This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on January 31, 2021. This is the fifth sermon in a sermon series "Great Imperatives For Effective Living"
As believers, we are given a new way to live and a new message to share. In Christ, we are given a new identity and a new future. Most importantly, we are transformed into a “new-er” version of ourselves.
In the midst of a number of great affirmations and challenges to the Philippians, Paul also talks about a negative concern that he has. It comes through loud and clear that the saints would not bring glory to God or happiness to themselves if they gripe and grumble about things around them.
Philippians 2:14-15 NLT Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.
To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/mC7TNWgQyAQ
Sermon Scripture
Philippians 2:12-18 NLT Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Text:
Philippians 2:14-15 NLT Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Introduction
Remember at the start of this series I said that even with all the struggle and uncertainty of today we can rejoice in the opportunities for ministry to others and service to our Lord.
As believers, we are given a new way to live and a new message to share. In Christ, we are given a new identity and a new future. Most importantly, we are transformed into a “new-er” version of ourselves.
I want to end the series with one final exhortation from Paul to the Philippians.
In the midst of a number of great affirmations and challenges to the Philippians, Paul also talks about a negative concern that he has. It comes through loud and clear that the saints would not bring glory to God or happiness to themselves if they gripe and grumble about things around them.
Philippians 2:14-15 NLT Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
To properly understand the significance of this concern we need to examine the context. Paul was speaking to Christians. He wanted them to have the highest and the best the Father God had for them. He wanted the personal satisfaction of seeing them fulfill God’s purpose for them. This would be a source of joy to him not only during his life, but also in the day when Jesus Christ comes to receive and reward his followers.
Philippians 2:16 NIV 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 labor in vain.
In this passage we read today let's notice the work of God in us, and let's consider the response that we should make to him.
I. The good work of God within us.
Philippians 2:13 NLT For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
This verse contains the good news of God’s personal presence in the heart of the believer as an individual and in the fellowship of the church as a collective body.
Ephesians 2:9-10 NLT Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
This is good news letting us know that our great and eternal God is not an unmoved, unconcerned creator. He is the God who has come in the person of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and to work his good work within us.
Back in chapter 1 of Phillippians at verse 6 Paul had spoken about the beginning of this good work, and its completion at some undated time in the future.
Philippians 1:6 NLT And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
And in Philippians 3:20-21 it says;
Philippians 3:20-21 NLT But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
In the meantime, God, Himself through the Holy Spirit, is at work to deliver us from the inward corruption of a sinful nature and from the contaminating effect of the crooked and perverse world we live in.
A. God works within us to help us choose and then energize us to do good and right
Philippians 2:13 NLT For God is working in you, giving
you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
C. God wants us to be blameless in the midst of a sinful world.
Philippians 2:14-16 NLT Do everything without
complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize
you.
God wants us to live clean, innocent lives like salt that
adds flavor in a world full of crooked and perverse
people.
Matthew 5:13 (NLT2)13 “You are the salt of the earth.
But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you
make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled
underfoot as worthless.
It is God’s will that we show ourselves to have not been
polluted by the world system.
Psalms 15:2-3 NLT Those who lead blameless lives and
do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
People who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or
speak evil of their friends.
Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs
of this world, but let God transform you into a new
person by changing the way you think. Then you will
learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and
pleasing and perfect.
D. God wants us to be without fault or flaw in the midst of a sinful world.
Colossians 1:21-22 NLT This includes you who were
once far away from God. You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the
death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has
brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and
blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
As we manifest these characteristics, we prove
ourselves and give evidence that we are indeed the
children of God.
E. God wants us to shine in the darkness and to reflect the word of light to those in spiritual darkness
Philippians 2:14-16 NLT Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
Our light points others to the way of God.
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Our Heavenly Father God is interested in doing more for us than merely giving us a ticket to heaven and saving us from an eternity in hell. It is His will that we demonstrate the traits of our heavenly citizenship today. He wants us to guide others away from the life of no faith because that leads to ruin and eternal separation from God.
II. The proper human response to God’s good work.
How will we respond as individuals and as a body of believers to the good work of God within us? Paul makes some very positive suggestions.
A. First of all, he suggests that we be obedient
Philippians 2:12 NLT Dear friends, you always followed
my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am
away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the
results of your salvation, obeying God with deep
reverence and fear.
For example Jesus strongly asserted that we give proof
of our genuine discipleship by being obedient to His
commandment of love.
John 13:34-35 NLT So now I am giving you a new
commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved
you, you should love each other. Your love for one
another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
He also declared, “You are my friends if you do what I
command you”
John 15:13-15 NLT There is no greater love than to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if
you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves,
because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you
are my friends, since I have told you everything the
Father told me.
There is no substitute for obedience. It is impossible for
God to accomplish his purpose in us or through us if we
do not respond to him with loving, joyful obedience.
B. We also must be willing to cooperate with God as he works within us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT Now all glory to God, who is
able, through his mighty power at work within us, to
accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or
think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus
through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Responding in joy and excitement and loyalty, we must
work with God as he works in us. Our reason for
working with God should not be because we think that
work will save us and get us into heaven.
We know that we are saved by God’s grace because of
our faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT2)8 God saved you by his grace
when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is
a gift from God.9 Salvation is not a reward for the good
things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Paul was not teaching that we can work our way to
heaven. He was insisting that we must work with God to
avoid failure in our lives and in our witness. There
needs to be some evidence of our citizenship.
James 2:14-17 NLT What good is it, dear brothers and
sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by
your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or
clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day;
stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that
person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it
produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
C. Paul warns us about grumbling and complaining when called to demonstrate that we are in the family of God and about Kingdom business.
The pilgrimage of Israel from Egypt to the promised land
gives us the background for this suggestion. A study of
the Old Testament reveals that Moses had a complaining
attitude at times and the people of Israel had a
consistent performance record of grumbling and griping
and finding fault, not only with God, but with Moses and
Aaron. Jean gave us an example of Israel’s complaining
in the scripture that she read this morning. Exodus
16:1-12 NLT
Moses complained after he went to Pharaoh, as God
commanded him and Pharaoh didn't let the people go.
Exodus 5:22-23 NLT Then Moses went back to the Lord
and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on
your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever
since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has
been even more brutal to your people. And you have
done nothing to rescue them!”
Grumbling and complaining often indicate the following:
1. Intellectual rebellion against God.
2. Moral rebellion.
3. The absence of faith.
4. The absence of love for God and others.
5. The absence of wisdom.
6. The absence of concern for others.
Grumbling seldom if ever accomplishes anything
good. Nothing positive comes by complaining about
our circumstances and doing nothing.
Conclusion
The pathway of grumbling and faultfinding is the pathway to failure and disappointment. We Christians are to be above criticism when it comes to our behavior with regard to kingdom business. We are not above criticism if we are constantly grumbling and complaining. This doesn’t mean that we can’t disagree, which is often healthy, but disagreeing and grumbling are two entirely different things.
It’s normal for people to have different views, and there are times when disciples of Jesus Christ need to stand up in the face of opposition for what we believe. But we need to state our positions in a positive and factual way without becoming angry, bitter, or insulting.
You’ve probably heard the phrase we can “disagree without being disagreeable.” and we can be.
Proverbs 13:10 NLT says Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
Avoiding grumbling begins with our motives and desires. If you care more about “winning an argument” or “being right,” a spirit of contention is almost certain to follow. This is something I have to personally work on.
Are you a grumbler? Are you a faultfinder?
Grumbling is a human fault to which all of us must plead some degree of guilt. Let us recognize that grumbling is not only foolish but is also sinful. Let us forsake this negative attitude and abrasive habit so that God can accomplish his good purpose within us.
Father, you have hidden us in Christ. Our salvation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing, eternal relationship with you. Let us live each day of knowing that we are joined to you, seeking your kingdom for your glory.
John 14:6 KJV says
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The gift of Salvation is a FREE gift that is offered to everyone and is a simple to receive. To receive Christ into your life, you have to:
Admit that you are a sinner.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)
The result of sin is Spiritual death, which means eternal separation of God.“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Admitting that you have sinned and are separated from God is the first step of repentance (turning from sin and self and turning to God) and receiving God into your life.
Believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and that He died for your sins
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Although we have done nothing to deserve God’s love and salvation, God provided salvation for all who would repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ.
Confess your sin to God and then confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life.
“…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10)
Receive Jesus Christ into your heart and life
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13)
Then tell somebody.
Sermon Audio
