Shining Like Stars
Philippians: A Letter of Encouragement • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Shining like stars
I. Introduction
II. Work out your salvation (12)
A. Explanation
1. Therefore, my beloved – a term of endearment spoken to fellow believers
2. Obey – Obedience is the choice of the will – knowing what you are to do and doing it.
3. Work out your salvation
a. This is not about finding salvation but living it out after you have received it.
b. It is the process of living out your faith
c. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works – Ephesians 2:10
4. With fear and trembling
a. Not a frightful fear of the wrath of God
i. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
ii. We can come boldly before the throne of grace – Hebrews 4:16
b. It is a respectful understanding of God as the creator and the one who deserves our obedience and faith. He is the one who has the authority to destroy even if He has shown us grace
B. Application
1. We are saved to glorify and honor God through our lives
2. When we understand the consequences of our sins and that God has delivered us from sin, we should desire the righteousness of Christ and the works that come from it
3. We should actively and intentionally seek to be the people of God and show the world the glory of our salvation through obedience
III. Trust the Holy Spirit (13)
A. Explanation
1. For it is God who works in you – This is evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit
2. Both to will and to work
a. To will – God has changed the will of believers through the Holy Spirit. While we are still sinners, He has placed within us a desire for His righteousness
b. And to work – This is the action that we take. God is working through us to build His Kingdom
3. For His good pleasure – To bring glory and honor to Him
B. Illustration - I like music. I have an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. I also have an electric and an acoustic bass. Every time I look at those guitars, I think about the potential music sitting in front of me. The problem is that I don’t have the ability to play all that well. Bo, on the other hand, Has practiced extensively. He has applied his talents and his knowledge of music theory to play well. The guitar is the potential. The talent is the application. It takes both to play something beautiful. We are given the Holy Spirit. We have the potential to shine like stars. But we must apply it in our lives for I to happen.
1.
C. Application
1. Isn’t it fascinating that we see both our part and His in the first two verses? We want to be logical and think that our work and will must be motivated by either Him or me, but that is not the case
2. We cannot fully work for God’s good pleasure apart from His work in us
3. Consider the OT law – they were not able to keep it because of their sin nature
4. But the New Covenant states that God will place His Spirit within us, give us a new heart, and cause us to walk in His statutes – Ezekiel 36:26-27
IV. Shine like stars (14-16)
A. Explanation
1. Do all things without complaining or arguing - We are to be at peace and love one another
2. Why?
a. So, you may be blameless and innocent – Without fault
b. Children of God – Acting according to His nature
c. In the midst of a crooked and twisted generation – Opposite of the world
3. Among whom you shine as lights in the world
a. Lights = stars lighting up the night sky
b. You are the light of the world– Matthew 5:14
4. Holding fast to the word of life – clinging to it as our only hope
5. For Paul – In the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain – Paul’s concern is that as the disciple who started the church in Philippi, he wants them to remain faithful to the end and make a difference in the world
B. Application
1. Illustration - Brazilian stars
2. Paul’s concern is not just that people go to church or do Christian things
3. His concern is that they are so different from the sinful world that they come across as bright as stars
4. Many today think that we have no obligation to be different from the world, but We are called to shine like stars by living out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives
V. Find joy in sacrifice
A. Explanation
1. Paul turns again to his situation – He is in jail and could face execution for his faith
2. He has already stated that he is fine either way
3. He is willing to give up his life as a sacrifice so the church will believe
a. Drink offering – Often wine or oil is poured over the sacrifice
b. But to be poured out means to be spent or come to an end
4. I am glad and rejoice with you all – even in his death
5. Likewise, you should be glad and rejoice with me – All is well with the believer
B. Application
1. We should be willing to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit
2. Our faith may mean that we don’t live like the world, but that is something to rejoice in
3. Even if it means persecution or difficulty
4. If living for Christ is a sacrifice it should bring joy to our lives.
VI. Conclusion
A. Deion Sanders comes to faith after greatness and now uses his platform to share his faith, mentoring young football players at University of Colorado
The Starbucks Where Everyone's a Secret Agent
The Starbucks at the CIA headquarters is not allowed to take names for orders. It’s not “business as usual” for the Starbucks franchise housed inside the CIA headquarters in Langley, VA. This particular store, code-named “Store Number 1,” operates much differently than their other 12,000+ stores in the U.S.—not surprising when it must accommodate clandestine spymasters working for the most powerful spy organization in the world.
This seller of skinny lattes and double cappuccinos is deep inside the agency’s forested Langley, Va., compound. Because the campus is a highly secured island, few people leave for coffee, and the lines can stretch down the hallway. Welcome to the “Stealthy Starbucks,” as a few officers affectionately call it.
Servers do not ask for the customer’s name (which they normally write on the coffee cup to expedite things), for undercover agents grow uncomfortable when someone asks for it. Even the receipts the baristas hand back have “Store Number 1” cryptically printed on them.
Each barista goes through a robust interview and background check before they are even told that they will be working at the CIA Starbucks. There are nine baristas working there and whenever they leave their work area, a CIA “minder” escorts them. All are regularly briefed about security risks and must report if someone seems overly interested in where they work or asks too many questions about their employment. They can’t even blow their own horns about working inside the CIA at nightclubs or parties and, if asked, can only tell friends, family members and acquaintances that they “work in a federal building.”
One barista said she has come to recognize people’s faces and their drinks. “There’s caramel-macchiato guy” and “the iced white mocha woman,” she said. “But I have no idea what they do. I just know they need coffee, a lot of it.”
Possible Preaching Angles:
1) Compromise; Hiddenness; Light of the World - Agents and even baristas must remain secretive and anonymous at CIA headquarters. But there should be no “undercover Christians” who follow this pattern in their daily lives. Christ wants no hidden Christians; he wants us to shine as lights and be bold and open in our testimony as his followers. 2) Accountability; Secrets; Secrecy – Christians must be open and accountable with one another; there should be no hidden areas of our lives that we conceal while pretending to be godly. 3) Persecution – Some are covert Christians who practice Christianity in secret, often because they fear persecution or discrimination because they live in countries where Christianity is illegal or heavily restricted.
Source: Adapted from Robert Morton, “The Starbucks coffeeshop inside the CIA- a top secret hangout for spies,” Medium (10/14/21); Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, “At CIA Starbucks, even the baristas are covert,” The Washington Post (9-27-14)
Deion Sanders - https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/9/6/deion-sanders-leans-on-his-christian-faith-as-he-coaches-colorado-state-to-improbable-success#:~:text=It%20was%20after%20that%20moment,is%20sports%2C%20it's%20a%20game.