Say It Again Paul
Philippians 2:14-18
Philippians 2:14-18
Let’s Pray…
Repetition. I was listening to a pastor on a podcast this week. And he made the statement that the Scriptures are painfully repetitive. When we read this passage tonight, you might think, I’ve heard this before.
Certainly, if you’ve been here at the Church in the Grass, none of the ideas that come from this passage are new to your ears. I pray that they are not new to your heart either.
But, if they are, then praise God that your heart is finally listening.
The old story goes that a pastor preached the same sermon, word for word, to his people for more than a month.
After the second week they all thought he had wigged out. No one wanted to say anything. It sure might make for an awkward conversation.
But after more than a month a parishioner was finally brave enough and came up to the preacher and asked, “Is there a reason you keep preaching the same sermon?”
“Sure,” the pastor said. “By the looks of things, no one in the church has heard the message yet. I’ll move on once people “get it.””
Scripture seems to be designed in a similar way.
Through His Holy Word, through the general revelation of His will that we find in our Bible, God walks beside us. And whispers these same things to us over and again in a way that eventually we “get it.”
There have been times when I have been sitting in a church, or reading on my own, or just talking with a brother or sister in a time of study or fellowship.
And even though, in that situation, I am hearing a biblical idea for like the tenth time (not always in a row) even I’ve heard the same verses or the same idea again
All of a sudden it stirs something in me that had never been in my heart before.
Or the same truth — whether it’s about purity, or compassion or grace — the same truth all of a sudden pulls me deeper into an affection for God the Father, or the Son and here recently, even the Holy Spirit than I’ve ever had before.
I hope that as we go over these familiar ideas in tonight’s passage, that the Holy Spirit would use the Scripture and this time of preaching to stir the affections of YOUR heart for God. I pray that you might leave here tonight with tangible heart change.
Let’s unpack the text:
I’ve got 4 points that I’m drawing from the text tonight. We’ll take them in order.
First, in verse 14 Paul pleads with us as individuals and as the church not to complain or argue.
The ESV translates this as “do all things without grumbling or questioning.” I would say it like this: Don’t be that guy, or woman, or teenager, who always wants to Point out what is wrong with the church, the family, the society, the government, etc.
Don’t be that person who always wants to be the one who has to question authority (there are times when this is necessary and there are other times where we just want to throw a wrench into the process because we don’t like the leader, or we don’t like that we didn’t have a say in the beginning of the process, or whatever).
There may be times when a contrary view might need to be heard for wisdom’s sake. But if you feel like you need to play the role of “Devil’s Advocate” than stop it. Knock it off, I say in love.
Don’t be that guy who goes along with the process, but grumbles and pouts the whole way through. All right, People get it. You’re not happy. Get over it. If you’re in the process, get in gear and be the most productive, enthusiastic person you can be.
Now that first point leads into the second.
Let’s ask the question, “Why shouldn’t I argue or complain or grumble or question everything I am a part of?”
The answer is only for God’s people. If you aren’t a Christian, relax. This is for us. If your an unbeliever and want to get an inside look on what makes us tick — Here it is.
We are part of a plot that was started a LONG time ago. A plot, or you could even call it a worldwide conspiracy to take over the world.
And our marching orders tell us not to grumble or complain because grumbling and complaining, questioning everything to death and arguing with people cuts against the attitude of gratitude, humility and grace that we’ve been called to live out.
You see living with a heart of humility and grace, compassion and self-less-ness, that’s part of our strategy for world conquest for our Kingdom. (Not for us, for our Kingdom, for THE KINGDOM…the Kingdom of God.)
And let me be the first to tell you: We haven’t followed this command very well, historically.
Even if you’re not a Christian you can say amen to that.
Verses 14 and 15 tell us not complain or argue… so that we “can become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which (we) shine like stars in the universe as (we) hold out the word of life
What’s all that mean? Well, when an outsider, a non-believer, looks in on the Church (not church as the building, but Church as the believers in a community and the believers globally)
When an outsider looks in on the Church they should see unity because, Paul says, that is going to be a beacon of light, a ray of hope, a shining star in the dark night, a lighthouse for a sailor on a dark and stormy night — are those enough metaphors?
It should be different and it should draw them in. Because let’s face it, there’s not much unity in the world, not for any prolonged period of time.
So, if we, believers — if we, the Church are living out the word of God, then we should shine like stars for the world to see and to be drawn to.
But, instead of being the kind of people — the kind of Church — that we’ve been called to be. Instead of drawing people into the Kingdom of God by our unity as a family of believers;
Instead of that, we argue with one another within the family of God — we have these family feuds about worship styles and what kind of clothes we should wear and all of these other issues that have historically sent us in a million different directions
Draining or energy on non-essential issues — on issues that we find liberty with in the Scriptures and we get tangled up in these disputes and we have no energy left for the mission that we’ve been called to.
And when that happens, outsiders looking in to the Christian culture, maybe you are someone looking in tonight. You say, “No thanks. I have enough drama in my life already. I’m not adding more by joining you guys.
So we argue with ourselves, but a lot of times we also put forth this very negative and condemning vibe out to all you all who aren’t believers. Am I right? I know I am, I used to be a non-believer.
When I was on the outside looking in, I saw the church as an out of touch kill joy that wanted to take everything fun out of my life.
I saw the church as a bunch of crazy folks who boycotted fast-food restaurants, media corporations and anything else in the culture that they didn’t agree with.
And, I saw the Christians who didn’t realize the tragic irony when they blew up abortion clinics and killed abortion doctors in an effort to…save lives.
Now, let me say this, there are more Christians who aren’t whacked out than those who are. The problem is this, we aren’t as vocal.
Now, back to us Christians. Here’s how we apply it. If you want a practical step, here you go. The passage tells us to become blameless and pure, children of God without fault and to shine like stars in the universe as (we) hold out the word of life…
Hold out the word of life. Did you catch that. Don’t hold out a picket sign with everything that we are against. People get it! And they don’t care. If they do care, it’s usually annoyance or rage that we insight, not repentance and faith.
Instead hold out the WORD OF GOD. We need to be more vocal with what God is for (like redemption and restoration) than the misguided brothers and sisters are with what they are against.
When I was a non-believer, I never said these words. “Oh look, those “Christians” are picketing a funeral with signs that say God Hates _____. I wonder if they can tell me how to find eternal life.”
No! It wasn’t hearing what Christians are against that stirred my heart. It was hearing about the promise of LIFE that brought me in, I was hungry for life and I didn’t even know it!
And God put Christians in my path – one of them being my wife, Monica, who didn’t tell me I was bad (I knew that!)
They didn’t tell me I was bad. Instead, they showed me that God is good! They did that by holding out the word of life. They did that by NOT arguing and complaining amongst themselves. They did that by NOT shaking a finger at me and telling me to clean up my act.
They did it by saying, there is a person we have found who can save you from the pain and the brokenness and the degradation of this world and of your life.
And I was drawn to that like a moth to a flame. And I was consumed! If you are not a believer, I know that might sound weird, but there’s no other way to explain it.
I was consumed by the beauty of God that I found in the Scriptures. And by what I felt as the Holy Spirit entered my heart.
As I said earlier, this is all a review session if you are a regular here. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we are to be the salt and light in the world.
Paul is reminding us now, be that salt and light by not being that guy, and by our not being that church that grumbles and complains and who is first to point out the negative and the worst in a situation.
No! Be the salt and light by being full of Christ centered optimism. Optimism that doesn’t ignore the truth of suffering and pain and sin, but instead lives and talks and cares and loves as one who knows that the pain and the suffering and the hurts of this world are not the end of the story.
Now for my third point from the passage: Following Paul’s lead I would ask that you think of your pastor, but not only me, also the other Christian brothers and sisters who have spoken truth into your life in order to build you up into the person of faith that you are today.
And think of those who will continue to mentor and co-labor with you in the Kingdom mission we’ve been called to.
Now let’s talk about the church in the Grass specifically for a moment; where we are as a local church
Listen, I don’t want to overstate it. But there have literally been sweat and tears poured out for this church and the people of this neighborhood. No blood from us yet. But sleepless nights. Anguished prayers. Re-situated priorities. Former passions and hobbies set aside or outright abandoned.
All for the goal of sharing the wonderful message of God’s saving love, and the importance of a church family in the life of every believer, and the need for all the children of God to properly reflect God’s love in the world.
We haven’t done it perfectly. We’re still growing and learning, but we have walked as close to the leading of God as we know how, no matter what the cost, and that’s what we will continue to do.
So, in love and gratitude to God first, and then in honor of the efforts of one another, let us live in a way that says, the efforts are not in vain.
How do we live that out? In humility and with a high regard for others, and with a missional heart for the lost that draws the lost in with the light of God and not the darkness of pessimistic negativity.
Shine. Shine. Shine. Don’t let our efforts be in vain.
Now, one last point:
This life. The life of the Christian on this side of eternity does not come with a promise of riches, or ease, or health, or even comfort.
We’ve been pretty well informed by the Scriptures that there will be struggles and sacrifice.
But God! But God is worth every tear that we shed. Every hour spent in prayer, every slap to our pride from the world.
It’s all okay and worth it, because we have Him! — AND, not God only, Paul points out that God has also given us one another — as a gift and as a reason to rejoice.
That’s what I think Paul is saying. In verse 17.
(…hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing…)
17 But (the word “but” in verse 17 isn’t in the ESV translation, I’m not sure why the NIV has it. I would read it the ESV way by starting with the word “Even”) even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
This is such a beautiful picture of what the church is called to be. Rejoicing in the blessings of God, and celebrating the growth in faith that we see in one another and the birth of a heart of faith that we see in new converts.
That’s our joy! And everything else is worth that.
We are called to pour our selves out for one another, and for the lost. Pour out our motives that seek to put ourselves at the top or in the front of the line.
Pour our selves out and rejoice when our efforts bear fruit, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us in the Church.
I rejoice when I see Andy growing in his role as a leader in this church. Releasing control, foregoing pride and just being a wonderful encourager to me, and a Godly example in the church. I rejoice!
And, I rejoice when I see Ryan following the path that God is laying out for him and truly pouring out his energy, time and talents. This man has nothing left when he’s done for the night. And when the week is over, he is POURED OUT! I rejoice!
And, I rejoice when I see Monica growing in her spiritual growth, in her humility and strength as a mother and a wife and a woman who knows, who “gets it” that she is a child of God — safe and secure in His hands. She walks with more Christ-centered confidence and assuredness than I have ever seen in anyone. I Rejoice!
And as I rejoice, I join with Paul and I ask you to look for reasons to rejoice as well.
I know life is hard. I know that there are times when sin haunts us. But God!
But, God has given us more than we ever deserved. And He promises to continue blessing us, and the final blessing is yet to come and we can’t even imagine the joy that will overtake us on that day.
So in light of God’s mercies on us and in light of the promise of what’s to come, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God …” And, “…Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life!”
Let’s pray…
