Mission

Philippians 2.12-18

This morning we are going to take a look at a slice of the church at Philippi. We’re going to take a look at a church that was pursuing its mission. I’m doing this because I think that it will help us to understand who we are. We are a church that is also pursuing a mission. If that isn’t true of a church then why would it exist? The details of how we purse that mission may look a bit different from how the Philippians did that but there really is much that we have in common. So, let’s see what there is for us to learn.

Let me start by reminding you of a couple of things about this church. It was started by Paul and Barnabas. Some of the first members were Lydia, a seller of purple, and that famous jailer who asked the right question in the aftermath of an earthquake. Paul writes this letter from a jail in Rome. While there, he had received a financial gift from this church. So what we have in our Bibles is a long thank you note, written in a way that only Paul could do. Now we’re ready to take a look at our text.

Much of our text is a list of instructions for the Philippian Christians to follow. But there is one thing that is a fact that describes the Philippians and their situation. And we must understand this fact if we are going to understand the instructions. Paul identifies these folk as children of God. There are some things that they must do, things that Paul has laid out for them, but they must do these things as the children of God. This is important so I’m going to spend a little time here. Listen to this from John’s Gospel. ‘He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’ Here is John at the beginning of his Gospel. And he is about to describe why Jesus has come and what happens to those who believe Him. So, does he talk about forgiveness of sin? No. As important as that is, it isn’t what takes first place for John. Instead, John points to becoming one of God’s children. For John, this is the big deal about being a Christian. It’s no wonder, then, that John gets excited when he writes, ‘See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God…’ You can hear the wonder in his voice as you read those words. This really is a big deal. The theologians call this the doctrine of adoption. We have been adopted into God’s family, made His children, and all this because of Jesus.

Now, I’m sure that you have no problems believing this part of the Gospel. If I were to walk up to you and ask if you believe that you are a child of God you’d say yes. There is no problem here, at least in theory. But I have found that too many Christians have a very hard time believing this when it comes to putting it into practice. Too many Christians have a very hard time enjoying this fact. So, let me lay this out in as clear a way as I know. God’s fatherly love, His love for His children, has no gradations. It’s not like an oven. You can set your oven for 350^o or you can set it at 250^o or you can set it all the way to broil. But this isn’t what God’s love for His children is like. It isn’t really hot some of the time and then sort of tepid at other times. Instead, God’s love is like the old-fashioned light switch in your kitchen. When you push the switch up, the light goes on. When you push the switch down, the light is off. God’s fatherly love is a light switch. It’s off when it comes to those who aren’t His children. But it’s on when it comes to those who are His children. Our God doesn’t love His children a little bit more at one point or a little less at some other time. God’s fatherly love for His children is just ‘on’ – like the kitchen light. His love for you is always on. God does love the lost, those not His children. But that is not His fatherly love. That is a love that can be lost. Not so with His children. For them, His love can never be lost. It’s always on.

Now as I said, we all believe this in theory. Here’s a test to see if you believe it in practice. We all have those times when we do something that’s foolish – or to be blunt, something that’s just plain stupid. There are those times when we sin and we feel horrible because of what we’ve done. This is what I want you to do the next time you’re in that situation. I want you to ask yourself, ‘Does God love me now? I’ve just sinned again. Does God love me now in the same way that He loved me before I sinned?’ How many Christians do you think could come up with a resounding, ‘Yes!’ to that question? You may be the exception (which is great!), but for so many of us, it’s no longer the image of the light switch that’s always on. In terms of how we feel, the setting on the oven just got lowered. Our feelings tell us, ‘Well, He can’t love me like He did before. Look at what I just did?’ In practice, we think of God’s love as an oven. We’d be loved more if we behaved better. But where’s grace in that? It’s just another example of salvation by works.

Paul is telling these Philippians that they are children of God. And the Spirit is saying the same thing to you. That means that you are loved by God, your Father. And that cannot change. God cannot love you more than He does. That’s impossible – even for Him. And He refuses to love you less. You see, it’s a light switch that’s always on and it’s always on all the way. His love for you never wavers. Never wavers. Never. I’ve changed my mind. The next time you do something stupid, don’t ask yourself any questions. Instead, tell yourself, ‘My Father still loves me. I am His child. His love for me doesn’t waver. It’s a light switch.’ And then pray: ‘Father, help me to believe this.’ ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound that continues to save a wretch like me.’

Having this as a settled issue results in lots of good things. One is a sense of security in His love. And that is a rock that you can stand on. But there are also lots of things that being assured that you are God’s child doesn’t lead to. One is a sense of superiority. Another is a sense of complacency. Paul is clear in what he writes to the Philippians. ‘Yes, you are children of God. But you are still sinners.’ And so, we read, ‘Do all things without grumbling or disputing…’ Now, why would Paul write that unless it was at least a temptation that they were facing? And I’m inclined to think that it was more than just a temptation. One of the themes in this letter that Paul harps on is unity. Listen. ‘…complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. … Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.’ And then there is the famous hymn to Jesus that starts, ‘Have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus…’ That’s where Paul talks about humility. It sounds like they had some sins to deal with. So, Paul writes the Philippians and reminds them that they are children of God. But he also makes clear enough that they are still sinners. So much for any sense of superiority. I was reminded of this during my Bible reading this week. I was reading Luke 19 which includes the incident with Zaccheus. You remember the song that we’ve taught to our kids. But did you notice that the song leaves out the people’s response to Jesus when He invites Himself to lunch at Zaccheus’ home? ‘And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."’ ‘Jesus, what are you doing? It makes sense for you to dine with one of us, but him?’ A sense of superiority. Paul allows no room for this among the Philippians. They are loved by God with an astounding love. But they – and we – are still sinners who have some things to work on. And that leads to my thought that there is no room for complacency.

Paul writes, ‘Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…’ We have work to do. There is sin that we need to get rid of and holiness to perfect. Being the children of God provides great comfort. But it also makes demands of us. The call to follow Jesus is the call to holiness. And so, in our text Paul talks about being blameless, innocent, without blemish, avoiding grumbling and dealing with the sins that attack unity. There is work to be done. An honest look at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Law is great protection against the pride of superiority and the sin of complacency. Yet, even here, Paul puts the demand of the Gospel for holiness in the context of the grace and fatherly love of God. So, having told us to work out our salvation, he then writes, ‘for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ The Father does not leave us to our own resources in this striving. While we are called to act, to strive, it is the Spirit who is doing the real work of change behind the scenes. You see, it really is grace. So, though we are all eager to follow Jesus faithfully, striving to get rid of our sin and to pursue holy living, we are not anxious about it. The Spirit is doing His work and He will continue to do His work. So, there is a mysterious interaction between what we do and what the Spirit does. Our part focuses on honest dealings with the Word since it is the Word that the Spirit will use, and serious prayer in response to what the Spirit does with the Word, repenting of our sin that the Spirit points out and pleading with God for the change that He has promised.

Now for the point of the sermon. Everything that I’ve said leads up to my next point. Now we’re ready to talk about being a church with a mission. I’ve told you about who you are, children of God, and what they means – you are loved. I’ve also told you that there’s still work to be done, dealing with remaining sin, depending on the Spirit to do His work. The goal of all of this is in verse 15 where Paul says that the Philippians live ‘…in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…’ Lights shining in a very dark world. Understand the imagery. What does light do? It dispels the darkness. As the light grows to be brighter the darkness shrinks. We started with one light, Jesus. Through the years many have joined Him and the light has gotten brighter. But the darkness doesn’t just quit. It fights back. So, in our day, the light in our culture is dimmed. But we know that the light will grow until there is no more darkness. Now, what is this light that Paul is writing about? The light is you. It’s your life that shines. ‘… among whom you shine as lights in the world…’ Paul is writing about lives that are being changed by the Gospel. And it is those lives – your lives – that fight against the darkness. It is those lives – your lives – that will ultimately banish all darkness.

Do you see what this says about our mission? Our mission is to let the world see our lives and that includes all that I’ve pointed to in this sermon. We are to let them see what it means to know that you are loved by God and to be secure in that love. We are to let them see that we are not better than they. We’re not perfect. We’re sinners and we still wrestle with our sin. We are to let them see the evidence of the mysterious work of the Spirit as He changes us from sinners into holy people. That’s the mission according to our text. That’s what the Philippians pursued. And that’s what we pursue. As we do, the world will be attracted to Jesus, the cause of the light that is shining in us. How can that not happen? This is the mission that we are pursuing. We each do it in different ways because our situations are different. But we are all working on this.

So, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to continue what you’ve been doing. I want you to continue to grow in you confidence in God’s fatherly love. I want you to continue to work out your salvation. I want you to continue to depend on the hidden work that the Spirit does. All that this means is that I want you to continue to work at following Jesus faithfully. And I want you to continue to let the world see this. And in this way you will do your part to dispel the darkness until there is no more.