Sermon Tone Analysis

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*Philippians IX: Working Out *
*Philippians 2:12-13*
*/January 6, 2008/*
 
 
Before I get started, I want to remind all of you that on the *last* *Sunday* of this month, the service will be dedicated to the *vision* of The *Gathering*.
The *elders* will spend this entire month *refining* our vision, and I am really looking forward to it.
It will *build* on our *current* *vision*, not replace it, and it will *refine* who we are, *who* we’re reaching, and *how*.
·         So I want everyone to be here on Sunday, January 27th.
*Does grace encourage sin?*
Last week we took a break from Philippians to talk about *Sabbath* *rest*.
So I hope all of you had a *restful* Sunday *morning*!
This Sunday, we are back in Philippians and we’ll be in 2:12-13.
This is a very *short* *passage*, but a *powerful* one.
In fact, this is one of the *most* *quoted* passages in the NT.
It addressed a very important question:
 
Q   If we are made right with God by grace, not good deeds, does that mean it doesn’t matter how we live?
Because Paul emphasized *salvation* by *grace*, not *good* *deeds*, he accused of encouraging *godlessness*.
And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!"
Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
*/Romans 3:8 NLT/*/  /
 
 
*The great corrupter?
*
 
Now here is the *interesting* *thing*, and this is a bit of a *history* *lesson* mixed with *hermeneutics* *lesson*.
·         Hermeneutics is set of *principles* we use for *interpreting* and *applying* Scripture.
These *accusations* against Paul have not gone away.
Throughout the ages, he has been blamed for *corrupting* the teachings of Jesus and making a brand *new* *religion*.
Modern *liberal* *scholars*, *Muslims*, and *Jews* alike all have far *less* *problems* with Jesus’ teachings than Paul’s.
And the *internet* is full of pages making these accusations.
·         They say that Jesus never intended to *create* *Christianity*, only to *reform* *Judaism*.
·         They say Christianity, as we know it, was *established* by *Paul*.
And I can see their point: Jesus teaching calls people to the *highest* *moral* standards, saying things like, “You must be *more* *righteous* than the Pharisees”
 
But Paul preaches a gospel of *grace*, and all but *ignores* his *life* and *teachings*.
There is no reference to Jesus’ *baptism*, his *miracles* or *parables*.
In fact, Paul only *explicitly* quotes Jesus *five* times in all of his writings.
·         The only thing Paul cares about is his *death* and *resurrection*.
Paul seemingly takes Jesus from a *moral* *teacher* and makes him into *savior*, and changes the gospel from *loving* your *neighbor* into *saved* by *grace*.
And there even seems to be some *conflict* in the Bible between *Paul* and *James*, the brother of Christ:
 
James said:
 
You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
*/James 2:24 NASB/*  
 
But Paul said:
 
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
*/Romans 3:28 NASB/ * 
 
Q   So what do we do with this?
Either Paul understood the *meaning* and *implications* of Christ’s *life*, *death*, and *resurrection* better than anyone else, or else he *recreated* *Jesus* for his own *purposes*.
·         One rabbi said he was making Jesus more *palatable* to *Gentiles* who couldn’t hack the *requirements* of *Jesus* and the law.
*Paul’s revelation*
 
To answer that, we first have to ask *where* Paul got his *information* from: Paul’s *authority* rests upon his *claim* that God *revealed* the Gospel to him.
·         Paul clearly states that he didn’t receive his teachings from any of the other *apostles*, but directly *from* *God*.
On the basis of this revelation, Paul draws on his *extensive* *knowledge* of the OT, and *reinterprets* everything in light of the death and resurrection.
This is a very *bold* assertion to say, “God told me what Jesus was *really* about,” especially for a man who never *sat* *under* Jesus teachings on earth.
Paul’s critics would have a *strong* *agreement*, if it were not for a very *important* *fact*:
 
·         *All* of the other NT *epistles* and the *apostles* *agree* with him.
In fact, *Peter*, who was considered the *foremost* of the *Apostles*, goes so far as to call Paul’s writings *Scripture*:
 
...just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters.
His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.*
/2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV/*/  /
 
·         The word for “*rest* *of*” is very clear in the *Greek* to mean that Paul’s writings are Scripture.
It is remarkable to realize that Paul’s *letters* were accepted as *Scripture* by the *apostles* and the *church* within in his *lifetime*.
·         It’s also nice to know that I am not the only one to find Paul confusing, even some of the other writers of the Bible agree.
But sum it all up: Paul, *inspired* by the Holy *Spirit*, understood the *meaning* of the Jesus’ *ministry*, *death*, and *resurrection* very well, and *faithfully* preached Christ, and this was *affirmed* by the *Apostles* who knew Jesus best.
Q   But what about the contradictions between James and Paul?
They are both using the same word, “justify,” in slightly *different* senses:
 
You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
*/James 2:24 NASB/*  
 
Justify: To demonstrate as morally right (a definition for the Greek word for “justify”).
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
*/Romans 3:28 NASB/ * 
 
Justify: To be vindicated by God.
 
·         Good works demonstrate salvation, but do not earn it.
*The balance*
 
And this brings us nicely to today’s passage: It gives Paul’s perspective of the *balance* between *God’s* *role* (which is *grace*) and *our* *role* (which is *holiness*).
·         In fact, this is the most *concise* *explanation* of the *cooperation* between God and man in *spiritual* *growth*.
Let’s turn there now in your Bibles, Philippians 2:12-13, page 831 in the pew Bibles.
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/
 
 
*Therefore*
 
First thing to note: therefore.
Whenever we see a “*therefore*,” we should look back and see what it’s “there for.”
·         I have a book called “Never Read a Bible Verse Again,” and its point is we must always read the Bible in *context*.
In this case, Paul is going all the way back to 1:27:
 
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit...*/ Philippians 1:27 NIV/ * 
 
·         Notice the parallel between 1:27 and 2:12: They both refer to the Philippians doing what’s right even in Paul’s absence.
So the point of therefore: Live as a manner fitting a *child* of *God*, following *Christ’s* example of *serving* (which is in 2:5-11).
*Salvation*
 
When Paul say “work out our salvation,” he does not mean salvation in the sense of the *moment* our *sins* are *forgive* by God’s grace through Christ’s sacrifice.
This is *God’s* *part*.
He is talking about salvation as a *life*-long *process*, where our *actions* and *attitudes* more *reflect* our *salvation*.
As I’ve said, Paul says, “You *are* *saved*, you are righteous, now *act* like it.”
·         This verse tells us to “work out” the reality of salvation.
*Fear and trembling *
 
And Paul tells us to do this with “fear and trembling.”
Q   Have you ever thought about fear being a good thing?
·         This is not a very popular thing to say these days.
Pete P. was telling me about a conversation with a person who *refused* to *believe* that fear could ever be a *good* *thing*.
But fear is a *gift* from God that keeps us *safe* from *dangerous* situations, and it is a gift that I wish God would *hurry* up and *give* it to my daughter *Sarah*.
A couple of weeks ago I told you about when I heard Sarah call me, asking me to get her down.
I walked in to find her *naked*, standing in our *pedestal* sink, filled with *soapy* *water*.
·         I really wanted to take a picture, but I didn’t want encourage her (as if she needed encouragement.)
One of the reasons we *worry* about our *children* so much is that they *lack* a healthy sense of *fear*.
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