor and his family? Only with Jesus type of humility. How can we genuinely put the interests of others above ourselves? What will unite us in the gospel above our own agendas? Only Jesus radical humility. Laying down our selves, pushing aside our rights, casting off our selfishness in the service of others. And so we come to the next instalment! 1. together, we are to work it out 2....so that we shine like stars 3....as we hold fast the word of life 12 therefore (building again on what he has been saying up to this point)... 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 according to his good purpose. Work out what it means to live worthily Work out what it means to contend for the gospel Work out what it means to act toward with one another with Jesus humility... It s not going to suddenly wash over us! We have to give it serious thought We have to plan and pray We have to examine our hearts and lives We have to look at our church life and see what needs to change We have to work out what it means for us... Why with fear and trembling? Because we have an awesome God who is not to be mucked around not to be taken lightly!... and this is a clear command we d be wise not to ignore... our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus... What s that going to mean?? You have to consider what as an individual this might mean to you...
We have to work at it together the reference is plural! So we have to ask the hard questions we began asking last week... what will it mean to life worthily, to contend as one, to embrace Jesus humility! But look what happens as we work... God works!! Our work and God s work side by side It is God who works in you(s) to will and to act according to his good purpose... As God works in us by his Holy Spirit... as we remember today...... we are to work it out!! What s his work? both to will (so that we want to live according to God s purpose) and to act (so that we WILL live according to God s purpose) Pentecost... Ang church not known for emp on HS sometimes seen as anti! HS friends this is his greatest miracle... transforming lives... Taking people like us who are naturally selfish and mean spirited and looking out for number 1... and turning us around together... so that we re humble, other-person centred and driven by the values and priorities of the KOG... That s his great work among us... and we re to work that out in the practice and witness of our lives! It will at least mean (v14) doing everything without complaining or arguing... so that you may be blameless and pure... relationally... not holier than thou the reference is to pure relationships... That s a clear word perhaps to Euodia and Syntyche who in ch 4 he identifies as not agreeing with other... I wonder if I can ask this morning is it a clear word to anyone here? are there any complainers among us...? same word used in the Greek translation of the OT Israel grumbling and wanting to back to Egypt... brought them undone... murmuring and grumbling... Any arguers here... maybe there are relationships among us that need repairing... maybe you will need to give some thought and prayer to that! And do you see the result...? of doing everything without complaining and arguing... we will absolutely stand out in a warped, selfish, me-centred generation... and we ll shine like stars... shine like stars... Is that us now? Is that what we re doing? Beautiful description... Been outside on a dark night... so street or house lights around... outback... and looked up to see the brilliance of the sky as the stars shine... Wouldn t it be brilliant... (pardon the pun) if that was our impact in Noosa...? What will it take? What changes do we need to see? What do we need to address...?
This will only happen as we hold fast to the word of life... that s the better translation as much as hold out the word of life sounds good or right it s actually hold fast......but it makes perfectly good sense as we hold fast to the word of life the gospel... as we cling to it as it s precious to us and challenges us and changes us and builds us up than increasingly we will light up the world with the light to which we cling!! Notice the similarity with the words of our Lord Jesus... 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5 We (plural) ARE the light of the world... let the world see our good deeds and so glorify our Father in heaven... Noosa is in darkness. Spiritual darkness. We re to shine in that darkness. As we hold fast to the gospel. Paul longs to see this among the Philippians... so that on the last day he can point to them and say my work there was not in vain... God has brought it to completion as he promised!!! Not that he s claiming any self-importance... he s happy even (v17) just to be a lesser drink offering... compared to their sacrifice... he doesn t need or look for any accolades... he embraces and embodies the humility he commends to them!! Finally here, we are given two examples of all he has been speaking of... in both Timothy and Epaphroditus. Timothy - Takes a genuine interest in their welfare (v20) - Opposite to everyone looking out for their own interests - Partner in the gospel (Father and son) Hopes to send him In the meantime he will send: Epaphroditus - Fellow worker - Fellow soldier (v25) - messenger - Takes care of my needs (humility) - Distressed because he heard you heard he was ill - Risked his life (and almost died) for the work of Christ (in helping me in your name)
Let s bring this together we bear the name Christ we are citizens of the eternal kingdom we re to be rebels here sabotaging if you like the prevailing way of life reaping havoc FOR GOOD!! We re to contend as one for the gospel We re to follow Jesus humility... subverting rebelling against the selfishness of our time God will work in us to give us the will and the ability to do this... and as we does this we re to work it out...not complaining, not arguing, not grumbling like everyone around us... so that we shine like stars on a brilliant clear night... unmissable... beautiful... lighting up the way...! All this only happening as we hold fast the word of life... holding fast not wavering, not swerving from it, not doubting... so that in clinging on... it will radiate out from us... Do you see??