The Joy of Responsibility | Dr. David Jeremiah | Philippians 2:12-16

there's not one blessed thing anyone in this room can do to advance yourself toward Heaven by one step how many of you know that when we were born we were all born with our backs toward God and it was the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ that reached down and brought us out of our sin and we didn't do anything except say yes Lord thank you forgive me for my sin I want to be saved we can't do anything to be saved but once we to become Christians God begins to work in us

so that we can have a part both in our own growth and sanctification and also in the opportunity that he gives us to reach the world he doesn't save us to just sit and celebrate he saves us to be a part of his Everlasting Kingdom it was February 4th 2007 and the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago s were playing in Super Bowl 41 in Miami the Colts were just two weeks removed from the greatest game in their history as they had come back from a 21-3 deficit against the New England Patriots and actually won the

game 38-34 and went to the Super Bowl as you can imagine the Colts were pretty pumped up for that Super Bowl game which would be their first entrance into the Super Bowl since 1971 and the night before the game their head coach who was at that time Tony dunie stood in front of his team and passionately exhorted them to fight and to stick together to care about the game care about the guys playing next to them but he also warned them that playing against the Bears they would have to weather a storm at sometime during

their Super Bowl Sunday if they were going to win the team was absolutely pumped up Tony dunie was pumped up and he recalled on The Dan Patrick Sports show that he was so pumped up he made a change in his plan for the game he said we had decided all week long that we were not going to kick the ball to Devon Hester one of the fastest and most productive kickoff returners in NFL history we're going to kick it away from him duny said on the show that that night after his speech he thought that

doing that was playing scared that he shouldn't do that so the next morning as we're going to the game he said I told the team I hope we lose the toss cuz if we do we're going to kick the ball right down the middle to Hester and we're going to pound him and they're going to know we've taken their best threat and they'll be finished so we lose the coin toss and we kick the ball to Hester and 13 seconds later he's standing in the endzone with his hands up in the air so all the

guys come over to their coach and they go what was that he said I told you there's going to be a storm it all happen right up front storms are a part of football and as you will agree they always come up front they come whenever they want to they're a part of life and the only way you know how to meet them is if you discipline yourself to face them I think that's what dunie was trying to tell his team and obviously it worked because they won that game we cannot come back from challenges

in our life if we're not prepared to do so ahead of time we don't just gain immediate strength to overcome issues if we haven't planed to do so in preparation for the inevitable so I've always thought the most important thing about success the most important thing about being a Christian in terms of the O personal responsibility is the concept of discipline one of the most defined and perhaps unpopular word in the language in which you and I Converse someone by the name of Bobby Knight who used to be a basketball coach told me in a

letter once that discipline was doing what needs to be done doing it when it needs to be done doing it the best it can be done and doing it that way every time you do it I wrote that one down Miriam Webster's Collegiate dictionary lists as one definition of discipline the following training that corrects mold holds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character discipline Paul moves into this section of scripture having taken us through a very very special doctrinal section about the Incarnation the first 11 verses of chapter 2 in Philippians are maybe some

of the most important sacred beautiful scriptures you will ever read he begins the next section which is verse 12 of chapter 2 he begins this scripture this way he says therefore my beloved Brethren as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling I want to preach a little bit on the word therefore it's a word that gets shoved under the rug sometimes when we're reading the scripture but here it is really critical you all know that the word

therefore makes you look backward it makes you take what you're about to read and go back and read what was before it because it's connected someone said that the word therefore is there so that you will find out what it's there and you need to go back and find out what the word therefore is therefore In this passage what has Paul said Paul has said that Jesus Christ came from Heaven he was obedient he was obedient unto death he was obedient OB unto the death of the Cross he humbled himself he died he was buried

he was resurrected and he ascended to high and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father therefore and then he gives us our instructions how many of you know that we don't just get Doctrine so we know more Doctrine is always the foundation upon which Duty rests and Paul is going to help us now understand what we should do because we understand how much God has done for us how much he loves us the sacrifice that he has paid for us and where

he is right now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven therefore therefore he said not just as in my presence but now much more in my absence by the way where is Paul when he's writing this he's in prison he has been in Philippi but he's not there anymore he's in prison he's writing his church in Philippi from prison he says I want you to know that it was great when I was with you that you were doing the right things but now that I'm absent from you it's even more important and then

he gives them this instruction he says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling now that could mean in the context of the doctrine when I was with you I was helping you with your salvation and your Doctrine and your growth but I'm not here anymore so you got to do it yourself work out your own salvation but hear me today this is not what Paul is saying Paul is not saying you have to work to get your salvation this letter is written to Christians why would he say that he's not saying work for

your salvation he's saying because you're saved there some things you should do for by Grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God watch this not of Works lest anyone should boast we all agree with that then the next verse says for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which he has prepared us for that we should walk in them not saved by Good Works saved for good works there's not one blessed thing anyone in this room can do to advance yourself toward

Heaven by one step how many of you know that when we were born we were all born with our backs toward God and it was the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ that reached down and brought us out of our sin and we didn't do anything except say yes Lord thank you forgive me for my sin I want to be saved we can't do anything to be saved but once we become Christians God begins to work in us so that we can have a part both in our own growth and sanctification and also

in the opportunity that he gives us to reach the world he doesn't save us to just sit and celebrate he saves us to be a part of his Everlasting Kingdom so I want to talk to you today about the good works that God wants to do in you and in me now that we are Christians if you're not a Christian here today this message is not a ticket for you to go to heaven you can't get to Heaven except by grace through faith it's not of Works lest any man should boast but once you become

a Christian listen up who really is responsible for your spiritual growth who's responsible for you now that you're a Christian to go on to Greatness in your Christian Life when Paul wrote to Young Timothy a little later on in the New Testament he he gave him this instruction he said Timothy exercise yourself toward godliness and the word exercise there is a really cool word it's the word gumas in the Greek language from which we get the word gymnasium he said Timothy get into the spiritual gymnasium and work out and grow in your faith don't just

be flabby as a Christian don't be passive get active do some things that'll make a difference and I love that word because I spend some time in the gym and I never forget while I'm in there working on my body that I need to spend equal or more time working on my soul cuz it's a whole lot more needy than my body is as needy as my body is and Paul doesn't leave this in the realm of uh easy listening he says what you do do with fear and trembling he says work out your own

salvation with fear and trembling in other words take this seriously he doesn't mean we're supposed to walk around in Quake he means that we're to seriously consider that there's a part of our Lives as Christians that we can easily ignore and if we do it will be to our own detriment there's a way that you can have Greater Joy greater impact greater facility in your walk with the Lord and that is grow in Christ God has given us everything we need for life and godliness he's put it in us he saved us he gave us

the Holy Spirit he's given us the word of God he's given us Jesus Christ we have all of that now what the scripture is saying take what I've given you and develop it and make it work and and practice it and and get involved in using it and finding out what works and how you can grow so that you're not in the same place next year as you are this year as a baby Christian so here's what he's telling us he's saying if you're going to do this the first discipline is to do your part

to realize that while Jesus is everything in Salvation he gives you something to do now that you're a Christian he's not just going to make you Godly you have to work at this you have to take the responsibility there is a personal responsibility I've dealt with this over and over again in writing books and in teaching it's one of the most misunderstood things among Christians which is why there's so much passivity in the Christian walk today but notice not only should I do my part Philippians 2:12 but I have to depend on God here again

we're back in this in this Cooperative that we have with God and us notice verse 13 after he says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling he then says it is God who works in you both to Will and to do for his good pleasure God has worked in us he's working in us he will continue to work in us but we're to work diligently so that we might realize the benefit of all that God has done and is doing for us both Divine enablement and human responsibility are involved how many of you

know God doesn't speak to us out loud I've never heard God's voice out loud I hear his voice through the scripture sometimes I hear the voice of God through the scripture that I've memorized or little bits and pieces of it that come back to me sometimes in the night hour sometimes in the early mornings when I'm driving in the car and have enough sense to turn the radio off God speaks to me but what I think we learned from this passage is when God speaks it's usually not something for us to consider God doesn't say

here are three options God says do this and that's where you get involved God isn't going to do what he's asked you to do so you have to do it so well I'm waiting for the spirit I'm waiting for the spirit to move me hang on to that one for a while discipline one is I'm going to do my part discipline two is God's going to do his part he's going to will and do he's going to give you the desire and he's going to tell you what to do but you have to respond you

have to take it the next step now it would be really unusual if Paul would give us such strong encouragement without giving us some illustrations of how this works so here's the third discipline I will do my part I will depend on God number three I will be different from the world I want you to read with me verses 14- 16 do all things without complaining that's a pretty good start if you're a pastor that you may become blameless and harmless ch of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among

whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain watch the contrast between the end of verse 13 here we are again and the beginning of verse 14 in verse 13 we are told that it is God who does the work and then without so much as a transition sentence where instructed do all things isn't that interesting we're back and forth God's doing it it I'm doing it God's doing it in me

I'm doing what God's doing in me and taking it out of me it would be unlike Paul to give us this instruction without helping us understand so notice how contemporary his illustrations are as Christians we have to live in the world but there should be a noticeable difference in our lifestyle if we are listening to what God is saying to us in this passage of scripture something will be different about us he tells us first of all that we are to be people who have a cheerful life in an unhappy World cheerful living in an

unhappy World verse 14 do all things without complaining and disputing could we use a little of that in the body of Christ yeah we could a PhD named guy winch says there's a difference between an optimist a pessimist and a chronic complainer an optimist sees a glass half full a pessimist sees sees a glass half empty a chronic complainer sees a glass that is slightly chipped holding water that isn't cold enough because it's tap water and I asked for bottled water and wait there's a smudge on the rim which means the glass wasn't clean and

now I'm probably going to end up with some kind of virus we're laughing because we know what we're talking about don't we you can get in one of those moods can't you everything is just messed up and you you can't help but you know the word complaining comes from a word that means to mutter or to Grumble and the children of Israel had turned grumbling into an Olympic sport it was their Super Bowl they grumbled at the Red Sea when they saw the Chariots of the Egyptians coming after them they grumbled at Mara where the

waters were bitter they grumbled in the wilderness when they had no food then they grumbled at rapidin when they had no water and they grumbled at Katie sparia because the spies reported the presence of giants in the land which God had called them to and Moses took all their complaining and then gave it back to them and this is what he said in Exodus 168 your complaints are not against us but against the Lord whoa they were complaining against Moses and his leadership team and Moses said go ahead and do that just don't forget you're

not complaining against us you're complaining against God and Paul used these experiences of the Israelites to make the same point when he wrote to the Corinth he said nor complain as some of them also complain speaking of this time I just mentioned and were destroyed by the Destroyer what Paul is saying is if you work it out in your own life and you take what God has given you and you and you develop these disciplines you won't be a complainer that'll get off your list here's the next one he said straight living in a crooked

World verse 15 that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of of a crooked and perverse generation and this doesn't mean we have to live perfectly he didn't say that you may become perfect he said blameless and harmless that means live a life that nobody can point a finger at you and say oh did you you know live a life of godliness and it's interesting that the word harmless means to be pure unmixed he also says that this world in which we live is crooked he says you become

blameless and harmless children without fault in the midst of a crooked world you know the world crooked in the in the language of the New Testament is the word scolio from which we get the word scoliosis which is the medical term for the curvature of the spine it's a trous picture Paul says the world is crooked stand up straight when you stand up straight for God you will be noticed I promise you if everyone else is bending down and you're standing up straight you're going to get some attention and I think that's what the Bible

means when it says be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you about the faith that is in you be ready and you know we cannot do that in our own strength we need the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and cooperating with the thing that God has called us to do and then there's a third thing he talks about radiant living in a dark world he said in verse 15 among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the

day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain Paul said in the midst of this world we live in a world of darkness and it seems like it's getting darker all the time shine as a light in that world Jesus told his disciples let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven and Paul reminded the Christians for you were once Darkness but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light and Paul does not leave us passively

shining in the darkness he doesn't say go just be a good person in this wicked world and people will flood to you to become Christians that won't happen there's a little saying that's gone around and been preached on and I probably preached on it earlier in my ignorance and it goes like this preach the gospel and if necessary use words and the idea there is if you preach the gospel through your works you don't have to say anything that's not true the gospel is content the gospel is a message you could shine your light in

the world for as long as you live and if nobody knows why the light is being shined and why you're shining it they will not get to heaven and that's why in the Scripture it says we have to hold fast the word of life and that is an interesting expression because it's it's an expression about a a host at a party who holds out some special thing for her guests the Bible says shine live the right life don't be harmless and and and and don't do things that will deny who you are as a Christian

but you have to take it a step further because they're going to come and ask you and when they ask you hold forth the Word of Life give them the message of the Gospel you cannot get to heaven without content content is what the Bible says You must do to become a Christian you can shine until there's no shining left but if you don't along with that hold forth the Word of Life nobody will ever know what they're supposed to do they will walk away just saying what a good person you are it's here that

we have to make sure we get it right it's here that we have to make sure that we're thinking straight it's here that we don't leave anything on the table we ought to always always be grateful for our Salvation we ought to always be praising God for the grace which he has given us none of us deserve it I know I don't and I know if you're honest you don't either but the Bible says in all of your gratitude and in all of your Thanksgiving remember work out your own salvation in fear and trembling for

it is God who works in you both to Will and to do of his good pleasure so let me ask you this would it not be re reasonable to think that you and I would be willing to become better than you are and those things are usually done when no one's watching no one knows but without them you end up being a casualty along the way without them the people God intended for you to touch and reach go unreached and untouched so let me just encourage you to take that seriously work out your own salvation

with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both the will and the do of his good pleasure Hallelujah and now with one last word for today's program here is Dr Jeremiah every parent knows how to bring a smile to a child's face by saying great job or well done living a life of excellence and responsibility brings all of us great joy and we also know what when we have failed to live responsibly and it's not a good feeling Paul wanted his readers to know the joy of living well that's why he

exhorted them to live responsibly in every realm of their lives that begins with accepting the Forgiveness of sins God offers us in Jesus Christ to know how to experience that forgiveness allow me to send you two free gifts from turning point one is our booklet called your great greatest turning point and the other is our monthly devotional magazine called turning points we will gladly send both these resources to you free of charge if you will contact us here at turning point today next time on turning point we have a decisive role in the lives of

people who are around us our families our neighbors the people we work with we are Jesus Christ to them the only Christ they will ever see is the Christ they see in us thank you for being with us today join us next time for Dr Jeremiah's message the joy of ministry here on turning point [Music]