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25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
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12 Therefore, 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 in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain. 17 But 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.
Introduction
I wish to focus on Paul’s letter from prison to the church in Phillippi. Specifically, 7 verses from Phil 2:12-18. The church in Phil had supported Paul thro his 1st missionary journey (They seemed to understand how a church should be; sharing burdens, giving gifts & encouraging letters to Paul. This letter prob hand delivered by their own Church member, Epaphroditus.
I’m going to suggest 3 simple headings to steer us through these 7 verses:
1. Work out, 2. Cut Out and 3. Pour Out.
1.Work out
2. Cut Out and
3. Pour Out.
Work out
It may sound like a contradiction, ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,’ Christianity is about grace, it is God who saves us. And yet, Paul, writing from a Roman prison, tells these Philippians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
It is not a contradiction because Paul is speaking to people who are already saved. He isn’t telling them to work for their salvation, but to work out what God has already worked in you.
Work out (katergazesthai) means ‘bring to completion,’ don’t stop halfway, stay focused, fully committed. Yes, ‘work out’ means it requires your action. God’s offer of Salvation is there but we must respond, we must take the gift. Paul appeals to the Philippian Christians to lead a life that will be a good witness & lead others to Christ.
What does being a good witness mean? Two things to notice here:
1) ‘Work out’ in your daily Christian life ‘hold firmly to the word of life.’ Sad fact is many Christians ease off rather than pressing on to maturity.
2) Fear and trembling: don't misunderstand this. This is not the fear of a schoolboy before a class bully. This is the holy awe, the deep reverence of a child who loves his father so much that he dreads the very thought of grieving him.
Phil 2:13 tells us why we should have this awe - "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
Cut Out
Philippians 2:14 ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure….Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.’
Of all the things Paul could have chosen as examples of an authentic Christian life to Paul chooses cut out grumbling or arguing." Ouch! The Greek word for grumbling is gongysmos—it’s an onomatopoeic word. It sounds like it is: mumble, mutter, grumble.
Paul says, "Cut it out!" Why? The answer is in Phil 2:15: "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." Cut it out so that you can shine out!
The world is a dark place and its specialist subject is grumbling, disputing, arguing, demanding rights. Paul says the strongest standout thing we can do to shine as lights in the dark world is to cut out the grumbling and v18 be glad and rejoice. When you refuse to grumble, you shine like St Catherine’s lighthouse in a sea of darkness. V16 when you hold firmly to the word of life people notice the difference. It is called bearing witness. It is the risen Christ in you. They look at you and say, "Why are they so different? What do they have?" The answer is: We have Christ.
How I wish our daily prayer could be that we would shine and reflect the light of Christ today, that the cares and struggles could be refocused on Jesus (cast your cares) so that the Lord can shine through us in our everyday lives – this is our witness, this is our purpose.
3. Pour Out
Paul is in prison and in danger of being struck down by Emperor Nero. Here Paul looks at his own life in Phil 2:17 and says, "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." Phil 2:17,18 ‘Even if I am to be poured out…’ Likewise, you should be glad and rejoice with me. Feel the love between Paul & the Phil church. You feel loved when someone says ‘you are my joy’ – they are not a chore to Paul.
Paul uses the imagery of the Old Testament temple sacrifices. The main sacrifice was offered, and then wine was poured out on top of it, evaporating to steam. Paul says, "If my life is like wine poured over the great sacrifice you have made by your faith, I rejoice!" If I lose my life serving you, my heart is glad; I rejoice.
Worldly wisdom says gladness of heart is found in self. Self-fulfilment, self-esteem, self-achievement, self-made, self-help. The gospel tells us that true joy is found in self-sacrifice.
Paul is in prison, facing execution, but this letter oozes joy. He could have been depressed - self-pity – but he rises above the misery, remembers them & prays for them and prays with joy [Phil 1:3]. Paul opened his heart to people he loved, people he wanted to nurture. He says in v 18, "Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me." He knew that his life was held firmly in the hands of God, and to be poured out like a drink offering for the sake of the gospel was a privilege.
Let us not be content with armchair Christianity. As we go out into a world that is broken and dark, let us hold fast to the word of life – the bible and Jesus. Let us cut out grumbling, work out our salvation staying on course faithful and true , pouring out to shine out like stars in the night sky.
