Citizens: A Study on Philippians (Part 9)
August 9, 2020Give Online: Tithes & Offerings
Citizens: A Letter to the Philippians
(Part 9)
Today we are gonna pick back up in Phil 2:12
Phil 2:12-13
- When u pick up the Bible – Read Phil. 2:12-13
- REMEMBER: You are stepping into a flow of thought
- And don’t forget what Paul just said in verse 11
- That jaw-dropping… epic… bombshell of a statement from Paul…
- “King Jesus is Yahweh” or “Messiah Jesus is creator of universe”
- Now if ur in Philippi – Someone reading this letter out loud
- And u hear this line… Jesus is Lord – your mouth is on floor
- Trying to understand how powerful God… Servant man
Then the next line (THEREFORE) – HOSTEY
- It’s a different Gk Word from the other “therefore” in Philippians
- It means… (of what)
- As the result that “Jesus Christ is Lord”
- Here is what should happen in our lives…
- And Paul gives a command – Something to do
Phil 2:12
Understand Paul sets up the command saying 2 things
First – Paul starts off with “My dear friends”
- Usually Paul calls the church “Adelphos” or “brother/sister”
- But here Paul calls them his “Agopetos” or “loved friend”
- It’s where we get the word AGAPE (love)
- Paul saying “I love you as a my very own family”…
- But also “I like you… like close friends that enjoy each other”
- B/C there is this deep bond b/w Paul and the Philippians
- Even though they are physically 1000 miles away
- This bond is stronger than distance… (reminds me of us I pray)
Phil 1:8 (Remember the beginning of letter Paul says)
- If you remember… Affection is Splag-non in the Greek
- Means intestines… Paul says “I love you with my splagnon”
- I love you deep in my gut… I feel love for you
Phil 4:1 (At the end of the letter Paul closes with…)
- Paul is in this deep/authentic love relationship w/ this community
- And I get that because it’s the same way I feel about you
- I love you because you’re my family AND
- I like you because you’re my friends
- We get to grow in Jesus together
- And I get that because it’s the same way I feel about you
- But the question is: Why does Paul feel this love for the Philippians
- B/C he never talks this way to the other churches (Agapetos)
- Only other church he uses this name for is Thessalonians
- 14 letters and only 2 are called his Agapetos
So why this distinction… well Paul goes on as he sets up the command
Phil 2:12
- So Paul switches metaphors from Brothers/Sisters to Parent/Child
- Says when I was with you… u were young in ur faith – obeyed
- NOW I’ve been gone … 1000 miles… ur grown up – still obeying
- Which is what every parent dreams of for their child
- They grow up 2 obey when ur no longer there to enforce rules
Prov 22:6
- Goal of parents is to set the trajectory for our kids
- Here is the God of all creation
- Here is why you should love/trust him
- Here are the commands to obey for your own good
- And you hope/pray on that day when you release that child
- Boy – 18 / Girl – 40
- Hope they stay on the road when u aren’t there to enforce it
STORY
Now the Philippians are not like I was – Word for that “”
- Immaturity is when you don’t know how to handle freedom
- Paul says “you guys are not like that”
- When I was there you obeyed… Now I’m gone and u still obey!
- And I love that about you… it makes me so proud
- I’m like a father seeing his kids set up to succeed in life
Then he goes on to say…
Phil 2:13
1st Paul says CONTINUE… or “don’t stop working out salvation”
- B/C Paul knows we get worn down making the right decision
- Doing the right thing… it goes against the grain
- And it can be tiring to continually stand up for what’s right
- Paul says to push through and don’t stand by idle
- B/C being idle can be so dangerous
- Why – because its hard to get back going again
- Paul says to keep your momentum… focus… rhythm
Then goes on… “to work out salvation with fear and trembling”
- Remember – He just said “As you have always obeyed… continue”
- And if you were there listening to this all read out loud
- You would anticipate that follow up with “Continue to obey”
- You’ve obeyed… now continue ur salvation w/ obedience
- But Paul doesn’t say that – Mixes things up & replaces “Obey”
- With phrase “work out salvation with fear & trembling”
- Now whatever it means… it’s a substitute for “obey”
- “WORK OUT” translated to go at it with energy/drive/intensity
- Go after what… YOUR SALVATION (what does that mean)
- And this makes a lot of Christians uncomfortable
- B/C we think: Is Paul saying Salvation comes by works?!?!
- Reason is b/c to many – Salvation is flat/one dimensional word
- It means… getting out of hell and into heaven when u die
- And there is truth in that…
- But to Paul Salvation is a not a
- It’s not just about you… its about all of creation
- Not just future: Paul uses salvation past/present/future tense
- Paul: You WERE SAVED (moment u passed to life)
- Paul: You WILL BE SAVED (the day of the Lord – most used)
- Paul: You ARE BEING SAVED (still a work in progress
- Were saved/will be saved/being saved…
- Go after what… YOUR SALVATION (what does that mean)
- Like marriage I was married > Am married > will be married
- There was a moment Oct. 1 2005 – I was married… I said “I DO”
- And by the grace of God Michelle said the same thing
- And I will spend rest of my life living up to that truth
- But I’m already married… I’m not earning that
- But I’m living up 2 that… every day an opportunity to grow
- Sometimes with Fear & Trembling
- Same way… you’re already saved
- Now u have opportunity 2 live out what’s already true
- There was a moment Oct. 1 2005 – I was married… I said “I DO”
Then comes the last two words… “with fear and trembling”
- This is one of those lines (if anything like me) that you skip over
- I don’t really want to know what that means
- I just hope it doesn’t mean what it sounds like it means
- But this idea is all over OT: Speaks of encountering God’s presence
- Think of Isaiah getting a vision of God in the temple
Is 6:5
Rev 1:17
- Jesus puts hand on John’s shoulder – says do not be afraid (why)
- Because John was scared to death…
- And I really think we’ve lost something of “Fear & Trembling”
- Over 100x in OT it talks about the “Fear of the Lord”
- There are 36 commands to “Fear God”
- And we feel like fear is a bad thing… but it isn’t always bad
- The issue isn’t fear – Its that we fear the wrong things
- We fear money… unemployment… sickness… death
- God says “Fear me” and you’ll have nothing else to fear
- And people try to explain “Fear God” away with reverence/respect
- Funny though… it says FEAR
- There are words in Heb/Gk that mean reverence/respect
- That is not one of them
- And don’t think of this idea of cowering in the corner scared
- When I think of fear – Like being on edge of Grand Canyon
- The majesty… intensity… consequence… overwhelming
- Yet being there – No where else u rather be (amazing)
- And that’s the creation… imagine standing b4 the creator
- Its awe & inspired… yet with fear and trembling
- Still have fear & love at same time… dad and the paddle
- Funny though… it says FEAR
So lets clarify something here – b/c this is a lot
Paul says “ your salvation” not “ your salvation”
- Not saying you earn ur salvation… Paul writes 2 Xians (holy people)
- BUT he doesn’t say to WORK IT OUT…
- And work means to: Labor – Carry out – Get to work
- We live in a hyper sensitive time towards “Good works”
- Backlash to the Catholic doctrines b4 the reformation
- So there is mass paranoia over ideas of works v grace
- Problem is – Biblical Fathers weren’t paranoid
- Think of the famous verse on GRACE in Ephesians’’
Eph 2:8-10
-
- DO NOT disconnect the 2nd part of that paragraph from the 1st
- Yes you are saved by grace…absolutely… not by works
- BUT you are saved FOR good works
- And the moment we believe the 1st w/o the 2nd
- You are out of balance in your theology of salvation/grace
- Because WORKS is what we are called to
- DO NOT disconnect the 2nd part of that paragraph from the 1st
- Think of another time Jesus is talking to the Rick Young Ruler
- Guy asks Jesus… what do I need to DO to be saved
- What we think Jesus should say
- Hey man… you don’t need to do anything
- I’m about to go to the cross… you’ll have grace…
- Is that what Jesus says??? First thing he says is…
Luke 18:19
Luke 18:21
- No.. he says go sell all you have
- I’d say this falls under working out salvation (just quoting Jesus)
- To Jesus & all those he taught – Good works are…
- We r created to DO GOOD WORKS (Why)… created by God
- Moment ur saved by God – Become part of the mission of God
- You are called… remember the job of a citizen of Philippi!!!
- How are we doing that?
- Yes you are saved BY grace – FOR good works
- Yes ur adopted thru nothing on your own – and have job
- I’d say this falls under working out salvation (just quoting Jesus)
Lets go on… b/c now in the how of these “Works”
Phil 2:13
In you in the Greek is Enerjon (Where we get word… energy)
- Paul believes there is a divine energy at work in you
- Remember the start of the letter “He who began a good work”
- Paul brings us back to creation – began… it is good… Holy Spirit
- And all you have to do is plug in to that power source
- And if this sounds super NEW AGE – Remember truth is twisted
- And if you plug in… there is power
- What Paul is not saying in work out salvation w/ fear & trembling
- Not saying… make it happen… suck it up… up to u…
- What Paul is saying… you are a tool in the hands of the creator
- And there is a power deep inside of you
- All you have to do… make sure you are connected
- Then all you have to do is tap into that power
This is exactly what Paul is saying – The Holy Spirit lives inside of you
- All you have to do is allow the Spirit to move in your life
- He is the power source behind any success God calls you to
- He is the Enerjon… the energy source – And you are not!!!
- So stop trying to make it happen without the Spirit
Phil. 2:13
- This is a piece of theology that we do not talk about enough
- It’s the idea of when u are saved… your will changes
- It’s called regeneration
- Says when saved… at that moment you are filled w/ Spirit of God
- And you are regenerated – God puts a new heart into you
- Ezekiel – Takes out heat of stone… in
- And God regenerates your heart
- Now ur DEEPEST desire is to obey… strongest desire might not be
- Example: When you are dating…
- With them and there is temptation
- In that moment – Strongest desire is not for purity
- But your deepest desire – It is for purity for ur relationship
- That u trust in what God says is best… and walk that out
- And the deepest desire comes from the Spirit (Ener – Jon)
- At work in you to will and to act
- That not only does God give you the power if saved to will
- But he also gives you the power to (act) follow thru
- Power that raised Jesus from the dead… it’s in YOU
- Example: When you are dating…
Wraps up with what Paul closes with
In order to fulfill his good purposes
- Can translate “In order to fill his good purpose/ur good pleasure
- Lots of argument on how to translate that… so which is it
- The answer is YES – Both/And – Why pick a side?!
- Understand God’s good plan/Your good pleasure – 1 in the same
- And God is after obedience b/c it is your good pleasure
- God wants u 2 be joyful… b/c it’s what’s best 4 you/body/future
- Gods commandments are not (like speed limits)
- There is a job determining speed limits… 35 or 40???
- God’s commands not like that at all… Sex b4 or after marriage
- Think of how u think of speed limits… what’s the big deal
- God’s commands are a big deal
- Jesus said that “My teachings are the road to LIFE”
- Obedience isn’t just a road… it’s a road to LIFE
- Disobediences isn’t just a detour… that lead to disaster
I love how Paul answers the WHY questions (never just says DO IT)
- Paul lays out reasons… actually Paul gives us 4 reasons why
- Why – Jesus obeyed… Jesus only asks what he will do
- Why – Jesus is Yahweh… made the universe
- Why – The Holy Spirit is at work inside of you – empowering
- Why – God’s purpose = Your pleasure – One in the same
- That is more than enough reason to obey