Philippians 2:12-15 "Light Amongst Darkness"

We're gonna be in verses 12 through 15 this week. Turn with me to Philippians chapter 2 verses 12 through 15 for today. Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 through 15. Let us go ahead and begin with a word of prayer.

Lord I would ask Lord in your mighty name of Jesus the name that is above every name Lord that God when we come to this text that we would be bowing our knee in some submission to what this text has to say that Lord that even from myself preaching this text that would do so in a way that glorifies you to those that are hearing this text Lord that it would not be deaf ears but that it would glorify you too that it would bring about a renewal of life in our spirits and that it would be done to your good pleasure.

Lord. God let these things refine reform your church today your bride. And we say this in your name Jesus Christ amen. Let's go ahead and read these verses verse 12 through 15 for today and then we'll pray again.

Let us read so then my beloved just as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will be blameless and innocent children of God without one without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Let's pray again over this Lord as we have just read God let us today do all things to please you.

Lord that we would act in a way that we would not forget that you see all our actions all our deeds. Lord and God let us not ever think that we do anything to please anybody other than you Lord let us act in a way that is without let us act in a way that is without grumbling or disputing.

Lord and God that we would do this in a way that the outside world the crooked and perverse generation the wickedness of men that is around us Lord that we would be the lights amongst a very dark world.

Lord do not let us forget though Lord that we too were once dark and that you had to open our eyes and change our heart and that your light now dwells within us. Lord let us remember your salvation that comes about through what you have done for us on the cross and we say this in your name Jesus Christ amen.

Verse 12 here Philippians chapter 2 verses 12 through 15 again as a reminder of the context of what's going on in this text is is we are having a letter written from Paul to the Church of Philippi. Philippi Philippi I'm gonna say that every single time that we talk about this church and he's writing this while in prison to Rome and he's in prison there again because of his bold proclaiming of the gospel his his his his willingness to not forsake the preaching the teaching of God's Word in a bold proclaiming way and it's very unashamed manner that Paul has continually gone about proclaiming Jesus.

And last week I hope that we can remember from last week we were in verses 9 through 11 last week and in that text we saw the obvious ways that Paul is applying the name of Jesus to the Old Testament name of God Yahweh and the obvious correlation that he's making with how Jesus Christ is God in flesh.

And he writes in there in that text in verse 10 he says that at the very name of Jesus which is quoting from the Old Testament that at the name of Yahweh at the name of Jesus all knees will bow. And then he adds context in there saying that it's both those in heaven those on earth and those under the earth and that every tongue would swear allegiance every song would confess Jesus as Lord.

And when we look at that in Isaiah 45 that text is saying that even though those that come to Jesus will be justified all those that come to Yahweh will find salvation and that God will provide salvation to Israel to the seed of Israel is what it says in that text.

But all those that are angry at Yahweh they too will be put to shame. And it gives us the example of Bel and Nebo these false idols of Babylon bowing their knee to God in them being conquered. And so what we have in this text is that Jesus Christ is being proclaimed as that same very God and that you will always you'll either have your knee bow in humble submission or you will have your knee broken in judgment it will be bowed regardless that God is a conquering God.

And again that is either conquering in salvation conquering in judgment. And this just elevates that name Jesus who is God in flesh who exists in the form of God and who humbled himself and took on flesh for you.

And I that's what this elevates is the name of Jesus in this text. And that's important to remember this context because in verse 12 we have a connecting word here for us it's because the name of Jesus has been elevated has been exalted above every other name that verse 12 says so then so then because of what was said before what comes after is that much more important.

So then because Jesus's name is above every name and every tongue on earth will confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father. So then my beloved so we have because of this now this because of that now we have what's going to come about here in this text.

So then my beloved this beloved is a got the toys and this word is talking about you just think about that for a second that Paul is writing this letter to whom. To the church he's writing this letter to this church of Philippians.

And in this church he calls this church this very near and dear term which is beloved. It doesn't just say this meaningless word here but he says so then my beloved we could look at this and we could obviously say this Paul have a high view of his brothers and sisters in Christ or a low view of his brothers and sisters in Christ.

He has a very high view. He has a very high view and calling them my beloved. And the reason he has this is again because of the previous text that that he recognizes their undeservingness of being in Christ but their equalness of being in Christ.

And so therefore since Christ calls us his bride Paul recognizes that and says my beloved. So then my beloved he loves this church that he's writing to. Now I want to look at the end of verse 12 before we look at the middle of verse 12 and I think there's a reason for this.

So then my beloved and the ending of what he's talking about in here is work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This work out your salvation is not to be seen.

I need to be clear in this because this text sounds somewhat strange when we read this. This text does not mean that you can lose your salvation. It does not mean that you must work to obtain your salvation.

It does not mean that you must work in order to maintain your salvation. Now why is it that that does not mean this. Well because we see in the previous text Christ had to do something on our behalf that we had no part in obtaining this salvation in the first place.

We had no part other than crucifying our Lord. We had no part other than us being the sinners that Christ had to pay for us. We have no part in this salvation. We have no part in what Christ has done for us because we are completely undeserving partakers of what Christ has done.

Again this quotation from Isaiah 45 in that text he talks about how Yahweh is the one that will justify the seed of Israel. We see in here that salvation is not something that is obtained but that within our salvation.

How do we act by working out with fear and trembling that our life as partakers of salvation is not a life that is meant to be lazy. It is not a life that is meant to be forgetting of what Christ has done for us but it is a life that is one that consists of us working out within that salvation fear and trembling.

Now one thing that we've been reading very very much in detail as a church in Hebrews in the book of Hebrews on our Bible study nights has been the text of Hebrews chapter 8 verses 8 through 12 this new covenant text that we have in here that that Christ is the mediator of this better new covenant.

And I think that this verse these verses should be something that each one of us should anchor our lives upon. And it should be our great confession of our faith is that Hebrews 8 8 through 12 text which we won't read right now.

But I want to remind us of something that is talked about in that text that the law of God is written upon our hearts and upon our minds as these new covenant members. And it also says that in those new covenant members that the sins have been forgiven and the iniquities are remembered.

No more so but part of us having our sins forgiven also means that Christ when we are born again that we now serve God in a way that we recognize that we have broken his law and that Christ is the keeper of that law.

But we want to glorify him through magnifying his law in our lives. We want to do these things. We want to obey God not to not again not to keep our salvation not to obtain salvation. But because we are new covenant members that Christ has done something for us that we now want to bear the fruits of the Spirit we want to bear the fruits of obedience to God.

This week I had a lovely conversation with an individual who gave me a phone call wanting to talk about the fruits of the Spirit. And I wanted to read these things for us because I believe that as new covenant members that have had the law written upon our hearts and upon our minds that by us being obedient to this law we will bear the fruits of the Spirit.

We will bear these things in our lives. Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 through 26. If you'd like to turn there I would encourage you to as this is a great reminder for us as the church as the Christian in this text here in verse 12 that says work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

What does that work look like. What does the the work of the new covenant member look like. Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 through 26 says this. Galatians chapter 5 verse 16 through 26. But I say walk by the Spirit.

And you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another so that you do not do the things that you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evidence which are sexual immorality. This is so important for us to hear today especially in the culture that's outside of our building today.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident which are sexual immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorceries and anemones strife jealousy outbursts of anger self-ambition dissensions factions envy drunkenness carousing and things like these of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you.

To those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. To those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God but the fruit of the Spirit. So I want to pause here and remind us what we're reading here in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So you have salvation in Jesus Christ. What does that look like in your lives. I would argue that this is what it should look like. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control.

Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit let us also walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become those with vainglory challenging one another and being one another.

These two descriptions that we have the deeds of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit are in oppositions with one another. And so the Christian who has been born again that has had that law written upon their hearts who has an indwelling of the Holy Spirit in that manner ought to bear these fruits of love patience peace.

And according to Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 that this is to be done with fear and trembling. This this reverence that we are to have to God because we know him we understand of what he has done we respect him we honor him.

Now notice back. Turn with me back now to Philippians chapter 2 verse 12. This is something that if we just read over this we wouldn't we might miss something that's very important. I think as a Christian church that we ought to pay attention to verse 12.

So then my beloved so he's talking to this church that he has a high view of just as you have always obeyed not is in my presence only but now much more in my absence. And then he goes on to say work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

That's what he's getting out in this text. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling again. I think that looks like what we have is the fruits of the Spirit because we're new covenant members. But notice Paul's exhortation to how or when the Christian Church ought to do this.

When are they to be working out their salvation with fear and trembling just as you always have obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence. Paul is saying that it both in his presence and in his absence a Christian ought to live a life that is obviously and clearly set apart by God in faithfulness even when others aren't there to witness it.

It's easy to proclaim that you're a Christian when you're in the light and other people are looking at you. It's another thing to proclaim that you were a Christian when you're in the midst of darkness and in the midst of a crooked perverse generation.

And even when you have the closet doors shut it's really easy to say that you're not a Christian any longer. It's easy to not bear those fruits because you have no one witnessing you to bear those fruits.

As a Christian when we are in the midst of other Christians we're act as what as a Christian when you're not around other Christians how are you to live as a Christian. He's saying that at all times beloved church you are to be this light at all times you are to act in such a manner that you should never stop or not do these things.

That's very important for us that we we don't want to be this make-believe image of a Christian on Sundays and Sundays alone but that through Monday through Saturday that we ought to always continually recognize that we are sinner justified by Jesus and that we we are covered by him.

And that we're to work out our salvation with fear and trembling that it's not so something that we do on a Sunday but something that we are acting behaving as such on Monday through Saturday just as much as we try to on a Sunday.

And it's important that we recognize these things. And it's also important to know that we do fall short in these things but make it clear that according to Galatians chapter 5 we ought not to practice the such the things that are the deeds of the flesh.

If we're practicing such we will not inherit the kingdom of God is what it says in that text. So let's look here at verse 13 now so work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

This is something that I when I read this my mind was immediately taken back to a Christian that I hold to that I hold very high on the pedestal in that sense a Christian that I look at it's a it's a gentleman that none of us know in this room personally but it's a gentleman that I very much see as the cream of the crop of Christianity in that sense somebody I look up to very very much somebody that I think when I think of what a Christian ought to look like I think of this individual oftentimes.

And I once heard him say something that really struck me to the core. And this was recently after I was converted as a Christian and he said this and I just saw humility when he said this he said something to the to the like of this the more I think about it I can't say I've done anything in and of myself that is truly righteous.

The more I think about everything I've done in my life the more I see that my righteous deeds are nothing but a filthy rag. And the reason that this that's the end of the quote the reason that that shook me to the very core was that this is an individual that has dedicated his whole life to teach others about Christ and he sacrificed having family having friends having relationships all in the process of preaching Christ crucified.

But he also said something to the effect of this and I think this is where it ties into this text. And he said I am sure though if I have done something that was seen by God as righteous that it was undoubtedly done by Christ in me and not of myself.

I think that is exactly what Paul is getting out in this text that when we do something that has the appearance of good that we ought not to honor ourselves in the process that we got to recognize that as these new covenant members that got in God's providence and according to his will.

When we do something that has this appearance of righteousness on it that we recognize that it was only Christ who was working in me that we take should take pleasure and happiness and joy and knowing that God has has brought us to this place to do these things for him.

But we ought not to sing our own praise in the process of those things. Once again what is this text teaching us what has been the whole text of chapter 2 been teaching us humility right. So when we say in this text in verse 12 work out your salvation with fear and trembling immediately what our flesh would want to do is I have done something good.

I want to honor myself and Paul saying no Christian be humble. Remember that it is God who is at work in you that it's according to God's will that you did this and to whose pleasure was it done for not yours not your neighbors but it was to God's good pleasure that you did this.

Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. Paul again every text you see Paul write in you see his humility and recognizing God's will and power being done. Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.

Again we must see ourselves as filled by the Spirit. And if through God's providence if he should will for us to tarry a day longer that is to his glory and to his praise. If if we are to do something that is to bring about God's gracious kindness for another individual again we are to see that it was God who was at work not us.

This is humility. This is recognizing and giving praise to where praise ought to be given and that is to God and God alone. Again this kills the pride of man when we recognize this Ephesians chapter 2 8 through 10.

For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not of yourselves it is a gift of God. So grace and faith this is the gift of God to you. Don't think that it comes about by yourself. Don't think about that you've earned it.

Because verse 9 not of works so that no one may boast. And then in verse 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

We're being shaped and molded because we are his workmanship and anything that we do is according to his plan that he has prepared beforehand that we ought that we would walk in them now this is interesting to something that we need to pay attention to here in verse 13.

It's at the end of the verse here in verse 13 both to will and to work. For whose good pleasure does it say that we are to do these things. For it's for God's good pleasure. Many people look at the church today in the year of 2023 and say that we do things that are outdated that we do things that are strange that we do things that are weird.

And that we do things that are culturally inappropriate to be doing today. That's what the outside world looks and sees at us right. They see cars parked outside and they think that that is weird. That we would take an hour to two hours of our day to come and do some singing and to sit and listen to God's Word being preached.

They think that that is very strange. Stop acknowledging that kind of thinking in our lives. Do not let the outside culture influence the way that you see how the Christian ought to behave. How is the Christian to behave.

How are they to please God alone. How are they to glorify him and honor him. How are they to do these things. According we asked a week ago how are we to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And the kids all resounded responded by saying that we're to do this according to God's Word.

Which according to God's Word when we act in such a way the outside culture says that we're weird strange and outdated. Brothers and sisters be weird be strange be outdated. Be the ones that stand out in the midst of a perverse and wicked generation if loving Christ going to church being the husband of one wife being the father of many children proclaiming the cross and salvation through Jesus.

If that is seen as weird then let us be the most biblically weird people in the world. I find it crazy that in our nation where we had street preachers like George Whitfield who in his day would go around saying be born again.

That was his message everywhere he went he was the most well-known and recognized individual in the United States in his day. Not. Not because people liked his appearance. I think he had a lazy eye. He didn't have an appearance of people wanting to follow him.

What did he have. He had a message that people wanted to hear and that was be born again glorify God come to the cross. And he would go from city to city to city. And he was the wealth well-known man in his day.

We used to be in a nation that saw that as the normal street preachers the normal. We now live in a nation that that is very frowned upon and we have deluded ourselves to thinking that that is something strange for the Christian to be doing.

And we've been influenced by people that put pride as what we is to be celebrated. And I'm not just talking about LGBT pride but pride in general is the new idol for all men. It's not new. It's not new at all.

It's something that's always been about. But this is so important for us that we are being called weird and strange by individuals that think men can become women and women can be men. I'm sorry but they can call me weird all day long.

And I'm going to keep on proclaiming the gospel in a weird and outdated way. And I'm okay with that church stand out in a day like today. You should not have the appearance of anything like that. And also in that you should not think that it is inappropriate for a Christian to be doing such.

I constantly run into this battle that it seems like the idea of proclaiming Jesus Christ is something that the Christian ought not to be doing. I ran into so many Christians that think well no you shouldn't do the awkward things.

You shouldn't make it feel weird for the individual. I'm sorry again. What does the Bible tell us that Jesus Christ himself does. He enters into a city and he says repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe in the gospel. Jesus is entering into cities and people hate him for that. Do not tell your other fellow Christian that they ought not to be doing something for the advancement of the kingdom of God or the glory of God.

Do not be doing these things. Verse 14. Do all things without grumbling or dispute. Now this is a very very short verse. But this is one that I think is very very important. Do all things without grumbling or dispute.

The very church that he just said beloved to Paul's writing this very short verse here for these individuals to read something over now. Why would Paul say something like this. Would it be fair to think for a second that Paul is writing this.

Two options. Because this wasn't prevalent in the church in his day. Or is he writing this because he's seen this prevalent in the church in his day. I would think the latter would probably be more true that he sees how churches fight amongst themselves.

And he's saying look you ought to not do things with grumbling and dispute. And there's a reason why Paul says this again think about this for us outside of the church. One of the most awkward things that we can see in the world is and and again let me be clear in saying I'm not.

There's children that sometimes have outbursts of anger and difficulty. I'm not talking about just the outbursts. I'm about the children that practice this. One of the most awkward things that we can see is when you're in Walmart and you see the child that is obnoxious.

The child that has no obedience towards their parents that does not honor them. That is one of the most broken families that we can see in our lives is is when the parents do not have any respect guarded by the children.

The children are doing everything with disputes with grumblings. Because the parents are not honored and are not revered they have gone outside of what we've already talked about as a church's created order.

The children are not being subject to their parents now. This is not meaning that the parents can't get opinions for the children or anything along those lines. But just imagine for a moment you're in Walmart.

You have a child that is acting obnoxious and and the child says I want to go to Chick-fil-a today. Mom and dad and mom and dad says well it's Sunday. Right. They lose their bananas. Right. They they lose all sense of control because they've heard their parents say no does the child that freaks out in such a way respect the authority of their father when we see this at the store.

And I know we've all seen this. Right. We've all been into Walmart once in our lives. At least we've all seen this. We turn our heads because we recognize that it's obviously wrong church do not ever be like this in our local body within Christianity and the church the Universal Church in the last 2 ,000 years.

This is not the way that we taught to be doing things. We ought to do all things in a way that gives the image that we do things without grumbling or dispute. When the world looks at us now think about this for a moment just as when you see that unsubjected child that does not respect the hand of his father or and does not heed the love of the mother.

What do you do. You turn your head and you don't think that that looks healthy because you recognize it. When Paul is writing this he's saying that the perverse wicked generation when they look at the church they ought not to try to turn their heads away from it because they see wicked or they see dispute and grumblings there.

That it should be attractive that it should see. That's what the gospel is. That's what it reflects to us. Is that we see the light that is within those walls. That we see the light that is within that community.

Do all things without grumbling or dispute. Verse 15. And this is the reason why Paul is saying this so that you will be blameless and innocent children without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world.

So why why should we do this without grumbling or dispute. The reason why is so that we would have the appearance as as being covered by Jesus Christ. That we would not only spiritually bear that robe of Christ's righteousness but that the people outside can see that robe over us.

That they would see that we are blameless innocent. That we're not children of the devil. That we're not dead in our sins any longer but that we are truly a child of God without blemish. That it has that appearance of those things in the midst in the midst.

It's not that we're to have this appearance in the best of times. To have this appearance even in the worst of times in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Now this verse tells me something very very important.

Even in Paul's day we sometimes get so narrow focus on what's happening around us that we forget history. We forget what's happening around the other side of the world from us. And we think that what we're in right now is the worst of worst.

Right. Paul is saying in his day he saw it as a wicked and perverse generation. Brothers and sisters I would tell you this that in the last 2 ,000 years man's heart has always been depraved. Man's heart is always been wicked.

Men have always been perverse. All men have always more acceptable. And brothers and sisters the question then has to be asked. How do we combat a wicked and perverse generation. If it's becoming more accepted it's becoming more prevalent it's being pushed more and more sin around the corner from us is now not even around the corner is in front of us.

How do we combat this. In our lives in in our neighborhoods in our communities in our nation. How do we do this. Paul tells us how among whom you shine as lights in the world. Now this does not mean that you're going to be accepted in the world.

Who is the light of lights that we have in the scripture. We know that is Jesus Christ. And the darkness hated the light. It's not that we can be accepted by the world. It's that we would stand out again.

Celebrate being weird. Celebrate being outdated. Celebrate being seen as strange. Because that is what we have as the biblical advice for us. How do we combat this. We are to shine as lights in the world.

We act as Christians. We are to work out our salvation that we have obtained through Christ who is now living in us with this fear and trembling. And that we ought not to think for a moment. We ought not to bow our knee to the pressure of the world.

We're not to bow our knee to that. Who do. We bow our knee to. We have this in the text that we've just read last week. We bow the knee to the Lord of Lords the King of Kings the one who has the name that is above every name.

In Matthew chapter 5 verse 14 through 16 Jesus Christ set himself says this. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket.

That would be giving into pressure. That would be trying to cover well what is inside of you. That would be to ignore and not work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Let me read verse 15 again.

Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket but on the lamp stand. And it gives light to all those who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.

If we recognize that we are to do all things unto the pleasure of God unto his glory. That we would exalt the name of Christ. I would ask Church. Beloved Church of Valley Baptist just as Paul calls this Church of Philippians beloved you too are the beloved of Christ.

Beloved. Stand out. Stand strong. Stand boldly. Stand in the fear of God. And do this by standing upon the rock of your salvation Jesus Christ who is the chief cornerstone. The very rock is true for us today as we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

Lord God. Let us do all things without without dysfunctional grumbling Lord. Let us recognize the importance it is to have fellowship in you Lord God. Let us recognize that we do. If we do anything that appears good that it was only you who was at work in us Lord.

Let us be humbled by this text today. Let us not think to sing ourselves any praise. But that you would be the the vicar of all praise and honor Lord. For you are deserving of such Lord. I say these things.

We say these things. Your beloved bride of Christ says these things and requests these things in the name that is above every name. And that is the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Brothers and sisters please stand as we sing our final song today.