Philippians 2:12-13

In my presence, but much more in my absence.

Work out your own 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 questioning,

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, holding fast to the word of life,

so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain,

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.

Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

And that's all flowing together.

They're not disconnected, but tonight we're going to talk about just verses 12 and 13,

because that's kind of a loaded two verses I think we could really benefit from.

So at the beginning of chapter 2, if you remember when Swanson taught a few weeks ago

that Paul is calling the Philippians not to live with selfish ambition or conceit or rivalry

because that's what causes division.

That's what causes people to be torn apart in the church.

But he rather calls them to live in love and be united in humility,

which is the fruit of what God does inside of us as believers.

So he calls them to do that, and that's the beginning of chapter 2.

And so when God saves us, he produces a fervent love for the other believers

as well as like a humility before him as God.

And so we live that way.

It binds us together as his people.

And that's verses 1 through 4.

I kind of talk about that.

But then Paul gives us the supreme example of that in Christ in the following verses,

from verses 5 through 11, how Christ dwelt in eternal glory,

but he left the glories of heaven and came to earth as a man and humbled himself,

took on the creator, took on the created, and he lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father

and eventually completed that obedience by dying at the cross.

And because of such an amazing act of love and sacrifice,

God has rewarded Christ with the name that is above all names,

that every knee should bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord.

So that's what Christ's reward will be.

And so that's where we find ourselves after verses 1 through 11.

But now we get into 12 and 13.

And so following that example of Christ,

the example that Christ has left us to walk in in love and humility,

we are by God's power to strive to live as lights in a dark world.

That's where we're going with this later and live by his strength in us.

So if we look at verse 12, we'll see that he calls him to live in continued obedience.

He says,

Therefore, my beloved, as you always have obeyed,

so now, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence.

And it's such a great joy for those that you have poured your life into,

those that you have discipled or spent a lot of time with,

younger believers in the faith that you've given your life to,

and you've tried to, as it says in 1 Timothy 2,

to take what you've been entrusted with and to pass that on to other faithful men or women

that will be faithful to teach others also.

It's a picture of, like, discipleship.

And so nothing is more encouraging to someone who is making disciples

than seeing those people that they've poured their lives into continue on

and make disciples on their own and remain steadfast for Christ

and giving their lives away to the lost world

and just giving their lives to the church.

As John wrote in 3 John, you don't have to turn there,

everybody said,

For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth,

as indeed you are walking in truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

And it's this idea that, like, it just brings you great joy to hear

that you don't have to be there to babysit them.

Like, I know guys like that that I spend a lot of time with.

Unless I'm there telling them to do it, they're not going to do it.

And they drive me crazy.

So if you just need to smack in the face,

sometimes I'll quit behaving like kids and be men.

And other guys, you think about them, you look at them,

you think, I just don't have to worry about him.

Man, that's encouraging.

He gets this.

He's doing this.

He's being faithful to pass this on.

And so Paul is experiencing that joy that comes from that.

He's like, you're continuing obedience,

even though I'm not there with you physically.

You're pressing on in these things.

And he doesn't have to worry about the Philippian church.

He's excited to hear about what's going on there.

But then in the end of verse 12,

we start getting into a mystery that exists in the Christian life.

And a mystery that we fully don't know how it works,

but it is there.

And it's the mystery of what the Bible would call sanctification.

The mystery of sanctification.

And if you want to spell that,

S-A-N-C-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Sanctification.

Big Bible word.

It's not made up.

It's in the Bible.

But in the study of salvation,

which we call in theology,

soteriology,

the study of salvation,

there's a lot of things that we understand to be completely the work of God alone.

Like salvation is nothing that we achieve.

It's not something that we work with God on.

It's something that God has done completely in us.

Salvation.

And I've talked about these terms in the past,

but I don't say these to sound,

whenever Nathan or Chris or myself,

Wes or Swanson,

whenever we use big words,

it's not to sound smart.

It's so you'll remember it because it's different.

You'll be like,

ah,

that word.

You'll remember a concept that's behind it.

So use these words.

But the truth is that salvation is what we would call monergistic.

M-O-N-E-R-G-I-S-T-I-C.

Monergistic,

meaning that it's the work of God alone.

This was a big debate throughout a lot of church history.

That's where others said that salvation was synergistic.

We get the word synergy from two pieces or more,

working together to accomplish something.

We're not synergistic in how I think about salvation here.

We're completely monergistic.

Salvation is the work of God alone.

Things like justification that you read about,

in Scripture,

which is the instantaneous legal act of God,

where he declares a sinner righteous in his sight

because of the work of Christ

and the righteousness of Christ that has been put on him.

That's all the work of God alone.

Regeneration,

we're born again,

and the Holy Spirit imparts to us new spiritual life.

All the work of God.

We don't agree,

or we don't cooperate with God to be born again.

It's the work of God alone.

And the Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to our lives.

So,

but when we get to sanctification,

it's a little different.

And sanctification,

if you want,

you can go online and find probably four or five different definitions

for what sanctification is.

And they're not all disconnected from each other,

but it's used in a lot of different ways in Scripture.

That's why.

That's why the confusion.

But,

I'll try to give you a definition

that I think is helpful.

It's a progressive,

not instantaneous,

it's a progressive work of God

and man.

So,

it's a synergistic thing.

We work with God

to accomplish this.

The progressive work of God

and man

that makes us

more free

from sin

and more like Christ

in our actual lives,

like right now,

present time.

It's progressive work of God

and man

that makes us

more free from sin

and more like Christ

in our actual lives.

Or,

it's another way,

it's the outworking

of the new life

that is in us

that we've been born again,

we've been regenerated

and sanctification

is the outworking of that

in our actual lives

right now.

And,

it's more of a gradual,

incremental,

spiritual work

that,

of putting the flesh to death

and putting sin to death

in our lives

as we remain here

and putting on

the likeness of Christ

and becoming

who God has actually made us.

And,

so,

we're going to look at

three different things

about sanctification

and they're all right out

of the text tonight.

So,

the first thing,

and they're in the form

of questions,

what is,

first question,

what is the goal

of our sanctification?

And we see that

in verse 12

where it says,

your own salvation.

Okay,

now,

I've hardly,

there's been a lot

of people I know

that have read this

and,

and like,

didn't know how to

interpret that

because they thought

it was saying,

like,

you need to work

to figure out

your salvation,

like,

you need to work

with God

to achieve your salvation.

And,

not really at all

it says,

not even by the

original language,

but just to keep reading

what Paul is saying

around that.

but,

remember that

sanctification itself

is not the goal

of the Christian life.

It's not the,

not the ends.

Our own salvation

is the goal

and the ends

for what we're striving.

So,

though the work

of salvation

is completely God's,

God's alone,

monergistic,

however,

though we have been

fully saved by God

and fully redeemed

by God,

in this life

we never rise

to the totality

of that.

We never fully

get the taste

of fullness

of what is ours

yet in this life

because we still live

in fallen flesh

that's going to die,

like this is going to die.

That's what I see

in my eyes

is not going to

be around forever

and that's the consequences

of sin

in our life.

And,

and even as followers

of Christ,

as you know,

you can still,

you can still experience

like the devastating

effects of sin

in your life.

Pain,

suffering,

fallen to temptation,

that's all things

that we have to deal

with.

So the fullness

of what is ours

in Christ,

what Christ has won

for us,

by his work

is not fully ours

yet.

And there's a lot

of language.

The Bible

says things like

we are saved,

we are being saved,

and we will be saved.

It kind of talks

about it in

three different

tenses.

It'll be a good study

for you to do

sometime.

And so,

God's accomplished

a work

and is being

worked out

in us now

and is going

to be brought

to completion.

And so,

you are in the

process of becoming

what you are.

You're a new

creation,

you're a child

of God.

And so,

when we think

about that,

we are sanctification,

we're becoming

who we are,

we're just kind

of pressing

into the fullness

of who we are

in Christ

in this life.

And so,

when it says

the goal

is our own

salvation,

what I want

you to focus

on,

I guess,

out of that

is that

as children

of God,

it's very,

very easy

to grow weary

in the fight

and want to quit

and just say

this is just

too hard

and I want to quit.

I've been there

all the time.

I'm there

all the time.

And we want

to love Christ

with our heart,

soul,

mind,

and strength,

but we fail

to rise

to the totality

of that.

And it's easy

for us to get

discouraged

and focus

on our problems

and our

shortcomings

and inadequacies

and we constantly

fall into the

same sins,

same temptations

and you just

want to quit.

You're like,

I just can't do this.

I can't reach

what is mine

and you want

to stop.

And so,

this is

calling us

to focus

on what is

ahead of us

which is

our salvation.

It's going

to come

and if we

keep that

in sight,

it'll give us

strength to

keep moving

on.

And while

I was,

I have just

a lot of

hiking analogies,

sorry,

because I'm

not a runner.

I can't

really run

that far.

Most of you

know that

because I'm

a lunger.

And so,

this summer

that I was

climbing,

it was a

mountain in

Northern Ireland

in Donegal

and it was a

pretty tall

mountain.

It was raining,

really,

really misty.

Nothing new

about raining

over there.

And so,

like before

that,

I was just

like so excited,

like jacked up,

like bring

that mountain

on,

you know,

kind of

attitude,

had all the

right gear,

like had

everything ready

to go.

And I was

pretty like

going to

conquer this

mountain kind

of feeling,

you know,

some of you

probably know

what I'm

talking about.

But so,

when I was

climbing up it

though,

like it was

just kicking

my butt.

Like it was

like a lot

of the trail

wasn't really

marked and so

you just kind

of had to

figure it out

and which

means you

would just

go to places

that really

weren't trail

cut at all

and like sink

into mud

and bog

and you

were just,

God,

it was just,

it wore me

out.

And finally,

like we got

a little further

up and,

and the trail

like started

getting,

like you're

like walking

in the mist.

All you could

see was like

maybe five feet

in front of you.

And I knew

that if I went

too far that way,

I would fall

off the mountain.

so it was

getting pretty

treacherous.

and I just

remember asking

my friend

with me,

he was a

pastor that

I know and

really good

friends with

over there

named Ronnie.

He used to

be in the

military and

I asked him,

man,

like are we

there yet?

Like are we,

is this even

close?

And he's like,

oh no,

we're only about

halfway.

And I thought,

oh my gosh,

I'm going to

die.

Like I'm not

going to make

this.

And my heart's

pounding like I'm

just,

you know,

headache and

everything.

And finally,

like the

mess cleared a

little bit and

I could see

the top.

And I thought,

man,

like it's right

there.

And I just

kind of kept

going.

And like seeing

like the end

made me just

want to keep

pressing on.

And I knew

that I was

close to what

was being mine.

And the

Christian life is

like that.

Like we're

told to run

the race with

endurance and

with perseverance

and to keep

before us what's

ours.

Because if you

just focus on

your present

circumstances and

the problems of

the Christian

life,

you just want

to quit.

Like you'll

want to stop.

You have to

keep like your

salvation that

is yours in

Christ.

It says in

Hebrews 10

that Christ has

perfected for

all time those

being sanctified.

Which is like,

what?

It's one of those

verses that is

fully ours.

But we're reaching

out in this life

to become who we

are in Christ.

So the goal of

sanctification is our

salvation.

The second thing,

number two,

okay,

this is that

mystery.

What is our

role in

sanctification?

Yours and

mine,

what is our

role in

sanctification?

And look at

the verse 12,

part of verse 12.

It says,

work out your

own salvation

with fear and

trembling.

In verse 12.

So,

it's not

saying,

what do you

think that

means?

Like,

you can read

that out of

the bat and

think,

wow,

that sounds

like we're

having to

work out

being saved.

I don't

know what

that means.

And it's

not saying,

save yourself,

justify yourself,

adopt yourself,

clean your life

up on your

own,

and hopefully

you'll be

accepted and

be good enough

to be saved

at the very

end.

It's not

kind of what

it's saying

at all.

Not even the

language talks

like that.

But we

all know

that,

as we

said,

salvation is

a work of

God alone.

Paul's taught

in Romans 3,

Romans 4,

Ephesians 2,

the whole book

of Galatians,

that salvation

is completely

by grace.

It's not

something that

we earn.

It's not

something that

we can merit

by being good

or observing

the law.

It's like,

not there.

You can read

the whole New

Testament and

you don't

see that.

And even

the Old

Testament,

they couldn't

keep the law

and so they

were looking

forward to a

Messiah who

would come

and save them

from their sin.

And so what

it is saying

though,

what it is

saying where

it says work

out your

salvation with

fear and

trembling,

it says that

we are to be

active in our

own salvation.

We are to

become what

God has

already made

us.

We're to

press into the

fullness of

what that is.

Greek there

really means

to carry out

or to bring

to completion

something that

has already

started inside

of you.

That's what

it really is

implying.

So,

really,

really cool

thing.

So in

light of that,

God has

started this

work in us.

He saved us.

He's made us a

new creation.

We're adopted

children of God.

We have a new

identity.

In light of

all that,

now it's like

God is saying,

now just live,

press into the

fullness of who

you actually are

in Christ.

Become what

you are.

Get rid of the

old and put on

the new.

This is who you

are.

No longer walk

contrary to

your new

identity in

Christ.

And Martin

Luther said

this.

He said,

this life,

therefore,

is not

righteousness,

but growth

and righteousness,

not health,

but healing,

not being

but becoming,

not rest,

but exercise.

We are not

yet what we

shall be,

but we are

growing towards

it.

The process

is not yet

finished,

but it is

going on.

And this is

not the end,

but the road

is ahead of

us.

All does

not yet

gleam in

glory,

but yet is

being purified.

So it's

this process

of how we're

to work

and toil

and strive

in this

life.

And so

flip over

to

Colossians 3.

I'll show

you a verse

there.

But if you

remember that

man was

originally

created

in the image

of God,

he was to

mirror forward

to reflect

who God

was,

God's holy

character,

God's dominion

and rule

over the

earth.

Man was

to be the

image bearer

of God.

And sin

destroyed that,

we know.

We know that

sin,

after the fall,

after Genesis

3,

is what we

call the

shattered image

of God

because of

sin.

And so

since then,

God has

been in the

process of

reconciling man

to himself.

And Christ

came in one

way that when

we're saved,

we're born

again,

we become a

new creation,

we are

again able

to reflect the

glory of our

creator like we

should.

That's what's

being done,

like that image

is being

restored.

So if you

look at

Colossians 3

Colossians 3:8

verse 8,

just an

example,

he says,

do not

lie to one

another,

seeing that

you have

put off

the old

self with

its practices

and have

put on

the new,

which is

being renewed

in the

knowledge

after the

image of

its creator.

So this

idea that

that's the

image of

putting it

on or

taking it

off and

putting on

clothes is

what that

is saying.

This is

who we

are and

we're being

renewed,

being like

in the

process of

becoming like

we originally

were intended

to be,

image bearers

of God,

like the

perfect image

bearers of

God.

And we all

know that

Christ came

here and

showed us

what a

perfect image

bearing life

looked like.

He showed

us what a

life completely

devoted to

and obedient

to the

Father looked

like.

and so

since he

is that

apex of

what that

is,

that's

what we're

told in

Romans,

we are to

become the

image of

Christ who

is the

image of

God,

to press

into that.

So

we're going to

talk some

more about

our role,

but I'm just

going to keep

moving on.

Where it

says fear and

trembling,

you might be

like,

what's up

with that?

Like,

if God's

our Father

and we're

saved,

like,

why are we

fearing,

why do we

need to be

in fear and

trembling?

And,

do you think

it means

we should be

utterly terrified

and depressed

and unconfident

and jittery

like in the

presence of

God,

like a lot

of people

might think?

No,

but in

Scripture,

it's filled

with like,

this image

of how a

godly person

has a fear

of the Lord.

Like the

Old Testament

says this

kind of stuff

a lot,

like even

in the beginning

of Proverbs

it says,

the fear

of the Lord

is the

beginning

of wisdom,

the fear

of the Lord

is the

beginning

of knowledge.

This is what

it says,

a godly man

fears the

Lord.

And,

so Paul is

simply saying

that we're,

as we continue

to follow Christ

and joyful

obedience,

that we're

working out

our sanctification,

we're to live

like in reverent

humility

towards the

living God.

And,

in sanctification,

like,

it's like having

a healthy fear

of offending

God or hurting

God,

in a righteous

awe and respect

of Him,

we don't just

kind of throw

that part of

God away,

He's God.

Like,

He is our

Father and we

can come to

Him and call

Him Abba,

but He's not

just like another

earthly father,

like He's God

Almighty.

I mean,

read just the

encounters of

Moses on Mount

Sinai with God

or any man

that, like,

encountered God

in the Scripture

and there was

like a sense

of reverence

and awe

and fear

and trembling

and not just,

Jesus is my

homeboy,

like,

let me prop

my feet up

in the presence

of God

and have a

cigar with Him,

like,

not that kind

of image.

and it's a

healthy knowledge

of, like,

knowing that

God is God

and that God

could,

He holds your

very life in

His hands

and it's like

a reverent fear,

like you might

have,

like some of you

might have

for somebody

in your life,

maybe your

father or

something,

that where

you know He

loves you,

you know He

would die for

you,

He provides

for you,

but you know

also He

could put it

on you,

like discipline

you in a

second if He

needed to.

I have that

about my

dad.

So,

turn to

Hebrews 12

real fast,

I'll show you

an example

of this.

Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:28

verse 28

As we

revere God

and look to

Him as God,

it will cultivate

a humility in

us.

And remember

what we've

been reading

in Philippians

about living

in humility

towards one

another.

And how you

do that is

by looking

to God.

Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:28

verse 28

says this,

He's talking

to the

believers and

He says,

Therefore let

us be

grateful for

receiving a

kingdom that

cannot be

shaken.

That's awesome.

And then He

says,

And thus let

us offer to

God acceptable

worship with

reverence and

awe, for our

God is a

consuming fire.

It's that

idea of like,

man, we have

a kingdom with

Him, we belong

to Him, we have

a salvation in

Him, but let

us live in

reverence and

awe of Him.

And why?

Because our

God is a

consuming fire.

This idea that

God is God

and He should

humble us to

be in His

presence.

So a quick

answer.

I want you to

remember that it's

like statement

one, I'm going to

have statement

two in the next

question.

Statement one,

as far as our

role in

sanctification,

salvation, we

are called to

be faithful,

obedient, to

labor, and

toil in the

work of living

godly lives,

like we are.

We're to work,

labor, toil, be

faithful, obedient.

That is our

responsibility, that's

what we're called

to do.

And remember

that, that's

statement one.

Moving into the

next part, question

three.

And hold your

hand in Hebrews,

we're going to

go back there,

but go back to

Philippians.

Question three

is, what is the

Holy Spirit's

role in

sanctification?

What is the

Holy Spirit's

role in

sanctification?

Verse 13,

back in

Philippians,

for it is God

who works in

you, both to

will and to

work for His

good pleasure.

Okay, now,

there you go,

there's the

mystery.

Go out there,

and go for it,

but know what?

It's God at

work in you,

His will, and

to work for His

good pleasure.

And this is the

mystery.

And so, since

God has brought

salvation to us,

He's not now

left us on our

own to work out

the Christian

life.

He's not, He's

not done that.

God has saved

us, and now we're

on our own.

Like, it doesn't

work that way.

Like, I've done

my part by

saving you, and

now you need to

do your part to

straighten yourself

up, get your

life straight.

It's not how it

works.

We have that

idea that, you

know, it's me and

Jesus mentality, and

like, I can, I'm on

my own, and I thank

Him for what He did,

but now I can work

this out on my own.

If you remember in

the book of Galatians,

they did the same

thing.

They began to forget,

like, how they were

saved, which was by the

grace of God and by

God's power.

God's power, and

Paul says to them,

having begun by the

Spirit, or by the

Spirit's power, are you

now being perfected by

your flesh, by working

on your own?

He calls them you

foolish Galatians.

It's like, he's kind

of like, don't forget,

like, God started this

work in you, and he's

continuing it right

now.

And, jump back over to

Hebrews, and go over to

chapter 13, and show

you something else.

He has given us the

Holy Spirit to energize

us to live godly lives,

to give us the strength

we need.

Hebrews 13, verse 20,

Hebrews 13:20

it says this,

Now may the God of

peace, who brought

again from the dead

our Lord Jesus, the

great shepherd of the

sheep, by the blood of

the eternal covenant,

all right, now, may

Christ do this.

It says, verse 21,

equip you with every

good that you may do

his will, working in

us that which is

pleasing in his sight,

through Jesus Christ,

to whom glory, belong

glory forever.

Amen.

So, see that?

Like, it's this idea,

like how Christ did

this, and now he's

continuing this work

inside of us, equipping

us with every good work

so we may do his will,

working in us so that

it would be pleasing in

his sight.

It's this idea that God

is now in us, and

working in us.

This is the Holy

Spirit.

So though we're

responsible for being

obedient and being

responsible and stepping

out of the faith, but it's

not by our own strength

that we do, it's God's

strength that's going to

be working in us, and it's

God's grace, God's power,

God's energy that enables

us to live the Christian

life.

And guess what?

It pleases the Father.

It pleases the Father.

And let's jump back to

Philippians again.

The second part of that,

verse 13 in Philippians,

where it says, to work for

his good pleasure.

So, as we live upright lives

and we're obedient and we

follow Christ, it brings joy

and delight to our Father to

see that.

He's not like we have to earn

his salvation or he's going

to love us more or love us

less, depending on how

obedient we are.

It just means that he takes

delight when he sees his

children walking in the

truth, when he sees his

children living as they

ought to live.

I've heard of many stories

of fathers who have delighted

in hearing that the stuff

that they put into their

children at a young age is

now being tested by, you

know, girls and guys

tempting their children to

be sexually active or to

live a certain kind of

lifestyle and they hold

fast to like what they

learned from their parents

and it brings great joy to

their parents and encourage

them to see God's work

inside of them and they're

holding on to what they

were taught and in the midst

of trial and temptation.

And so whenever, I mean,

think about how God spoke

about Christ when Christ was,

he resisted the temptation

in the wilderness.

He pressed on when he was

baptized and then again,

the transfiguration, he

said this same thing.

He said, this is my beloved

son with whom I'm well

pleased.

This idea of how he just

delights in seeing us walk

in the truth.

He doesn't hate us when we

mess up, but it just brings

him joy to see us walking

in the truth.

It's for God's good

pleasure.

And so, so statement two,

I told you statement one,

the last question, number

three.

So where's the Holy Spirit's

role in sanctification?

And here's the answer for

statement two.

As we step out in faith and

obedience, the Holy Spirit

will empower, encourage,

guide, and comfort us to live

godly lives.

All right.

As we step out in faith and

obedience, the Holy Spirit is

faithful to empower, encourage,

guide, and comfort us to live

godly lives.

This is what he does.

He gives us the strength to do

it.

So jumping into some

application of this, that's

the three questions and that's

kind of walking through the

text.

But bringing your group, Tom,

you're going to have a question

about this.

So listen carefully.

There's, I see, at least in my

own life, in the lives of

others, two camps of people

that kind of can be on one

extreme or the other.

And one camp is like the

working camp.

And they believe this idea that

go out there and get busy.

God did all this work for you.

Now you need to go out there and

get really busy for him and you

need to work hard and do all

this stuff.

He's dependent on you.

Come on, go out there and do

something big for God.

It's all up to you, so get it

done.

That kind of attitude is if it

just all was on your shoulders

and like God has an employment

problem and he needs people to

go out there and get busy and

start working.

And you need to realize like no,

like God needs no man.

Even people who are in rare

conditions, I know that something

happened to me.

It wouldn't be the end of the

world.

God will continue the work.

He could raise up ten of me if

he wanted to.

The same thing within global

missions.

Like God could raise up as many

people as he wanted to, but this

idea that God needs us for

something is not appropriate.

God can do as he will.

It says in Acts that God is not

served by human hands as though he

needed anything.

And so he's invited us to be a part

of what he is doing.

And if you live in that camp, you're

usually going to end up just very

whipped, burned out and tired because

you're trying to work in your own

strength all the time and your own

skills and your own talents and you're

just going to burn out.

And you love like the hype about the

Christian life, but you rush out there

and before you know it, you're wiped

out.

And, you know, I've been also hiking

with some people who, who, one guy

used to teach here a little bit.

We'd go out and buy like all the best

gear, all the stuff.

And then he would go out there and he

hated it.

Like he would just like want to quit,

want to turn back.

We're like, no, bro, you got to keep

going.

And he was all excited about it, but

he was just trying to, he didn't really

understand why there was something

behind it that kind of pushed us on.

That was like our love for what we did.

And so the second camp is, is this camp.

Let completely go and let God.

Now I understand there's a measure of

truth to that, but it depends on which

way you're implying that truth.

But let completely go and let God.

And, and it's this idea of like, well,

if it's all God's power inside of us,

is God a sovereign, if God is going to

give us the strength of the Christian

life, he can just, if he wants to get

me off the couch, he can just get me

off the couch.

If I, I'm just going to sit here and

wait for something to happen.

Like, hope he just hits me with a wave

of emotion.

And then all of a sudden I'm going to

get up and do something.

This idea that you're just waiting for

God to ignite something in you.

And he doesn't need me.

So I just sit here until he does.

And he'll just do something really

dramatic and emotional and I'll get

off my butt and be obedient.

That's the other extreme idea, like

the lazy boy of grace kind of idea.

And so let's marry those two

statements together.

The two statements I mentioned

earlier.

So the first statement, we're called to

be faithful and obedient, to labor and

toil and live in godly lives.

And the second statement, as we step

out in faith and obedience, the Holy

Spirit will empower us and give us the

strength and energy and the will, the

desire to live godly lives.

And the mysteries, you'll see these right

beside each other in Scripture.

And we're going to turn to two examples

of that.

first one in Colossians chapter one.

Go to Colossians chapter one.

You need to see like how these are just right

beside each other.

It's not saying one or the other.

It's saying how both of these work

simultaneously together.

Colossians one and go to,

let's see,

verse 11 first.

Colossians one verse 11.

And he says,

May you be strengthened with all power

according to his glorious might for all

endurance and patience and joy, giving

thanks to the Father who has qualified you

to share in the inheritance of the saints

in light.

First part, jump down to verse 27,

same chapter.

To them, God chose to make known how great

among the Gentiles are the riches of the

glory of this mystery, which is Christ in

you the hope of glory.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone

and teaching everyone with all wisdom

so that we present everyone mature in Christ.

That's what I'm talking about.

You know, I get out there and get busy,

get busy teaching, get busy warning,

proclaiming.

We want to make everybody mature.

That's that camp.

And then look at verse 29.

For this I toil.

There you go.

Labor.

Labor.

Struggling with all his energy

that he powerfully works within me.

There's the other part.

See that?

It's like this idea.

And last example.

This one's a great one.

It's the last place you have to turn.

1 Corinthians 15.

Jump over to that.

1 Corinthians 15, verse 9.

1 Corinthians 15:9

1 Corinthians 15, verse 9.

1 Corinthians 15:9

Paul kind of giving a defense of his ministry

to the Corinthian church.

He says in verse 9,

For I am the least of the apostles,

unworthy to be called an apostle,

because I persecuted the church of God,

a reference to his old life.

But the grace of God,

excuse me,

by the grace of God,

I am who I am.

And his grace towards me

was not in vain.

Listen to this.

On the contrary,

I worked harder than any of them.

See that?

Got there and worked hard.

I worked really hard.

Paul saying,

Though it was not I,

but the grace of God that is in me.

Whether then it was I or they,

so we preach and so we believe.

So,

I worked hard.

I was out there

pouring my blood, sweat, and tears out for you guys.

But guess what?

It was the power of God.

It was the grace of God working in me

as I did that.

So,

we step out in obedience

and we cling to God.

We beg him

to give us what we need

to live the Christian life.

And that's the mystery

that is there.

We clearly have a part.

We need to be responsible.

God will hold us accountable

for being disobedient.

He's not going to say,

Well,

we can't plead that cause with God.

Like,

You just didn't give me the strength to do it, God.

He's going to say,

You weren't obedient.

You didn't step out in obedience.

And,

we'll be consequences for our actions.

But,

but as we step out,

it's God's work

and He'll get the glory for it.

Hudson Taylor,

missionary to China,

awesome guy,

he wrote,

God's work done in God's way

will never lack God's supplies.

So,

we,

we step out

and we work,

God will provide for us.

God's work done in God's way

will never lack God's supplies.

Hudson Taylor,

St. Augustine,

5th century,

he goes,

this is what he said,

work as if everything depended on you

and pray as if everything depended on God.

And,

he wasn't saying it depends on you,

he's like just saying,

work,

as if it did,

but at the same time,

pray in humble recognition

that you need God's grace.

Augustine said a long time ago,

God,

you know,

command what you will,

command us to do what you will,

but give us the grace to command,

or give us the grace to,

to follow those commands.

And so,

I remember,

back in Philippians,

the first message,

I think,

of this,

this series in Philippians,

Philippians 1.6,

let this encourage you,

that God has promised to finish this work.

He said,

Paul said,

I'm sure this,

he who began the good work in you

will bring it to completion

at the day of Christ Jesus.

That's Philippians 1.6.

He began it,

he will bring it to completion.

He's not going to just stop

and abandon the work

that he started.

He's going to finish it.

And so,

in conclusion,

I have a,

kind of a little brief story here

that I was going to read to you.

There's a,

there's a pastor,

an awesome guy,

Presbyterian dude named Harry Reeder.

Some of you went to New Year's conference last year

at campus outreach.

He spoke there.

He was the older guy that spoke there.

He said,

and really loves the Lord.

And,

he told a story

about relating how

God's power works within us

and that we have,

we are,

um,

his,

and he has something inside of us.

This is something that he wrote.

He said,

when I was 16,

so,

this was like,

good way back

for him.

My father bought me a car

at an auction

for $75.

He said,

it was pink.

A 57 Ford,

which my dad insisted

was coral color,

not pink.

He said,

I couldn't drive a pink car to school.

And then I heard the words

that he always said to me,

um,

that I would one day say

to my future children,

son,

it is,

a poor ride is better

than a proud walk.

And he said,

he said it so convincingly

that I knew

that it probably was from the Bible.

He said,

um,

he said,

then my dad opened the hood

of that car,

that 57 Ford.

And my dad opened the hood

of that car.

And to my surprise,

underneath it was a

390 engine

with two four-barrel

carburetors.

Some of you

don't know

what that is.

And then he said,

um,

the car

had been

a South Carolina

State Interceptor,

a highway patrol car.

Nothing,

nothing had more power

under the hood.

Space

and conviction

prevents me

from detailing

the surprises

that Corvettes

and Roasters

would get

after they looked at

and laughed

at my pink

57 Ford

while I was sitting

by them

at the stoplight.

So in other words,

like he dusted them,

like in races,

they just,

he just like left them

behind in his car.

He says,

it didn't look like much,

but there was power

under the hood.

And

it's this idea

that we feel

inadequate

and broken.

There's not a lot

to us at all.

I mean,

just look at me,

look at yourself.

There's not really

much,

much to us.

Nothing really

to brag about.