Well, tonight we're looking at the letters of the Philippians, chapter 2.
If you want to turn in a Bible, you can feel free to do that.
It'll also be up on the screen if you're looking in one of the Pew Bibles, page 981,
Philippians chapter 2, beginning at verse 12.
As we go through this passage tonight, if you have questions, you can save them in your
mind or jot them down because we'll have a time, as we usually do at the end of our evening
service, for you to ask any questions that come to your mind about the sermon passage tonight.
Tonight we're looking at Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 through 18, as we continue through
this letter of Paul to his dear friends.
So let's read together.
Philippians chapter 2, beginning at verse 12.
Paul says this,
Well, if you do any driving around the New Haven area, one of the most striking changes
that is going on right now is the construction of the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, also
known as the Q Bridge.
It's where Route 95 crosses the Quinnipiac River.
The bridge is the centerpiece of a massive construction project, which includes widening
Route 95 for 13 miles in each total in two directions and redesigning the intersection of Route 95 and
Route 91.
Now, even if you don't drive, let me say this to you.
This is a project that has needed to happen for a long time.
The old Q Bridge was constructed 60 years ago, almost.
It was designed for 90,000 vehicles a day.
Now it has to deal with 150,000 vehicles crossing it each day.
The intersection between 95 and 91 has been ranked at times one of the 10 worst bottlenecks in the entire country,
causing numerous accidents, traffic delays, and frustrations.
But while this project has been needed, it has not always been easy.
It started back in 1989, 25 years ago.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation initiated a study because they realized that
the bridge and the highway would need a major overhaul.
It took 12 years and over 100 alternative proposals being considered and rejected until in 2001 a plan was finally approved.
The cost was estimated at $800 million.
Well, preparations began for construction in 2001, but then the New Haven City government
and the Connecticut Department of Transportation couldn't agree on what to do with two historic buildings
that stood in the path of the new bridge.
Well, they figured that one out, finally put the project out to bid, and for six months, nobody bid on it.
Because construction companies didn't like the structure of the project and how it was put out to bid.
So then they had to redesign it and cut it up into different pieces.
Now the total cost is estimated to be over $2 billion, more than twice the original estimate.
Now, despite all these complications, when the project will be finally finished next fall,
hopefully, it will be pretty amazing, I think.
The new bridge will accommodate five lanes of traffic in each direction.
Thirteen miles of Route 95 from Brantford to West Haven, a big bottleneck, a big traffic problem,
will be significantly widened.
And the whole downtown New Haven intersection and exits and on-ramps will be totally redesigned.
Instead of a rickety, overcrowded, rusty bridge that as you drive over it, you wonder,
will it just start falling into the river as I'm driving over it?
The new bridge will be elegant, solid, and enduring.
According to some architects, it's one of the first bridges of its kind in the United States.
It's called an extra-dose bridge.
You can go on Wikipedia and find out what that means.
It will be the centerpiece of the highway restoration project,
facilitating traffic going from north to south and east to west.
Now, even now, though the project...
So, some of you are...
I don't know, maybe some of you are...
You live on campus and you never get more than three blocks off,
and you haven't even seen this bridge.
I guess I'll just have to admit this taps into my childhood fantasy of being a civil engineer,
which I've never totally lost.
And fascination with civil engineering.
But, anyway, someday you can see it.
So, though the project is still unfinished, you can get a glimpse of how amazing it will be.
If you're going on 95 North, you take the 34 ramp to New Haven,
you get this really neat view of the whole New Haven skyline as you come into the downtown,
which you never had before.
Or if you go to the top of East Rock,
the new bridge now stands out as a thing of beauty,
spanning the water.
Or if you look from below at the orange-red steel girders that hold up the bridge,
you can see their strength and enduring nature.
Now, tonight in Philippians 2,
the Apostle Paul gives a vision of the church
as God's new construction project,
as a thing of beauty,
shining in the midst of darkness,
as a solid pathway
in a crooked and twisted world.
So, tonight I want to look at three questions
that our passage answers.
First, why is God's church
desperately needed?
Second,
if it's needed,
why is it so hard
to build?
And third,
why is it worth it,
after all?
So, first,
why is God's church
desperately needed?
Well, the answer Paul gives
is that the church
is the visible demonstration
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, last week we looked at
verses 5 through 11,
and if you have a Bible open,
look up at those verses.
There may be the most important verses
in this whole book of Philippians,
because they summarize
the gospel message.
In other words,
the basic, central,
Christian message
from which everything else flows out.
It says in verse 6,
Christ Jesus,
though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God
as a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself.
In other words,
Jesus Christ,
the eternal Son of God,
humbled himself
and became a human being.
He entered into this world.
And then verse 8 goes on to say,
he didn't just enter into this world,
he humbled himself
to the point of dying on a cross.
He poured himself out
in obedience to God
and in sacrificial love
for flawed and sinful people like us.
And then,
God looked upon what Jesus had done
and said,
that is true humility.
That is faithful obedience.
That is sacrificial love
more than anyone else
has ever demonstrated
or would ever demonstrate.
That is a sacrifice
perfect
and sufficient to cover every sin,
even the worst.
And that is faithful,
complete obedience to God
worthy of the highest praise.
And so verses 9 through 11
says that God raised Jesus
from death to life
and he exalted Jesus
as the Lord over all.
And one day,
this Jesus who died on the cross
and rose again
will rule over everything
and all creation
will acknowledge
his rightful rule.
Every knee will bow
and every tongue confess.
That's the basic,
that's the heart
of the Christian message.
Now maybe you've heard it before,
but let me ask you,
it raises a question.
Have you bowed your knee
before Jesus?
Have you acknowledged him
as the rightful Lord
over everything,
including you?
A few years ago,
a friend of mine
became a Christian in college
and he was talking
with his dad about faith
and his dad was in the military
and his dad wasn't very religious.
And his dad said,
what's the deal
with all this Christian stuff?
I mean,
what are you saying
I need to do
to become a Christian?
I mean,
I've heard people talk about
accepting Jesus into your heart.
I just don't get
what that means.
His son said,
Dad,
let me put it this way.
If you want to become
a Christian,
you need to swear
allegiance to Jesus.
In other words,
bow your knee before him
and confess that he is Lord.
And it made sense.
Maybe that's what
you need to do tonight
to acknowledge Jesus
as the rightful Lord
and the Savior.
You know,
the wonderful promise
in the Bible
is that anyone who does
swear allegiance to Jesus
as Lord and Savior
is forgiven of their sins
and filled with the Holy Spirit
and called to be a part
of God's mission
to restore and renew
the world
under Jesus' Lordship.
In other words,
through the good news,
through what Jesus has done,
we're called into
God's new construction project.
The centerpiece of his plan
to restore and renew the world.
If you want to carry
the analogy on,
God the Father
is the architect
who in his eternal wisdom
has laid out
the perfect plan.
Jesus Christ
is the federal,
state,
and local governments
all combined
in one person
who is the one
supreme authority
but also
the one who's paid
the entire cost
through his faithful obedience,
through his death
and resurrection.
And we
are the construction workers
who have the great privilege
and responsibility
of being part of God's plan
to restore and renew
the world
under the Lordship
of Jesus.
It's a high
and holy calling.
That's what the church
is meant to be,
the visible demonstration
of what Jesus has done
in his death
and resurrection.
A people who
proclaim this message
and are defined
by this message
and go into the world
with this message
and a people
whose lives
are gradually
being shaped
and transformed
and changed
by this message
of Jesus
who humbled himself
to the point of death
and was raised
to life
as Savior
and Lord.
So that's why
the church is necessary
because it's a visible
demonstration
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
That's why Paul says
in verse 12,
therefore,
at the beginning
of this section,
everything comes back
to this gospel
of Jesus
that shapes
what we do.
So that's why
the church is necessary.
It's a visible demonstration
of the gospel.
But second,
if building the church
is necessary
and it's what God
has always intended to do,
why is it so hard?
Maybe you can relate to this.
Maybe you've been
part of churches
that have had
lots of struggles.
Maybe you stopped
going to church
for a while
because you got fed up
with it.
Or you felt like
maybe it's not worth it.
Why is building
the church so hard?
Well, Paul acknowledges
that's hard.
In verse 12,
he says,
work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
Now, notice,
he doesn't say
work for your salvation.
That's not possible.
Salvation is a gift
from God
by grace alone.
But he does say
work out
or live out
the salvation
that you have
in Jesus
with fear and trembling,
with reverent awe
and godly fear.
In other words,
living out the gospel
or working out
the implications
of your salvation
is not an easy task.
If you've ever worked
on designing
a skyscraper
or constructing a bridge
or even just
building a house
or even just
repairing a room,
it's a complicated project
with all kinds
of potential pitfalls.
Sometimes lives
are at stake.
It's a challenge.
And Paul acknowledges
that living out
the gospel
is not easy.
And he points
to two particular
challenges
that we face
in building
God's church.
First of all,
in verse 14,
he says,
do all things
without grumbling
or disputing.
You know,
that's been
one of the most
difficult parts
of this whole bridge
project that has
caused years of delays
is that the state
government,
the local government,
the construction company
just haven't been able
to agree sometimes.
It's taken a long time.
And one of the biggest
challenges
that we face
in the church
is the same thing.
Grumbling
and disputing.
It's the pitfall
that the people
of Israel
fell into
when they walked
through the desert
after God
had saved them
out of Egypt
in the Old Testament.
And it's the same
words that are used
in the Old Testament.
They were grumbling
or complaining
against Moses
and disputing
or accusing
God
of not caring
about them
and wanting
to accuse
God of
doing them wrong.
And Paul says
don't fall into
the same trap
that they did.
And sometimes
we need to hear
this reminder
sometimes over
and over.
Sometimes I've even
quoted this verse
to my kids.
But you know
I imagine
I'll have to
either quote it
or convey
the same idea
over and over
and over again.
And you know what?
I need to hear
this verse
over and over
and over again.
Just yesterday
I failed.
I did the exact
opposite
with my wife.
I was a
contentious
complainer.
Back in chapter 2
verses 1 through 4
Paul calls us
to humility.
He says
preferring one another
above ourselves.
Seeking not only
our own interests
but also those
of others.
You know
this can be
I mean
it's very
simple.
There's no
theological debate
about what this
verse means.
Do everything
without arguing
or disputing
or however
it translates it.
Grumbling or disputing.
It's very simple
but it's hard
to put into practice.
And that's why
Paul returns
to this theme
so often
and reminds us
of what Christ
did in humbling
himself
and sacrificing
himself
for us
and saying
that very
same mind
that was in
Christ Jesus
let that be
in you
by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
So that's the
first challenge
we face
is
disunity
grumbling
and disputing.
The second
challenge we face
is transitions.
Now for the
church in Philippi
Paul had been
the major leader
who had begun
the process
of building
the church
and in one sense
for a time
it might have
seemed like
Paul was the
one who was
holding this
together.
He was sort of
like the head
of the construction
firm that got
the project
going.
But in this
passage Paul
reminds them
in a couple
places
I won't be
around forever.
In verse 12
he says
not only as in
my presence
but much more
in my absence.
He refers to
him being
absent from
them.
And in 17
and 18
he actually
talks about
the possibility
of his own
death.
In fact
it's the
inevitability
it's only a
question of
when not
if.
Paul says
I'm not
going to be
here with
you forever.
I'm not
going to hold
you guys
together.
But whether
or not I'm
here the
calling of
God on
your life
hasn't
changed.
that's why
he says
work out
your own
salvation.
It's not
me
who's going
to hold
everything
together.
I was
given
authority
from God
to care
for you
and oversee
you but I'm
not the
ultimate
overseer of
this project.
I'm not
going to
carry this
work from
beginning to
end.
Only God
is.
You know
sometimes this
can be hard
if there's a
leader that you
respect or a
Christian mentor
or a friend
that you look
up to who's
invested in
you and for
whatever reason
they move
on or maybe
they pass
away or
maybe you
have to move
somewhere else
and they're not
part of your
life anymore.
And maybe you
come to a new
church and you
haven't as hard
to feel as hard
to connect with
people and you
feel like I
don't know if
it's going to be
what it was.
And Paul
encourages them
I'm not the
one who
started this
project.
God is the
one who
started this
project and
God is the
one who's
going to
carry it to
the finish.
It's hard
to build
the church
of God.
We have to
face the
challenge of
the temptation
to disunity
and we have to
face the
challenge of
transition.
But Paul
says in the
end, Paul
says it's all
worth it.
It's
necessary, it's
hard, but in
the end, it's
worth it.
Verse 13, he
says it is God
who works in
you, both to
will and to
work for his
good pleasure.
God the
Father made the
plan from
eternity past.
Jesus Christ
paid the cost
and we are the
workers, but
that's not it.
God the
Holy Spirit
dwells in
us and
empowers us
to get the
job done.
And when
Jesus left
and went
back to
heaven, he
didn't just
leave it up
to us.
He didn't
just say,
over to
you, you
all can
figure it
out.
He sent
the Holy
Spirit to
be another
comforter,
another helper,
just like Jesus
had been with
his own
disciples,
carrying them
through,
watching over
them, reminding
them of the
truth.
And he sent
the Holy
Spirit into
our lives to
do just
that.
Philippians
1, verse 6
says, he who
began a good
work in you
and among you
will bring it
to completion
at the day of
Jesus Christ.
What God has
started, he's
going to finish.
And even
if it's in a
work in
progress now,
God's not
going to let
it go.
And that's a
word of
encouragement to
us, that what
God has started
in your life,
by bringing
you to Jesus,
by drawing you
near to Jesus,
he's going to
continue and
carry on.
And he's
faithful to
his promise.
You know,
just like Paul,
we live in a
crooked and
twisted generation.
We live in a
city that's
divided by
mistrust between
people of
different races
and different
political ideas
and different
education levels.
We live in a
society that
increasingly lacks
a foundation for
clear moral
guidance.
We live in a
world that's
broken and
messed up.
And in the
midst of this
world, God has
called us to be a
people who shine
as lights in
the world.
That word can be
translated like
stars in the
sky.
You know, do you
remember long
ago when God
talked to Abraham
and he brought
him outside on a
clear night and
he said, look up
at the sky and
see if you can
count the stars.
And that's how
many children,
descendants,
offspring, that's
how many children
I'm going to make
out of you.
That's how big
your family is
going to grow.
And he wasn't
just talking about
Abraham's physical
descendants, right?
Because Abraham's
descendant was
Jesus Christ.
And Jesus Christ
says, anyone who
believes in me
becomes a child of
God, a part of
God's family.
And so Paul's
saying, this is
what God's doing
in the church.
As he's fulfilling
the promise to
Abraham, a people
likes the stars in
the sky.
But you know, also
in the ancient
world, we don't
think of it as much
today, because we
have GPSs and all
kinds of other
navigational tools,
but if you were a
sailor and you were
lost at sea, you
look up at the
stars, and the stars
show you where to
go.
Because the stars
don't change,
they're low, well
the stars, I
understand there's
orbits and all that
stuff, but basically
the stars stay put.
They don't switch
their formation
around.
They reliably point
you in the right
direction.
And Paul's saying
that's what the
church is called to
be, a people who
stand firm, and who
can light the way, and
who can show the way
to a world that's
lost, and who can
point the way back
to God through
Jesus Christ.
We're called to be
God's new
construction project,
a living demonstration
of the gospel, a
living demonstration
in the present of
what God's glorious
kingdom will look like
in the future.
A thing of beauty
shining in a dark
world, and a solid
pathway.
That's God's vision
for his church.
Now I know, we're
still a work in
progress.
If you were around
here ten years ago,
do you remember what
the new Q
Bridge looked like?
It looked like a few
big mounds of dirt
that they were, for
some reason, they
started by making
these big huge
mounds of dirt in
the middle of Route
34 and some other
highways.
And you look at them
and you're like, what
in the world is going
on?
There's these big
piles of dirt.
But actually now,
that's where the new
exit ramps are going
on.
Right?
Or even if you
remember five years
ago, you know,
it's a long process
to get this
construction work
done.
And you know, as a
church, we're a work
in progress.
We're not the finished
product.
Okay?
If you're hoping for a
perfect church, we're
not it.
And you know what?
If we were perfect, you
would spoil it anyway.
But we are a church
that's a work in
progress.
For the glory of God.
I want to end by
sharing a story about
God's work in this
particular church.
I shared it this
morning, so if you're
here this morning, you
hear it twice.
But it fits with this
passage tonight.
And I hope it encourages
you as we conclude.
So 15 years ago this
fall, Trinity Baptist
Church had 20 members
and no pastors and no
building to meet in.
We're renting a space.
The church has existed
since the 70s, but it
had gone through a
split in the mid-90s
and it had barely
survived.
And so the members
thought, you know
what?
We've tried to make
this work.
We've given it what we
can, but maybe it's
just time to close
down.
And so they called a
meeting.
The church council
called a meeting to
discuss how to
gracefully close the
doors.
Well, at 1030 that
morning, October 12 of
1999, the wife of the
chairman of the church
council got a phone call
from her neighbor.
Said, are you guys
still looking for a
pastor?
She said, well, I
guess so.
He said, well, we
interviewed this
candidate at our
church and he wasn't
quite the right fit for
our church, but we
think he's a great
candidate and we think
that you should
consider calling,
inviting him to be
your pastor.
Well, the church
council decided to
change their agenda
that evening from
deciding how to close
down to deciding how
to call a new pastor
and get him over
here from the UK,
from another country.
Right?
And most of the
church members had
never met him in
person.
Well, we'll probably
never call a pastor
in quite the same way
again.
But that was the
first step in what's
in an amazing work of
God, to restore and
renew this church so
that we can hold fast
to the word of life
and hold out the word
of life to the city
of New Haven.
You know, God has
been faithful to us
in the past and he's
begun a good work
among us and he
promises to continue
that work.
So brothers and
sisters, let us work
out our salvation with
fear and trembling,
knowing that it is God
who works in and among
us.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you for
this glorious calling
that you've set before
us to be lights in the
world, to be like stars
in the sky, pointing the
way to life, holding fast
to your word.
Lord, you know the
challenges that we face,
you know the challenges
that each of us face.
Lord, you know the ways
that we can become
discouraged.
We pray that you would
encourage us by the
power of your Holy
Spirit.
Lord, that you have
called us into fellowship
with each other and with
you and you're going to
continue the good work
that you've begun and
bring it to completion.
Give us that great
assurance and Lord, may
that strengthen us to
walk faithfully with you
each day.
In Christ's name we
pray.
Amen.