"Taking Obedience Seriously!"
Notes
Transcript
What’s The Big Deal about our Obedience?
When I was growing up as kids me and my sister when not obeying our parents would often quote the passage in Ephesians 6:1, “Children obey your parents.” If my sister Candy saw that I was doing something disobedient should would tell me this verse and I would do the same back. Obeying those in authority is a good thing unless it goes against God and His word.
But this passage today is more than obedience to parents or teachers, or those who are in law enforcement, even though we are to obey those whom God has placed over us. Today I want us to look at a passage that deals with our obedience to our maker, God Almighty. Last week Wes, shared with us the example that Christ set up for us. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” So, there are a few things that we know from last week about the Philippians. First of all they know Christ, because they have received him by faith. They have bowed the knee and confessed with the tongue that Jesus is Lord of their lives.
So, now what? Now where do we go from here? The interesting thing that Paul does here is that he goes back to the Old Testament and he contrasts the Israelites and their behavior with the behavior that the Philippians should have.
We all know this story of God’s People the Israelites. God saves them or delivers them from Egypt. He hears their cries as they suffer in slavery and delivers them but soon after their deliverance they begin to grumble and disobey. Eventually this leads to all of the adults dying off before they come into the Promise Land. What a wake up call this is for the Philippians and for us thousands of years later. How are we to live? What are we to do as God’s children?
Obedience is a big deal and that is what Paul is addressing here. So, let us dive in.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Right off the bat here we notice several things that stand out to us. First Paul loves these believers at Philippi so much. They have a special place in his heart. And secondly, he is not with them at the current time. He misses them and yet loves them. But the most important thing here is that Paul wants them to continue in their obedience to Christ. Paul tells them here to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Notice here that he does not tell them to “work for” (like to try and obtain salvation on their own effort.) The only way we can work out our salvation is because God works in us and has already done the work. He is changing us and has saved us. “Working out” here has the meaning of continuing on in their obedience or to get on with obedience. Paul is writing this to the Philippian believers because he wants them to continue to grow in their faith and to become spiritually mature.
(Just a side note here parents or for that matter anyone who is talking with an unbeliever about baptism. Before we have a conversation with someone about baptism, we need to begin with the saving work of Jesus. We need to explain the Life of Christ and what he did, and his death and resurrection. Christ had to come and pay the penalty for our sin and because of what he accomplished we can have salvation through him.)
All of this then leads us or should lead us to have a healthy fear of a holy and righteous God. As Believers we should have a desire to please God and not offend him. We live our lives in such a way that we are in awe of God and have respect for him. It should cause us at times to fear and even tremble. God, the creator of this mass universe and planet earth and our intricate bodies, the same God who loves us and forgives us, and gave us His Son. We should fear. But, here is the really cool thing church. Through Christ Jesus we can live obedient lives. We don’t have to be given over to selfishness, greed, lust and whatever else is controlling you. God is at work for His good pleasure, and He desires us as believers to live for Him.
1. As God’s Children we are to take serious the warning to not grumble.
1. As God’s Children we are to take serious the warning to not grumble.
I heard this week a story about a guy who was grumbling about going to church when he wanted to go to the lake. Let me just say this, church should be your excuse for missing everything else and being grateful that we get to come together and worship our Creator.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
The grumbling here is a reference to Israel’s grumbling in the wilderness and the judgment that comes with it. Remember what was going on with the Israelites? Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians and then we will jump back to Deuteronomy.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”
We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death!
The Old Covenant people were not God’s Children, the Israelites were the twisted and crooked generation that continued in their grumbling and disobedience.
They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation.
Paul wants the Philippians to understand that as God’s children we should not act this way. We should not disobey the Lord by grumbling or disputing. What pleases God here in this particular instance is that some of the Philippians should stop their in-fighting and get along. They were to be blameless and innocent. Not guilty of these things that have been mentioned.
Church what is it that you find in your own life that you grumble and dispute over? I feel like we as a country are more than every unhappy and complaining about things. There are surveys and questions and people that can get us riled up and who can lead us into complaining if we are not careful. Is it politics that you grumble about, or your job, maybe someone who has treated you unfairly? It seems like so many people today are unhappy and grumbling over things that don’t matter. Maybe today you need to just get alone with God and get into His word so that you can see how blessed you truly are, and how many things the Lord has given to you. Then we would understand we don’t have anything to grumble or gripe about. Obedience means we can turn grumbling into thankfulness and praising God. Let’s choose to do these things.
2. As God’s Children we should be a bright light.
2. As God’s Children we should be a bright light.
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
The opposite of light is darkness and here in verse 15 Paul knows that if believers are not careful they can easily begin to walk down some dark and sinful paths. He wants them to understand the importance of shining brightly. In a day an age where we see plenty of darkness church, there is an extreme importance to be a bright light for the Lord. Here in verse 15 Paul refers back to the Old Testament.
And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
As God’s children we should not follow the dark ways of this world doing everything that they do. Paul wants the Philippians to see here that we are to be obedient children and follow the Lord. Most children (not all) early on have the tendency to follow their parents and do what they are told because they trust them. As believers we can follow God and His Word because He is trustworthy. He is never going to tell us to do something so that we hurt ourselves. By following God, we can shine brightly like the stars by holding onto His Word, so that we don’t run this race in vain.
How is the race going for you today? Some of you have ran a little while. You are 20 or 30. Some of you have been going at it a little longer 40-60. Some of you have been in the race a long time. How is it going? Are you running to God’s Word? Are you holding on to the Word of Life? This is what it looks like to be Obedient to the Lord. Don’t trust in your own “stinking thinking” or what you hear on the news. Trust in God’s Word because it has always proven reliable and trustworthy. Some many people even believers when times get tough give up and thrown in the towel and run from God because they think they know better. I have heard people tell me that I have to make this decision for myself and I know better than you or even God so I am going to keep on going in this particular sin. They may think that they are happy but they are not. There is no light shinning brightly in them because they have forgotten the Lord. We need to be bright lights yall! We need to be a beacon of hope sharing Jesus with others. As believers we have the best news ever to share with those around us. We have the good news of Jesus Christ and so let’s make sure we point people to Him.
3. As God’s Children we should choose joy as we serve the Lord.
3. As God’s Children we should choose joy as we serve the Lord.
Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
I need to explain something very quickly here and then we can move on. You may be wondering what in the world is Paul talking about here when he mentions being poured out as a drink offering? In the Old Testament a drink offering was sometimes added to the main sacrifice that the priests would offer up for someones sin in order for the sacrifice to be total or complete. Check this out.
And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
What Paul does here is he tries to draw or picture his own life being poured out as a drink offering which is added too or offered together with the Philippians own sacrificial service. Paul’s offering will complete their sacrifice. The sacrifice that the Philippians and Paul were giving up was that of comfort, ease, worldly possessions and in some cases even their lives. So yes, they were making sacrifices. But as Paul wanted them to do was find a way to do this even with joy.
Paul wants us to see here is that his perspective on ministry is a model for us not to to grumble and complain about the things we deal with in this life, but to continue to have joy as we serve the Lord together in this thing we call ministry. One of the things that jumps out to us here is that 4x’s we see Paul refer to joy in just these 2 verses. Paul understands that believers must have joy, gladness, or find ways to rejoice. Now clearly we understand that in this life there will come difficult times. There may be times of suffering, tragedy, loss which will come with it grieving and heartache. So clearly we understand that this may happen at times in our lives but with the hope of Jesus in our lives we can eventually move on and experience joy.
Conclusion: Church we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we continue in our obedience because God is still working. He is still ruling and reigning. Listen to how Paul says it in Ephesians.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The good news today is that Christ can forgive us if we have had a grumbling attitude, if we have walked down some dark paths, if we have lost our joy. Jesus can heal us of these things and restore to us obedient lives that honor him. May we choose today to live our lives for the Lord.
(Pray and lead into Communion)