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Good Friday morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Already it’s mid-November, 45 days or so remaining in 2019.
Over the past 30 years or so I have heard two approaching dates as the ones most anticipated by almost every segment of our society. The year 2000 and the year 2020.
So, with only a few weeks left in 2019, how do we position ourselves to cross the line of no return into 2020?
Together, my friends, we are on an exciting journey as we “Walk with Jesus”. We’re tracing the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, across the world, in the years following Jesus’ crucifixion, death, resurrection and return to heaven. We’ve arrived at about 60ad, and we’re reading the letter from the Apostle Paul to his dear friends in the town of Philippi. Paul wrote it from Rome, where he was under house arrest (Acts 28:30,31). Let’s pick it up this morning in chapter 2:12 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works IN you, to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Would you agree that parenting is about helping our children learn how to make wise, right decisions when we aren’t there to instruct them? It was Paul’s great delight to hear reports of how the Christians in Philippi were living as followers of Jesus Christ, even though he, the man who taught them about Jesus, was hundreds of miles away.
Remember they didn’t have the New Testament as we do. They didn’t have Christian radio or TV or libraries full of Christian books and magazines. They didn’t have a church building and a pastor. All they had, was what they had heard from Paul and others, and their understanding of the Old Testament. But they were doing the best they could to try and discern HOW they should be living as new Christians, that would bring glory and honor to God, AND would make the name of Jesus attractive and famous!
That’s why Paul said “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works IN you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Please understand my friends, Paul was NOT saying that we have to work hard to finish accomplishing our salvation. Oh no! Our salvation from our sin condemnation is FULLY a work of God, that HE accomplishes in us.
But. . .as we all know, there’s a battle that rages inside of us. We find ourselves too often falling back into our ‘default mode’ of short temper, deceit, lust, anger, jealousy, bitterness, critical spirit and all that dark stuff that used to be part of our lives,right? It takes work, doesn’t it, to live as a God honoring Christ follower? It doesn’t come naturally!
It takes work to say NO, often, to the temptations that enter our minds and hearts to be selfish and say or do things the old way, that fulfill our agenda our desires. But do you see Paul explains that God is at work IN us as Christians, helping us to choose to act according to HIS good purpose for us! Wow that’s powerful. Can you discern when God is helping you? Can you discern the path He’s leading you on and how He’s giving you the ability to say NO to distractions that would lead you away from His purpose for you?
Do you see in vs. 14 we’re challenged to “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”? Those two ugly words. complaining and arguing, are way too prevalent in our society, do you agree? They are in total opposition to living life in what I call “FOLLOWERSHIP”. That’s combining Following Jesus; Worship God; and living in an authentic, dynamic, relationship with the Holy Spirit of God. That kind of living is contagious!
In fact do you see in vs. 15 Paul calls that type of living “…shine like stars in the universe…” I wonder when the last time was that you were able to be in a place, where the dark night sky was just filled with millions of stars, and you could see them so clearly? Most of us live in cities or towns with so much artificial night light that views like that are increasingly rare. But I like to rise very early while it’s still dark, and no house lights are on. I get a good view of the star filled sky and it’s spectacular.
Dawn and I used to live near Williams Bay,Wisconsin where there’s an observatory. A place built ONLY for the study of God’s magnificent universe, as seen by looking up into the sky!
SO what do you suppose Paul means when he tells us to live in such a way it’s like we “…shine like stars in the universe…”?
Stars have no light of their own, they reflect the light of the sun, right? So, how do you and I reflect the SON of God, Jesus to our world?
Stars were created by God and positioned by Him to be exactly where He placed them (Is. 40:26). Can we say that about each of us? That we are living & working in the place God has positioned us?
Stars give guidance to people who are in a place like out at sea, or a time, like night-time, when you cannot tell which direction is N, S, E or W. So can you see how, you and I, as we live “Followership” with Jesus, can help give guidance to family, friends, and anyone, needing help finding their way in life?
Now here’s an important closing thought about what Paul is saying here in Philippians 2: To the degree you and I know and are following Jesus, as Paul described Him in vs. 6-11, to that degree we will live vs. 12-18. So if we know Jesus well and are following Him closely, we’ll discern God’s purpose for our lives, and follow it with joy and we’ll be content. We’ll live as stars, shining in the universe of the human population, pointing other people to Jesus.
Finally… Have you hear the phrase, ‘You can’t lead someone to a place you’ve never been!’?
I can’t help someone know Jesus… if I don’t know Him.
I can’t help someone find their way in life… if I’m lost and I can’t find my way.
So let’s just stop and ponder that, as we reflect on the power of Philippians 2:12-16… and consider how may people are watching you and me…, following you and me…, and therefore hoping we are following Jesus well!
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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