Enjoying Life In A (Mostly) Joyless World
Enjoy Life By Cooperating In Life Change
Philippians 2:12-13
Introduction: Change
You Can Count On
Is there anything about your life you would like to change?
I’m not talking about changing what you see when you look
in the mirror. I’m talking about true life change. This
is the kind of change where you are able to say, “God
changed my life.”
We know God changes the lives of people. That’s God’s
main business—changing the lives of people. Many of us here this morning have
experienced that. Even so, there’s a lot of confusion about exactly how life
change occurs.
When I was growing up I heard my pastor say one time that
what I needed to do if I wanted God to change my life was to hang on, not give
up and do my part. The next time I heard him say that I needed to give up the
fight, let go and ask God to do His work. I may have been young, but I knew
there was a difference between letting go and hanging on.
So, which is it? What am I supposed to do?
What I have grown to understand is that both are involved because God clearly
has a big part in salvation and changing my life, but I play a part, too. Look
at this very clear statement that speaks to this point. Read it with me.
Therefore, my
dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence,
but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works
in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13 NIV
Starting Points
Work Out… Work In
Let’s start by pulling back a first layer of
understanding. Note two key phrases: work out and work in. Work out is your
part. Work in is God’s part. You and I work out what God is working in.
Work Out… Not Work For
Let’s pull back a second layer of understanding. Notice
it doesn’t say that you are to work for your salvation. The Bible clearly says
that salvation is not the result of what we do.
For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by
works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians
2:8-9 NIV
This passage says that we are to continue to work out our
salvation. Paul is writing to people who are already Christians. He invites you
to develop what you already have. An accurate paraphrase might challenge us:
“Since you already have committed your life to follow Jesus, start growing.
Work out what it means to be a Christian.”
See if this helps. When you work out, you don’t get a body.
You develop the body you already have—although it may very well seem like a new
body. When a farmer works the ground, he cultivates and enriches the existing
soil in order to produce a good crop. When you work a puzzle, you already have
all the pieces. Your job is to work out how the pieces fit together.
Salvation In The Plural
The next layer of understanding is found in the word
your. Paul challenges his readers, “Continue to work out your salvation.” We
usually approach salvation as an individual matter, which it is. Christ died
for each of us. God invites each of us to accept Christ as Savior. The pronoun
here, however, is plural. This is salvation in the bigger context of the whole.
Salvation as used here goes beyond God forgiving the individual for sin.
Salvation also means deliverance. One key lesson we can’t afford to miss in
this letter is that our deliverance—and the results of that deliverance—are
lived out and experienced in the context of the church.
You most likely know that the word church comes from the
Greek word ecclesia, which means called
out ones. A big part of salvation is realized in fellowship with other
believers in the church. In previous verses, Paul has called the Philippian church
to live in unity. Unity involves more than one person. He calls them to work
out together the truth they claim to believe about unity.
This Is Serious
He calls them to do this with fear and trembling. This
next layer of understanding strikes us with the fact that God is serious about
this. Paul doesn’t mean that we are to cower in fear that God is going to
strike us down. His message is that God is serious about this. We are to work
out what He has worked in. We can’t take it lightly. We can’t shrug it off as
the ideal that only a very few ever achieve. God’s desire is that we aspire to
the ideal, doing what is needed so He can accomplish what only He can
accomplish.
God Will Do His Part
We see now the final layer of understanding in our starting
points. God will do His part. He works in us. From the Greek word translated
work (energia) we also derive our word energy. God energizes us for this. Be very careful
that you don’t miss this: the ultimate
end is God’s good purpose. Fulfilling God’s good purpose is the air the
church breathes and the blood that provides life. God promises to do His part
to make this attainable.
God’s Part: Working In
God has three tools that are the primary instruments He
uses as He works in us.
1st Tool: The Bible
I stress the priority of the Word of God often. I do this
because every person lives according to some standard. For some that standard
is subjectively determined by what the majority determines as best or how it
causes people to feel. So, we can decide at one point in history that taking
the life of an unborn infant is wrong but decide later that it’s more important
to honor what the woman feels, even if that means sacrificing the life of the
unborn baby.
Other people begin with an objective standard as the
means of deciding what to do. In America there is a clear dividing line between
those who maintain that the Constitution should guide the formation of law
while others suggest that it is one of many factors to consider.
As followers of Christ, the Bible is the standard to
guide our lives. The statement of faith for Discovery Church affirms in the
initial statement: We believe the Bible
as God’s inspired and inerrant Word is of final authority in faith and life.
What anyone may think or feel is not the priority. Following the will of God as
revealed in the Bible is the objective standard by which we receive guidance
from God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2
Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
If someone tells you they don’t feel like God is guiding
them, the best first diagnostic question to ask is, “Are you reading the word of God on a
regular basis?” God revealed His word to make us
completely prepared for every good work.
2nd Tool: The Holy Spirit
Another major component of God’s working in us is the
Holy Spirit. Spiritual life flows from the Spirit of God within us.
Yet God raised
Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will
raise you to life by his Spirit. Romans 8:11 CEV
God’s Spirit gives life. The Spirit is the source of
transformation as God works in us.
So our faces are not covered.
They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and
more like our glorious Lord. 2
Corinthians 3:18 CEV
God tells us in His Word about the changes He wants to
accomplish in our lives. Through His Spirit God exerts His power in
accomplishing that change. When we respond to God’s Word through obedience to
His Spirit He works His will in our lives. Unfortunately, we don’t always
respond as we should. That’s where God’s third tool becomes necessary.
3rd Tool: Life Circumstances
God powerfully uses our problems, pressures, headaches,
stresses and difficulties to capture our attention so He can work His good
purpose in our lives. It’s here where I take you back to our focus verse for
2009, offering a slightly different take from this translation.
We know that
in everything God works for the good of those who love him.
They are the people he called, because that was his plan.
Romans
8:28 NCV
To keep God’s purpose clearly in focus we need to add the
next verse as well.
God knew them before he made the
world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the
firstborn of many brothers and sisters. Romans
8:29 NCV
There is nothing that comes into the lives of believers
without God’s knowledge. God doesn’t say these things are good; He says He uses
them for good—the good called for by His plan that we become like Jesus. He
works in us to accomplish His purpose and fulfill His plan.
Where do my problems come from? Did I cause them? Are
they from the devil? Is God allowing them to discipline me? Are they the result
of evil actions by other people? When we’re in the middle of the problem these
are the questions to which we desperately want answers. Listen to me carefully.
None of those questions really matter.
They are a waste of effort. The source doesn’t matter. How God uses them is
what matters.
If God is going to make me like Jesus, then He's going to
take me through some situations that Jesus went through. There were times when
Jesus was lonely. There were times when Jesus was tempted. There were times
when Jesus was tired and impatient. God allowed Jesus to go through those
things. Should we expect any less, much less demand better? God’s more interested in your character
than your comfort.
God works in us though His Word, His Spirit and life’s
circumstances. That’s His part. Because He does His part we should take our
part in working out our salvation seriously—with fear and trembling.
My Part: Working Out
We each have choices to make as God does His part in
order to work out what He is doing in us.
1st Choice: I Can Choose What I
Think About
Unlike physical growth, spiritual growth isn’t automatic.
God doesn’t force growth on you. Change requires choice. The first choice
involves what we think about.
All of us have verses of Scripture that are fundamental
to the way we live. They form the foundation upon which we build our lives.
Here is one such verse for me.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
This translation helps me understand how to go about
guarding my heart.
Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23 NCV
Imagine what it would be like if scientists were able to
develop a machine that reads, records and reveals your actual thoughts. That
would be a scary world!
The Bible constantly returns to the change that must take
place in the mind in order to experience true life change.
Let the Spirit change your way of
thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and
so you must please him and be truly holy. Ephesians 4:23-24 CEV
Life change always begins with a change of mind. The
Greek word for repent literally means to change your mind. You change your
mind, turn around and go the other way. The way you think about God, others and
yourself changes. Your outlook changes. You start seeing things differently.
When you offer yourself to God, you are ready to respond to His instruction:
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.
Romans 12:2 NLT
Imagine that your life is like a speed boat with its auto
pilot set on going due south. You are confronted by some challenges and decide
you really should turn around 180 degrees and go due north. What do you do?
This is a question we often ask. “I know I need to change. I want to change.
How do I change?” One way is to grab the steering wheel and force the boat to
turn around by sheer force. This is often our approach to change. I will force
myself to act differently. It can work for a while, but it’s exhausting. Soon,
we begin to waver. We eat the food we know we shouldn’t. We decide that one
cigarette is all right. We look at the picture that we know is nothing but
trouble. Sheer will power doesn’t work.
The Bible calls us to change the automatic pilot setting
by being transformed by the renewing of the mind. Once God has worked His part
in us, we then follow His lead by working out our part. What is your automatic pilot? How do you
set it? One important tool is the
Word of God—the Bible. If you want change, start filling your mind with the
Word of God.
Happy are those
who don't listen to the wicked, who don't go where sinners
go, who don't do what evil people do.
They love the Lord's
teachings, and they think about those teachings day and
night.
They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree
produces fruit in season, and its leaves don't die. Everything they do will succeed.
Psalm 1:1-3 NCV
And now, dear
brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts
on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and
lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent
and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 NLT
Let the word of Christ dwell in
you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16 NIV
Be strong and very courageous. Be
careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do
not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to
the left. Then you will be successful in everything you
do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate
on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything
written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in
all you do.
Joshua 1:7-8 NLT
How can a young man
keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your
commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you.
Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my
path.
Psalm 119:9-11; 89; 105 NLT
Do you want to change? God does His part in working
change you can count with the provision of His Word. In order to work it out,
your part is to read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it. It will
change the way you think. That will change your life.
2nd Choice: I Can Choose To Depend On God’s Spirit
Moment By Moment
Jesus provides the best picture of what it looks like to
depend on the Spirit with His teaching about the vine and the branches.
Remain in me, and I will remain
in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the
same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me. I am the vine, and
you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce
much fruit. But without me they can do nothing. John 15:4-5 NCV
A branch is totally dependent upon the vine to produce
fruit. A branch cannot produce fruit by itself. It has to be connected. Jesus says
that's the way we have to be with God. We have to be connected. God has the
power, but it's not automatic.
Fruit is an inside job. How would it be if I planted an
old, dead tree? Then two weeks before harvest I tie a bunch of apples to it. That’s
how many Christians live. They try to tie good works onto the branches of their
lives to look like they are making progress. In reality, it's something they
just picked up rather than having it flow through them by depending on God's Spirit.
It’s your choice to depend on the Spirit.
How do you know when you're depending on God's Spirit? Check your
prayer life. Prayer is a spiritual barometer. Whatever you pray about, you're
depending on God for that. Whatever you don't pray about, you're not depending
on God. What
does it mean to depend on God? It
means to pray continually about: your decisions, your feelings, your
relationships, your deadlines, your purchases—in short everything and anything
that matters. Wherever you desire God’s blessing, you pray about those things. Be
aware that God is constantly with you. Maintain a running conversation with
Him. Whisper a prayer to God no matter what you're doing. That's what it means
to depend on His Spirit.
God does His part in working change you can count on
through His Spirit. In order to work it out, your part is to depend upon His
Spirit as you seek God in prayer.
3rd Choice: I Can Choose My
Response To Circumstances
By now you are seeing the parallel between what God
provides and your choices. God provides His Word; you're supposed to read it.
God provides the Holy Spirit; you choose to depend on Him. God uses circumstances;
you choose your response to those circumstances. We have already seen this
theme in Philippians, but we need to consider it again briefly because it’s
pretty tough to respond positively to tough circumstances. But, that’s what God
wants us to choose. Listen to what God says through James.
Consider it a sheer gift,
friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that
under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true
colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so
you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James
1:2-4 The Message
Written by James, the brother of Jesus, to Jewish
believers who had fled Jerusalem under pressure of persecution adds meaningful
weight to these words. These believers had run to escape death, leaving their
homes, jobs and, many times, families. The invitation to them is to be joyful
because the authenticity of their faith was being verified as they became the
people of God in every sense of the phrase.
Their part was to let these difficult circumstances do
their work in helping them become mature and well-developed disciples. Becoming
like Christ is a process. We are constantly having rough edges smoothed and
weak places reinforced. Tough circumstances build strong spiritual muscles.
Victor Frankel, the famous
psychologist, was imprisoned in one of the concentration camps in World War II.
One day they had stripped him naked—taken his clothes, shoes, and even his
wedding ring. They had taken away everything physically they could. Standing
there in front of the Nazi soldiers he realized there was one thing that could
never be taken from him—his choice about how he would respond to the
circumstances. With that choice he found freedom in a prison camp.
You cannot choose what is going to happen to you next year,
next month, next week or even tomorrow. We don't have that choice. But, you can
choose how you're going to respond, how you're going to react.
Is it going to make you or break you?
Are you going to be bitter or better?
Will it be a stumbling block to failure or a stepping
stone to maturity?
What happens to
you is not the most important thing in your life. What happens in you is what
matters most. That involves your choice. We've all seen people put in the
same bad circumstances. One comes out a winner while the other comes out a
whiner. Here’s the choice you make to work out what God wants to work in you.
We can rejoice, too, when we run
into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And
endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our
confident hope of salvation. Romans
5:3-4 NLT
The way we choose to respond determines the extent of
change accomplished.
God produces the
fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. A part of His production strategy involves putting us in circumstances that
will stimulate the development of the fruit. He does this lovingly with
full awareness of our limitations. He doesn’t want to destroy us; He wants to
develop us. So, if love is the fruit being developed, we will be placed in
circumstances where it’s tough to love someone. If it’s joy that God wants to
see growing on our branches, He will use circumstances where it’s going to be
hard to be joyful. If it’s peace, we may find ourselves in a storm. Is
self-control the issue? You may have some choices to make at The Old Country
Buffet.
God does His part to work change you can count on by exposing
you to the necessary circumstances. Your part in working out what God wants to
do is how you choose to respond to Him.
Conclusion: It’s
Your Choice
In closing we need to go all the way back to the question
with which we started this morning. You may not have given it much more than a
passing thought at the time, but now you’re ready to consider the full
implications of the question.
Is there anything about your life you would like to
change?
The ability to change comes from God's power and your
choices. When you choose to do the right thing, God gives you the power. What
God tells you to do; He gives you the power to do. Whatever change you want to
see; it takes cooperation with God. He will work it in if you will work it out.
God has promised to give you the desire and the ability to see changes made. He
works through His Word, through His Spirit and through circumstances. The most
amazing thing is that He gives you the freedom to choose what you will do.
What would you most like to change about yourself?
Make your choice and God will do His part. It really is change
you can count on!
