WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.599 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:20.480 ! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.679 either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:31.439 that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:37.280 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:42.159 we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:48.799 Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:55.120 what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian, 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:00.320 checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:05.280 questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:15.599 that you're really struggling with. So God bless. Amen. Let's just bow our heads in prayer. Father, 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:22.400 you know the conditions of our lives. You know how fragile some of us are. You know the trauma that 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:30.000 some of us have had, maybe recently, maybe well in the past, that still affects us. And so Father, 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.880 you know that some of us are very fragile, even today right here. Some maybe are feeling very strong 00:01:34.880 --> 00:01:40.640 and put together. But you know each of us deeply, and you love each of us deeply. And so Father, we ask 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:48.000 that your Holy Spirit would bring your word deep into our heart, bring the good news of Jesus deep into 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:57.280 our heart, that we will become in you more and more anti-fragile, more whole and strong. And we ask this 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.079 in Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.879 People in Canada are very fragile. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:14.479 In fact, probably if there was one persistent mistake that I make in ministry is I think I 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:18.560 underestimate too much how fragile most people are. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:25.520 I'm involved in a couple of other Christian organizations. I'm on the board of the Timothy 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:33.840 Trust and the Gospel Coalition Canada and City to City Canada. And so occasionally I get involved in 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:38.960 some other things in other churches. And a couple of months ago, I was talking to a man about something 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:45.920 that was relatively simple. And as I talked to him several times in the conversation, he broke into tears. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:52.239 Just broke into tears. Had to pause and wait. It was on Zoom. Had to pause and wait for him to collect 00:02:52.239 --> 00:02:59.919 himself. And you know, I listened and at the end of it, I said, you know, we need, I think we need to 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:06.639 talk again because there's obviously some real pain there, which is bigger than the particular incident. 00:03:07.679 --> 00:03:13.119 And he thanked me for that. And we've had several conversations. You know, a lot of times 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:17.439 people just need somebody who will listen with compassion. You don't have to be a brilliant 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:21.439 counselor and know what to say. You just need to be able to listen with some degree of compassion 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:29.439 and patience. That's what just a lot of people need. And, but people are fragile. On the outside, 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:33.520 you would have thought that this was a very successful, competent man, but he was fragile. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:39.920 And I think of another person whose conversation I had once again, a couple of months ago. On the outside, 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:50.719 the epitome of confidence and brashness. Yet in conversation with me, they shared how often they 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:55.519 just feel completely torn apart as if there's, I mean, they're not saying that they had multiple 00:03:55.519 --> 00:04:00.879 personality disorder. They weren't saying that, whatever that exactly is. But they did feel like 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:08.799 there were just very, very, very, very different voices in their, in their head, uh, tearing, tearing, 00:04:08.799 --> 00:04:16.480 tearing him apart. And you would never necessarily know it by talking to him. So people are very fragile. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:20.719 And you could go on and on probably, and many of you know that. And maybe some of you, when I'm saying 00:04:20.719 --> 00:04:26.000 this, you know that you're very fragile as well, that there's things in your past, uh, and even in your 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:31.120 presence that make you more fragile. The text we're going to look at that Owen read, because we're preaching 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:37.279 through the book of Philippians, is a very beautiful passage for, for, uh, for growth and wholeness. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:45.600 Um, and it's a text to Christians. Uh, so those of you who are outside of the Christian faith, outside 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:51.279 of Christ, you can listen in. And it's a very beautiful passage that talks about growth and wholeness in 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:57.439 Christ. And, uh, helping in a sense to put together the Humpty Dumpty. A lot of us are Humpty Dumpties 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:02.399 and put us together. So I invite you to turn in your Bibles with me to Philippians chapter two. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:07.759 And, uh, we're mainly going to be looking at 12 and 13, but we'll look at some of the other verses 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:14.000 around it. But Philippians chapter 12, two verses 12 to 13. And, uh, this is a verse to memorize, 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:23.040 uh, by the way. It's a verse that, uh, uh, opens up a big vista about understanding, um, the Bible and 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:27.360 understanding the Christian life, especially when, as I, in a moment I'm going to show you the little 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:31.839 bit, the other bit that you need to, that really opens up the vista. And here's how the text goes. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.959 Therefore, my, oh, and by the way, uh, I think we still have some of these if you would like one. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:45.599 They're ESV, uh, journal Bibles, uh, nice paper, uh, text on one side, clear, uh, free paper on the 00:05:45.599 --> 00:05:49.919 other side for you to make your own jottings and prayer requests and just whatever. So you're, 00:05:49.919 --> 00:05:56.399 I'm, that's what I'm reading from. Uh, therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not 00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:03.759 only in my presence, but much more in my absence. Uh, so just, just what that means is, uh, what he's 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:08.519 about to say is something that he said the 10 or so years earlier when he was with them. So it's not 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:13.920 just like some brand new idea he has. Uh, this is part of, I guess, if you could follow him along, 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:20.079 his regular teaching wherever he was. So therefore, my beloved, as you've always obeyed, so now 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:26.099 not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, and here's the bit, work out your own 00:06:26.099 --> 00:06:32.259 salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:38.339 pleasure. I'll read it again. And this is the part, if I were memorizing it, this is the part, 00:06:38.339 --> 00:06:44.659 in fact, I've more or less memorized. I'm, I'm of that, uh, ancient age that, uh, when I try to, 00:06:44.659 --> 00:06:48.899 to remember the passages that I've memorized, it's a bit of a mixture of the King James Version, 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:58.339 the RSV, the NIV, and the ESV. So it's, if you hear me, uh, recite a text, it's, it's, it's the George, 00:06:58.339 --> 00:07:05.799 um, put together dog's breakfast version. But, uh, therefore, uh, work out your own salvation with 00:07:05.799 --> 00:07:10.739 fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:16.179 Now, this doesn't immediately strike many people as being very helpful. In fact, it sounds a bit, 00:07:16.179 --> 00:07:22.079 uh, counterintuitive. Like, uh, what's this about fear and trembling? Like, that doesn't sound very 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:29.099 hopeful. Uh, you know, fragile people, the last thing fragile people need is more fear. Uh, in fact, 00:07:29.099 --> 00:07:34.419 what they'd like is to have less fear in their lives, not more. And trembling definitely doesn't 00:07:34.419 --> 00:07:41.939 sound good. And, um, some people have interpreted this text in such a way that it's as if, uh, what 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:46.579 this is talking about is that, you know, you get more of God in you and less of you, and that's how 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:51.939 you grow. But that's sort of very frightening to people, especially fragile people, because even 00:07:51.939 --> 00:07:57.360 though I'm very conscious that myself is very fragile, I actually still like myself and don't 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:04.040 want myself to be erased and disappear. Thank you very much. And, and so that's sort of an odd type 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:08.519 of thing. And it's not even clear what it means that you're supposed to do for meeting this particular 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:15.659 text. So why is it so precious? Well, that's what I'm going to try to show you. I mean, my hope is that 00:08:15.659 --> 00:08:21.600 by the end of the sermon, you would have decided that you would like to memorize. Therefore, work out 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:26.060 your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:30.700 for his good pleasure. And you'd see how precious it is and you want to live it, how beautiful it is. 00:08:31.340 --> 00:08:35.800 So the way to begin to understand it is note that very first word that we always jump over, 00:08:35.899 --> 00:08:40.960 which is the word therefore. And in this particular case, it's not just sort of a little bit of filler. 00:08:41.540 --> 00:08:47.320 It is really important. It implies that what went on just before this leads to a therefore 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:52.860 that leads to this sentence. So what went on just before it? I know this sounds a bit nerdish, 00:08:52.980 --> 00:09:00.000 but just turn back in your Bibles to verse 5. Now this is the text, 2 Philippians chapter 2, 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:07.520 verses 5 to 11, that two Sundays ago, last Sunday we had Steve give us a great sermon on how Jesus 00:09:07.520 --> 00:09:12.740 speaks to us today. And, but two weeks ago, I preached on this text. So I'm not going to go through 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:17.580 all of the technicalities, just a very brief summary of it. If you're curious, you can go and listen to 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:23.820 the full sermon. But here's what he says earlier, and that's what the therefore is referring to. Verse 5, 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:31.759 have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. And just sort of pause. 00:09:32.659 --> 00:09:39.180 There's sort of a command that you're to have a type of mind, not only in each person, but communally. 00:09:39.179 --> 00:09:45.019 And it's a mind that you've already received, but you need to grow deeper into it. And it comes 00:09:45.019 --> 00:09:50.259 in Christ Jesus. And this I'll talk more about in a moment. I've talked about it every week, that 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:54.599 what it means to be a Christian is that you enter into union with Christ. 00:09:56.299 --> 00:10:01.799 A Christian is one who is in union with Christ, and Christ is in union with them. That's the 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:06.839 insignificance of that two-word, two-letter word, in. It's a very important word. 00:10:06.840 --> 00:10:11.720 In union with Christ. And then what is it? He goes on in verse 6 to say, 00:10:12.340 --> 00:10:16.460 who though, this is referring to Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, 00:10:17.019 --> 00:10:20.440 did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:25.759 but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, 00:10:26.259 --> 00:10:29.500 and being found in human form, he humbled himself 00:10:29.500 --> 00:10:33.899 by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:36.600 Now, just sort of, and I'll keep reading, 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:43.120 therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:48.600 so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and every, 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:54.920 sorry, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 00:10:54.920 --> 00:11:00.879 to the glory of God the Father. Now, there's, as I said two weeks ago, and you can go listen to the 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:05.560 sermon, there's lots of very technical language in there, which makes it a bit hard to understand 00:11:05.560 --> 00:11:11.840 immediately just all by yourself without maybe some other helps, or a minister, or a theologian like 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:19.780 Steve to help you with it, but it's communicating a very, very precious view, and what Paul has done 00:11:19.780 --> 00:11:25.500 is it's like, I don't know how many of you have flown in small planes. We're having missionaries 00:11:25.500 --> 00:11:29.460 from Angola who are going to be giving us an update about their work with a really important 00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:35.139 medical missionary work in Angola, and when I went there in 2017, I think it was a long time ago, 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:40.519 because I was warned not to go through the main airport, because you had to leave one airport to 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:46.299 go to another, nobody spoke English, I would definitely get taken advantage of, and maybe even 00:11:46.299 --> 00:11:52.879 worse things, so I flew to Namibia, and then in Namibia to a little border community, and then I 00:11:52.879 --> 00:12:01.659 got picked up by a missionary who owned a plane, and I flew from there to Lubangu, and so I'm just in a 00:12:01.659 --> 00:12:06.559 very small plane, and you only fly, I don't know how many, 1k, 2k above the ground, so when you're flying, 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:10.500 you can see everything, but you have a higher view, right? So that's what this is. This is 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:16.480 giving you this bit of a higher view of Jesus, and the higher view of Jesus doesn't begin with him 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:23.000 as 30 years old. It doesn't begin with him as a child in the temple. It doesn't begin with him being 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:29.480 born within the nativity story. It doesn't even begin with him in the womb of Mary. It begins before 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:35.379 that, because it's revealed here, which is all the way through the Bible, that Jesus, that God, the Son of 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:41.500 God, this is this completely counterintuitive story, that God, the Son of God, would willingly 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:50.159 set aside his appearance as God, his standing as God, so to speak, in terms of being praised and 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:54.279 served and all of that. He would set all of that aside, but he never let go of being God. 00:12:55.340 --> 00:13:01.580 We can understand the difference between appearance and nature if we just think of human beings for a 00:13:01.580 --> 00:13:06.480 moment. For a human being, I mean, right now when you think of human beings, you think of people like me. 00:13:06.520 --> 00:13:11.440 Well, you probably think of somebody, you know, younger than me and better looking and all that type of stuff, 00:13:11.540 --> 00:13:18.960 but you think of people like us that we can see, but the fact is science has shown that with that egg, 00:13:19.160 --> 00:13:26.340 that fertilized egg connected to your mother's womb, that has all of the DNA that you have right now, 00:13:26.340 --> 00:13:31.639 and that is just as human as you are right now, but it doesn't look human, right? It doesn't look human, 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:40.200 but it's human. That's how I began. And so all of the nature of George was in my mother's womb, 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:46.280 but it doesn't look like George. So we sort of understand that. And so God, the Son of God, 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:52.340 sets aside his glory, his prerogatives, the worship that is due him, but he remains God. 00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:59.460 He humbles himself by, in a sense, stepping off of his throne. And he humbles himself even more by 00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:05.540 being taken and taking human nature into himself and becoming human, fully God, fully man, but one 00:14:05.540 --> 00:14:12.639 person, Jesus Christ. And he humbles himself even more by actually being in a womb. And he humbles 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:19.800 himself by being born of what we would probably now call an upper, like a working class family in a 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:25.339 conquered people, because the Jewish people were a conquered people under the Romans. And he enters 00:14:25.339 --> 00:14:32.899 into the Jewish people as a Jewish man, and he lives a Jewish life. And he would have had his mother and 00:14:32.899 --> 00:14:39.299 his brothers and sisters, and he would have buried his father. And he begins a ministry, and he would 00:14:39.299 --> 00:14:44.839 have been hungry and thirsty, and he's humbling himself. He suffers the temptations you and I suffer 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:50.160 only without sin. He performs miracles and mighty teaching, but he continues to humble himself even 00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:56.700 to dine on a cross. And he humbles himself to the point of death and tasting all there is to taste of 00:14:56.700 --> 00:15:00.740 death, whatever that is. And we don't understand death with all of its shame, but whatever it is, 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:06.160 he humbles himself and humbles himself and humbles himself. And that's what's being described here in 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:13.799 verses 6 to 8. And then verse 9 describes that Jesus not just rises from the dead, defeating death, 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:20.819 defeating sin which causes death, defeating hell and all hostile spiritual powers, but it's not just an 00:15:20.819 --> 00:15:28.199 act of him having a resurrected body, but it's an act of exaltation. And so you see here everything from 00:15:28.199 --> 00:15:36.139 leaving the throne to returning to the right hand of God from 2,000 feet in the air, or 2k up in the 00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:44.000 air, 1,000, whatever it is, 1,000, 1k up in the air, you get this beautiful picture of the humbling of 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:51.439 Christ all out of love for you and me and making us right with God. And that's what I described two weeks 00:15:51.439 --> 00:15:58.399 ago, is that in a sense when we just do here what's in verses 9 to 11, when I bow my knee, figuratively 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:06.399 speaking, to the Lord Jesus Christ. And I confess that he is in fact the Lord and the Savior, that he 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:13.860 is God, the Son of God, he is the Messiah, the Christ, who has come to save me. And would you be my Messiah? 00:16:14.059 --> 00:16:19.179 Would you be my Savior? Would you be my Lord? And when we bow our knees and acknowledge that, 00:16:19.179 --> 00:16:27.299 there is this profound mystery that only God can do, where all of who I am is brought into union with 00:16:27.299 --> 00:16:36.979 Christ, and Christ is brought into union with me. Now to understand the therefore in the text, 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:44.620 you need to understand something else. We tend to think of ourselves, I don't know how many of you can 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:49.340 see this. I don't know how many of you can see it. It's the bookmark, and it's shiny. I wish I'd picked 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:55.860 something which wasn't very shiny, because most of us aren't very shiny. But we think of life as sort of, 00:16:55.960 --> 00:17:00.919 you know, one moment after another, and we live our lives, and we have a bit of a memory of the past, 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:05.660 and bits and pieces of the past, and some hopes and fears for the future. But we live our lives going 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:10.339 from moment to moment to moment to moment. And so when we think of being in union with Christ, we think, 00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:15.240 and it's correct to think like this, that the George right now, standing on his hind legs, 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:20.539 speaking to you, is in union with Christ. And that's the right way to think about it. But that's 00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:26.639 not the complete way to think about it. Because George isn't just George right now. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:32.799 And so what you need to understand, it's part of why it is that Jesus didn't just God, 00:17:32.899 --> 00:17:36.179 the Son of God, didn't enter into human race as a 30-year-old man. 00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:46.519 He's fully human. He comes as a zygote in his mother's womb. And so in a sense, 00:17:47.320 --> 00:17:53.519 George, let's say I'm right here, and I don't know if my end is going to come really close, 00:17:53.600 --> 00:18:00.259 or if I have lots of space, but I only know, but this is George right now. From the beginning of that 00:18:00.259 --> 00:18:08.119 to right now, that's George. All my height, all my depth, all the length of my life, all the way to my 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:14.980 conception in my mother's womb, that's me. And when Christ is in union with me, he doesn't just take 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:20.660 that part which is from the beginning to now. Let's just say I'm going to be very optimistic and think 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:27.800 I have lots more time left. That whole string, even though if I'm only at this part of it, 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:34.680 all of that is taken by Christ and is in union with Christ. All of that. 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:42.960 All of the height, all of the depth, all of the length, all of the breadth, all of the shame, 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:51.220 all of the sin, all of the mess, all of the fragility, all of the brokenness, and all of the good, 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:56.360 and all of the strong, is all taken and is in union with Christ. 00:18:56.359 --> 00:19:03.259 That's what is so profound then about this particular text of scripture. 00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:10.119 That the therefore is going to be, therefore work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.599 for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:23.339 That's this profound, profound truth that the whole length of my life, from my conception to now, 00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:28.779 every part of that is taken into Christ and is in union with Christ. 00:19:30.459 --> 00:19:31.399 Every part. 00:19:32.939 --> 00:19:38.559 And this is profound comfort. It means that, you know, God forbid, in five months I do something horrendous 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:40.919 that really hurts my wife and hurts my family. 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:46.399 And that will be very hard, and I shouldn't do it, and I pray I won't do anything like that 00:19:46.399 --> 00:19:48.339 in five months' time or five years' time. 00:19:48.419 --> 00:19:53.019 But if that happens, Christ knew that when he accepted me. 00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:57.419 That also was paid for by him. 00:19:57.420 --> 00:20:07.320 And it means, it's the grounds, and this is where we can start to see how it's a profound help 00:20:07.320 --> 00:20:11.759 for those of us who deal with fragility and with trauma in our past. 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:15.539 It means that if one day, let's say, in counseling or therapy, you realize 00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:20.840 that there was something that happened to you as a child that was horrendously wounding, 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:26.639 and not just as a moment, but you maybe come to realize that that's just not normal to be treated that way, 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:32.379 that that was actually quite horrible, and it's quite shocking to you. 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:40.540 To know that Christ, when he takes you as his own and receives you, knew that too, 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.600 means that you begin to have, as that becomes more precious to you, 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:51.280 you have a secure place spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually to look at it, 00:20:51.300 --> 00:20:54.540 and you don't just look at it by yourself, you look at it with Christ. 00:20:54.539 --> 00:21:00.700 And because the text within all of this is a plural, it's both speaking to each of us as individuals, 00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:04.639 but as us as a collective, it implies as well that there's the body of Christ, 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:08.359 that there will be people around us that we can process that with. 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:16.139 And even more horrendous than that is if in therapy or a therapy of a loved one, 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:23.959 you realize that you were the one who for years did something very, very horrible to others, 00:21:23.959 --> 00:21:29.639 and it now comes home to you in a real way, and it wants to completely and utterly unmake you, 00:21:30.139 --> 00:21:35.139 because you were the victimizer, not the victim. 00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:42.560 Christ knew that too when he accepted you. 00:21:45.560 --> 00:21:53.880 And you have a mature and secure place with Christ to pour out your heart in repentance 00:21:53.880 --> 00:22:02.360 and tears of shame and embarrassment and horror at what you had done. 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:06.059 And he already knew it. 00:22:06.139 --> 00:22:07.079 He receives it. 00:22:07.699 --> 00:22:13.199 And you have the security to now look at that and in prayer begin to say, 00:22:13.379 --> 00:22:15.019 how can I make amends for that? 00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:17.339 How can I make sure that doesn't happen? 00:22:17.459 --> 00:22:25.619 You start to see how this begins to be something that it's why after Paul writes all of this, 00:22:25.679 --> 00:22:26.059 he says, 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:38.919 And the word fear and trembling in that text isn't talking about you necessarily being terrified of him. 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:43.019 It really could also be taunted with a type of awe and reverence. 00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:53.180 Because, in fact, it is quite something of awe to understand when you realize something completely horrible about yourself, 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:57.940 or you realize how more fractured and fragile you are than you ever realize. 00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:04.859 There is something awe-inducing to realize that Christ knew every part of that, 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:08.599 and still he loved you so much that he died for you. 00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:14.719 And when he accepted you as into himself and came into you, 00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:16.919 all of that came into him as well. 00:23:18.899 --> 00:23:20.959 All of that came into him as well. 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:27.139 You see, here's the profound truths within all of this, 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:30.919 this whole story of his descent and his exaltation. 00:23:31.299 --> 00:23:38.139 Jesus humbled himself so that the humiliated you can be lifted up to God. 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:47.119 Jesus was despised and rejected so that you would be loved and accepted by the triune God. 00:23:47.719 --> 00:23:57.939 Jesus was shamed by human beings so that you in Christ could be honored by the triune God. 00:23:58.059 --> 00:23:59.459 That is the gospel. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:07.079 That is the importance of him being your substitute and in him this profound exchange. 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:15.379 My shame, my sin, dealt with by him in my place. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:21.519 His right standing with God, his being brought right up into the very presence of God, 00:24:22.059 --> 00:24:26.500 mine given to me as a gift in him. 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:37.420 One other thing about this text, which is so beautiful, and we'll just say, 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:41.920 and then the other parts will be relatively quick, I think, but it's significant. 00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:47.799 So one of the problems we have when we're very fragile and very, like, broken, 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:51.460 it's hard to humble yourself. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:55.220 It's hard to humble yourself. 00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:58.440 It's hard to acknowledge that you've done something wrong. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:05.559 Because, you know, you're just trying the best you can to try to hold everything together, 00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:07.839 and you acknowledge that you've done something wrong, 00:25:07.919 --> 00:25:09.879 and you really have done something really, really wrong, 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:13.640 and you just think that's the beginning of letting everything of your life go to pieces. 00:25:15.520 --> 00:25:18.060 And that's why, you know, time and time again in our culture, 00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:19.900 people's apologies aren't apologies. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:21.480 They say something like, not, 00:25:22.040 --> 00:25:24.020 I did something really, really bad, 00:25:24.080 --> 00:25:26.120 and I shouldn't have done it, and it's wrong, 00:25:26.180 --> 00:25:26.980 and it hurt you. 00:25:27.100 --> 00:25:27.420 Sorry. 00:25:27.560 --> 00:25:29.820 They say, I'm really sorry you're upset. 00:25:30.700 --> 00:25:31.960 That's not an apology. 00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:40.220 You haven't said, you're just sorry somebody else is upset. 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:44.500 You're not taking responsibility for the fact that I shouldn't have called you all those names, 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:48.460 and I shouldn't have acted in a way and slandered you so you didn't get the job. 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:50.059 All of those things are wrong. 00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:53.420 You know, I should have, like, people don't apologize. 00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:55.720 It's because we're so, you know, we're so fragile. 00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:58.680 And that's one of the reasons why, you know, 00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:03.799 one of the main stories that we tell ourselves about getting better 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:08.600 is that people are to get in touch with the real them, 00:26:09.299 --> 00:26:11.420 and the authentic them, 00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:14.519 and they are to embark on an inner search and be able to say, 00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:16.039 this is the authentic me. 00:26:16.460 --> 00:26:19.120 And then basically, our culture says, 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:23.100 you know, nobody else has a right to tell me who the authentic me is. 00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:26.539 I figure out my authentic me all by myself, 00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:33.799 and then all of you folks owe me the encouragement for me to have the autonomy I need 00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:38.659 to become the authentic person that I really should be, 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:42.419 and I am owed your applause. 00:26:44.639 --> 00:26:50.699 In a sense, they want verses 9 to 11 of Philippians of being exalted with God, 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:53.480 but they don't want the part that went from 6 to 8. 00:26:55.100 --> 00:26:58.259 And in fact, if that's your view of how you're going to get better, 00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:02.559 the idea of humbling yourself to serve another person, 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:06.039 humbling yourself to give your place to another, 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:08.299 humbling yourself to acknowledge that you've done wrong, 00:27:08.420 --> 00:27:09.819 those things will unmake you. 00:27:10.460 --> 00:27:11.819 But here's the big problem. 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:15.420 The other thing that our culture wants, 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:19.700 that we think will heal us of our fragileness and our brokenness, 00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:20.279 is love. 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:26.080 And there is no love without humbling yourself. 00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:32.740 There is no love without humbling yourself. 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:34.799 I've told the story before. 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:36.440 It's a great story. 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:38.420 There is a man who used to be part of the congregation, 00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:41.279 Lebanese man, a great guy, 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:45.819 but he was very, very, very, very, very, very un-Canadianly direct. 00:27:46.680 --> 00:27:51.740 Just one example, when I told him that we were expecting our ninth child, 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:55.420 he directly asked me if I understood how birth control worked 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:59.279 and implied that if I was smart, I wouldn't have any other kids. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.879 And so he was very, very blunt, very direct in lots of ways. 00:28:04.539 --> 00:28:05.920 It took a while to get used to it, 00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:07.500 but once I got used to it, that's just the way he is. 00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:08.420 That was just the way he is. 00:28:08.420 --> 00:28:08.900 That was fine. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:10.600 Anyway, so one day we were out for lunch. 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:12.340 I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again. 00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:14.860 We're out for lunch, and we're just making conversation. 00:28:15.019 --> 00:28:16.360 He asked me how my day was, and I said, 00:28:16.420 --> 00:28:18.380 well, you know, I did this the other day, 00:28:18.539 --> 00:28:20.400 and, you know, it was sort of wrong. 00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:21.440 I think I said sort of wrong. 00:28:21.500 --> 00:28:22.539 And I said, no, no, it's not sort of wrong. 00:28:22.580 --> 00:28:23.120 It was wrong. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:24.920 And so I, you know, just before I came here, 00:28:24.920 --> 00:28:29.460 I apologized to my wife, and he looked at me and said, 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:32.800 I would never have apologized to anybody for what you had just done. 00:28:33.220 --> 00:28:34.380 You shouldn't have apologized. 00:28:34.580 --> 00:28:35.519 I would never apologize. 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:38.440 I was a bit taken aback. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:41.820 And then I said, well, maybe that's why you're divorced twice 00:28:41.820 --> 00:28:44.100 and currently single, and I'm still married. 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:52.039 And he was taken aback, and then he said, you're probably right. 00:28:56.619 --> 00:28:57.839 You're probably right. 00:28:58.019 --> 00:29:00.219 You see, you can't be in a marriage. 00:29:00.219 --> 00:29:02.399 You can't even be in a good friendship 00:29:02.399 --> 00:29:06.740 if you don't at times humble yourself to acknowledge you're wrong. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:10.699 And that's even separate from humbling yourself to serve the other person 00:29:10.699 --> 00:29:13.319 or to not have your way in things. 00:29:14.099 --> 00:29:16.399 So you see, we're caught in this fragility. 00:29:16.639 --> 00:29:19.339 Humbling is just going to make us more unbroken. 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:20.500 I mean broken. 00:29:21.079 --> 00:29:24.659 And yet we think that the autonomy and love will solve us, 00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:28.199 but our quest for autonomy and our quest for love are at war with each other 00:29:28.199 --> 00:29:30.439 and mean that we won't get it. 00:29:30.439 --> 00:29:33.480 And the thing which is so beautiful about this text 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:39.379 is how the two of them are together in one story of Christ. 00:29:39.380 --> 00:29:45.540 He humbles himself so that you will be exalted. 00:29:45.840 --> 00:29:48.380 He humbles himself, and God exalts him. 00:29:48.560 --> 00:29:50.500 And when I am in union with Christ, 00:29:51.300 --> 00:29:55.540 he dies my death on the cross. 00:29:55.660 --> 00:29:56.820 He tastes my shame. 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:01.420 And that story of Christ and the person of Christ, 00:30:01.520 --> 00:30:02.820 I am in union with him. 00:30:02.819 --> 00:30:08.819 And that is, therefore, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:12.159 for it is God at work in you to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:30:12.980 --> 00:30:18.240 It is the story of the gospel becoming more real to our hearts in union with Christ 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:25.339 that we start to see the place of humbling and exalting, 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:31.460 not just as an abstraction, but in the concrete stories of Jesus, 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:35.940 and not just a story, but he is alive. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:40.480 And he walks with me and he talks with me. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:44.500 Steve quoted that psalm last week. 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:47.779 And that's the beauty of this text. 00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:52.039 Now, let's just read it again, verse 12 and 13. 00:30:52.180 --> 00:30:53.259 If you could put it up on the screen. 00:30:54.099 --> 00:30:58.259 Therefore, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 00:30:59.059 --> 00:31:04.079 for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:07.700 Like, what on earth does that mean? 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:11.440 Like, George, like, how is it? 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:14.880 Well, here's the way that I was taught it when I was a kid. 00:31:14.980 --> 00:31:17.940 And it's actually well-meaning but quite destructive. 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:22.759 What people would tell me when I was a kid and a young person, 00:31:22.840 --> 00:31:27.580 and even in my early years as a Christian, in my late teens and early 20s, 00:31:28.100 --> 00:31:31.819 they'd say, well, what this means is there needs to be more of God and less of you. 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:33.380 Very simple. 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:34.400 Sounds smart. 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:39.500 But as I said, I don't know. 00:31:39.880 --> 00:31:41.820 Like, I'm the only me I have. 00:31:42.500 --> 00:31:43.200 I don't know. 00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:44.700 I want to be erased. 00:31:46.340 --> 00:31:47.600 And what does it mean? 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:50.900 Like, so it begins with, like, it's 99% me and 1% God, 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:54.040 and then it moves to 90-10 and 50-50. 00:31:54.220 --> 00:31:56.019 Is it, like, what does it mean? 00:31:57.040 --> 00:32:01.019 In a sense, what they say is they're using an analogy as if you were to take some wine. 00:32:01.019 --> 00:32:07.139 Imagine you're a glass of wine, and you pour God's oil, you know, the oil of anointing. 00:32:07.299 --> 00:32:11.079 You use the image of that Old Testament image of the oil of anointing. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:15.440 And this other image, it's also an Old Testament image of wine, right? 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:19.559 So it's as if you're a glass of wine, and then you become a Christian, 00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:21.539 so God's oil gets poured into you. 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:24.599 But what happens when oil gets poured into a full glass of wine? 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:26.660 Well, the oil goes right to the bottom. 00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:27.840 The wine goes to the top. 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:29.700 It means that the wine falls out of the glass. 00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:34.340 And eventually, if you just keep pouring, there's only oil in the cup, and there's no wine. 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:36.220 Is that the type of picture? 00:32:36.259 --> 00:32:38.480 No, it's not the picture that's being painted here. 00:32:38.580 --> 00:32:40.960 Remember, the whole thing, remember, this is all about love. 00:32:43.019 --> 00:32:44.519 So what you need to think of is this. 00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:46.060 Imagine somebody comes to you. 00:32:46.120 --> 00:32:46.800 Imagine it's me. 00:32:46.900 --> 00:32:47.420 I come to you. 00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:49.500 Louise and I come to you for some marriage counseling. 00:32:49.620 --> 00:32:50.540 And we say, listen, I don't know. 00:32:50.540 --> 00:32:51.400 Our marriage is in trouble. 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:53.080 We don't know what's going on. 00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:55.120 We understand it has to be 100%. 00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:59.519 And so for a while, we tried that on weeks that begin with odd numbers, 00:32:59.719 --> 00:33:02.019 George would give 100% towards the marriage. 00:33:02.179 --> 00:33:04.000 And weeks that begin with even numbers, 00:33:04.439 --> 00:33:06.719 Louise would give 100% towards the marriage. 00:33:06.919 --> 00:33:09.339 And that wasn't working at all. 00:33:09.779 --> 00:33:12.199 So now we're trying that every week, every day, 00:33:12.279 --> 00:33:15.179 I give 50% and Louise gives 50%. 00:33:15.179 --> 00:33:17.059 And that's not working at all as well. 00:33:17.059 --> 00:33:26.519 And you'd all go, duh, you give 100%, George, and Louise, you give 100%. 00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:26.899 Right? 00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:29.099 That's the text. 00:33:30.619 --> 00:33:32.099 You're in union with Christ. 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:36.339 Now, here's the wonderful thing about this thing, this image. 00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:44.000 You know, Louise and I are fallen human beings trying to become more Christ-like, 00:33:44.379 --> 00:33:47.159 trying to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, 00:33:47.299 --> 00:33:50.539 for it is God who is at work within us to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:54.879 And that means that we get tired, we get grumpy, we get selfish, 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:56.379 all of those types of things. 00:33:57.039 --> 00:34:00.599 And as we all know, because many of us have had problems in relationships, 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:03.519 sometimes it just gets to that point that you have to break them off. 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:06.599 But here's the thing, Christ never tires. 00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:10.239 He's never grumpy. 00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:15.400 His love towards you is unfailing. 00:34:18.759 --> 00:34:21.480 And that means in relationship with him you have hope. 00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:26.059 It's worth it to get on your knees and repent. 00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:29.059 It's worth it to try to amend your life again. 00:34:29.259 --> 00:34:32.239 It's worth it to try to get back to trying for 100%. 00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:36.639 Because you can be absolutely guaranteed his 100% never wanes, 00:34:36.919 --> 00:34:40.779 never wavers, never fades, never weakens. 00:34:42.439 --> 00:34:46.219 That's the beauty of, therefore, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 00:34:46.359 --> 00:34:48.159 for it is God who is at work within you 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:51.879 and to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:34:51.880 --> 00:34:57.519 But what is it you do? 00:34:57.660 --> 00:34:59.980 I mean, there's a problem here with this whole text. 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:02.500 It says, okay, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:05.640 for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:35:05.700 --> 00:35:07.019 But it doesn't tell you what to do. 00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:12.300 What am I supposed to do? 00:35:12.300 --> 00:35:18.100 Well, I mean, just very, very briefly, I want to get to the bigger thing, 00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:20.860 but very, very briefly, if you look at verses 14 to 16, 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:24.060 it says, do all things without grumbling or disputing or questioning. 00:35:24.240 --> 00:35:26.440 And the word there just means, we all know there's a difference 00:35:26.440 --> 00:35:30.039 between asking an honest question and asking malicious questions. 00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:33.340 And disputing is referring to malicious questions. 00:35:33.720 --> 00:35:36.140 That you may be blameless and innocent children of God 00:35:36.140 --> 00:35:38.660 without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. 00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:41.539 I don't have time to explain why we all actually agree. 00:35:41.699 --> 00:35:43.679 Actually, you want to know why we all agree with this, 00:35:43.759 --> 00:35:46.559 our own generation being described as twisted and all? 00:35:47.019 --> 00:35:49.219 Because whenever other generations we think of, 00:35:49.279 --> 00:35:51.539 like 300 years ago or 200 years ago, 100 years ago, 00:35:51.559 --> 00:35:52.339 we look at them, we think, 00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:54.920 how on earth could they put up with all those terrible things they did? 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:56.859 And just remember, 200 years from now, 00:35:56.859 --> 00:35:58.259 we're going to say that about our generation. 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.319 How could they be like that? 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:03.480 They're all going to say that. 00:36:03.539 --> 00:36:07.139 But anyway, and among whom you shine as lights in the world, 00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:08.859 holding fast to the word of life. 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:11.159 And so what this whole thing is saying here, 00:36:11.259 --> 00:36:13.739 holding fast to the word of life, and I can keep on going. 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:17.539 And what it's just basically saying is that you need to read the Bible 00:36:17.539 --> 00:36:23.179 and study the Bible, but you study the Bible in light of Philippians 2, 6 to 11. 00:36:24.679 --> 00:36:28.039 That's the lens by which you read the Bible, which is light and life. 00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:32.639 And then you understand Philippians 2, 6 to 11 in light of the Bible. 00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:37.079 And that, in a sense, is still going to not tell you exactly what you have to do. 00:36:37.139 --> 00:36:39.339 Or does that mean now that I'm looking for all the rules in the Bible 00:36:39.339 --> 00:36:40.420 to figure out what to do? 00:36:41.739 --> 00:36:42.099 No. 00:36:43.359 --> 00:36:46.500 This text is vastly more beautiful than this. 00:36:46.839 --> 00:36:48.599 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 00:36:48.699 --> 00:36:50.420 for it is God who is at work within you, 00:36:50.779 --> 00:36:52.460 too willing to work with his good pleasure. 00:36:53.099 --> 00:36:55.779 You have all the weakness you need for God to work in you. 00:36:55.780 --> 00:36:57.780 It's not about your strength. 00:37:00.500 --> 00:37:02.440 I'll use two fancy words, 00:37:02.640 --> 00:37:04.980 the normative principle and the regulative principle. 00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:08.400 And when we say, well, what exactly is it you have to do? 00:37:08.460 --> 00:37:10.880 We're thinking within terms of the regulative principle. 00:37:11.080 --> 00:37:13.700 And I think that fundamentally that's not a biblical idea. 00:37:14.180 --> 00:37:15.340 And I'll give you an example. 00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:16.580 If there's a park out there, 00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:19.040 let's just imagine that there's a big park out there. 00:37:19.039 --> 00:37:23.519 And we don't know if we can go into the park, whatever. 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:27.239 And so what we want is we want there to be a book of rules. 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:30.259 And we want to open up the book to the book of rules. 00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:32.639 And we want to say the first rule is, number one, 00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:34.199 go into the park. 00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:35.840 I'll go into the park. 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:40.840 Second rule, walk 100 yards into the park 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:43.360 and sit at the second bench on the right. 00:37:44.219 --> 00:37:45.059 I'll do that. 00:37:45.059 --> 00:37:49.599 Sit in that seat for 15 minutes. 00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:51.179 Then I'll do that. 00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:55.500 Then walk 200 yards further into the park 00:37:55.500 --> 00:37:57.699 and sit at the bench on the left. 00:37:58.059 --> 00:37:58.679 And you do that. 00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:01.900 Now chew gum for 25 minutes. 00:38:02.039 --> 00:38:02.820 Okay, I'll do that. 00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:04.259 Now leave the park. 00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:05.440 That's what we want. 00:38:06.799 --> 00:38:08.299 But what does the Bible say? 00:38:10.980 --> 00:38:13.400 There's a huge park out there for you to enjoy. 00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:15.860 Just a couple of simple rules. 00:38:17.059 --> 00:38:18.340 Don't bring firearms. 00:38:19.099 --> 00:38:20.380 Don't play loud music. 00:38:20.860 --> 00:38:22.639 And if you bring a dog, pick up the poop. 00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:27.559 Well, what am I going to do in the park? 00:38:29.220 --> 00:38:30.220 Play Frisbee? 00:38:32.139 --> 00:38:33.940 Pretend you're all Harry Potter people 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:35.380 and play whatever that game is, 00:38:35.619 --> 00:38:37.099 running around on broomsticks, 00:38:37.300 --> 00:38:38.579 chasing some little ball? 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:41.579 Do handstands? 00:38:41.860 --> 00:38:42.760 Write poetry? 00:38:43.340 --> 00:38:44.160 Have a nap? 00:38:45.120 --> 00:38:45.440 Dance? 00:38:48.780 --> 00:38:49.480 Just go. 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:54.500 So work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 00:38:54.620 --> 00:38:55.700 for it is God who works in you, 00:38:55.780 --> 00:38:57.080 too willing to work for his good pleasure. 00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:00.080 You have a whole... 00:39:00.080 --> 00:39:01.700 What's so brilliant about this? 00:39:02.160 --> 00:39:04.080 This is just as true... 00:39:04.080 --> 00:39:05.020 I almost said my age. 00:39:05.180 --> 00:39:06.420 It doesn't really matter how old I am. 00:39:06.420 --> 00:39:08.960 For old George as it was for 18-year-old George. 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:13.940 It's just as true if you are a subsistence farmer in southern Angola 00:39:13.940 --> 00:39:18.360 as it is if you live in Rockcliffe and are a billionaire. 00:39:18.760 --> 00:39:22.159 It is just as true if you are a man or if you are a woman. 00:39:22.300 --> 00:39:25.420 It is just as true if you are poor or if you are rich. 00:39:25.420 --> 00:39:26.420 It is... 00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:30.860 You are all of who you are. 00:39:30.960 --> 00:39:32.960 The real you is in union with Christ. 00:39:34.159 --> 00:39:38.340 Work out being in union with him to become more like him. 00:39:38.340 --> 00:39:42.300 And for some of you, it's going to mean right away 00:39:42.300 --> 00:39:44.579 you've got to deal with your idolatry of money 00:39:44.579 --> 00:39:45.700 and become more generous. 00:39:46.100 --> 00:39:48.559 Maybe for some of you it's going to be about your idolatry 00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:49.480 for wanting power 00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:52.000 and you have to be willing to turn the other cheek. 00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:53.700 For some of you it's going to be 00:39:53.700 --> 00:39:56.120 that you can't do relationships 00:39:56.120 --> 00:39:58.240 because you always get angry 00:39:58.240 --> 00:40:02.220 and you need to have some help with all of that type of stuff. 00:40:02.600 --> 00:40:04.120 And it's going to be about your money, 00:40:04.240 --> 00:40:06.280 your sexuality, your art, your creativity, 00:40:06.280 --> 00:40:08.400 how you think, how you work, how you play, 00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:09.620 how you relate to other people. 00:40:09.740 --> 00:40:12.160 Work out your salvation in all of your life. 00:40:12.500 --> 00:40:13.500 Christ is with you. 00:40:13.740 --> 00:40:14.620 You are in him. 00:40:14.940 --> 00:40:15.760 Work it out. 00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:18.120 And have fun, too. 00:40:20.220 --> 00:40:21.600 Like dance dances. 00:40:22.100 --> 00:40:22.920 Write poetry. 00:40:23.460 --> 00:40:24.400 Build decks. 00:40:27.060 --> 00:40:28.380 Go out for coffee. 00:40:28.580 --> 00:40:30.940 Run a half marathon. 00:40:31.240 --> 00:40:32.740 I think that's where some of our people are. 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:33.940 Do all those things. 00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:37.539 The Christian life is not a whole pile of rules 00:40:37.539 --> 00:40:38.460 that you have to follow. 00:40:39.320 --> 00:40:43.000 It is think of what Christ has done for you. 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:45.659 Give your life to Christ and be in union with him. 00:40:45.740 --> 00:40:47.440 And therefore work out your salvation 00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:48.400 with fear and trembling. 00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:51.139 For it is God who is at work within you 00:40:51.139 --> 00:40:52.860 to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:53.880 Amen. 00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:55.800 Let's stand and pray. 00:40:55.800 --> 00:40:55.880 Amen. 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:55.880 00:40:55.880 --> 00:40:57.880 Amen. 00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:57.880 00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:57.880 00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:08.079 Father, some of us are terrified with the freedom 00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:09.760 that you desire us to have. 00:41:10.220 --> 00:41:12.039 Because, Father, we'd really like it better 00:41:12.039 --> 00:41:13.760 if there were just a whole pile of rules 00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.860 that we could just tick off every day 00:41:15.860 --> 00:41:18.280 and know that we were really excellent at them. 00:41:18.340 --> 00:41:20.440 And, Father, you know that that only creates 00:41:20.440 --> 00:41:24.260 proud, self-righteous people. 00:41:24.260 --> 00:41:28.040 So we ask, Father, that your Holy Spirit 00:41:28.040 --> 00:41:29.480 would bring us to your word, 00:41:29.640 --> 00:41:31.560 your word in light of who Jesus is, 00:41:32.020 --> 00:41:34.300 that your Holy Spirit would bring us to Jesus 00:41:34.300 --> 00:41:36.700 in light of what your word says about him is true, 00:41:37.180 --> 00:41:41.020 and that as we, Father, have who Jesus is 00:41:41.020 --> 00:41:42.980 brought ever closer to our heart 00:41:42.980 --> 00:41:44.780 and more formative of who we are, 00:41:45.720 --> 00:41:48.240 that we would work out our salvation, 00:41:48.520 --> 00:41:52.280 becoming more like Christ in our day-to-day life, 00:41:52.280 --> 00:41:55.840 that we would work on that, 00:41:55.920 --> 00:41:59.360 knowing, Father, that however much we try, 00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:02.780 you cheer us on and give all of the work 00:42:02.780 --> 00:42:04.920 and all of the, you do way more. 00:42:06.420 --> 00:42:08.480 Help us to know, Father, we have all the weakness 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:10.100 we need for you to work through us 00:42:10.100 --> 00:42:12.140 in a powerful way, and that that's a good thing. 00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:17.120 And so, Father, we ask that you have us 00:42:17.120 --> 00:42:21.660 to be so enamored with Christ and so trusting 00:42:21.659 --> 00:42:24.639 of who he is in the depths 00:42:24.639 --> 00:42:27.219 and in his words and his works. 00:42:28.199 --> 00:42:31.359 We will work on that in the areas of our money 00:42:31.359 --> 00:42:34.179 and our sexuality and of power and of class 00:42:34.179 --> 00:42:37.599 and of anxiety and fears and fractured self. 00:42:37.719 --> 00:42:39.179 We work on all of these things, 00:42:39.299 --> 00:42:41.379 knowing that you desire us day by day 00:42:41.379 --> 00:42:42.639 to become more like Christ, 00:42:42.639 --> 00:42:45.099 and that when we die, 00:42:45.879 --> 00:42:49.480 the first and final word that you will say 00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:51.879 to those of us in Christ is, 00:42:52.339 --> 00:42:53.119 welcome, child. 00:42:53.619 --> 00:42:55.799 I am so glad that you are here. 00:42:56.699 --> 00:42:58.539 We ask all these things in Jesus' name 00:42:58.539 --> 00:43:01.219 and all God's people said, amen. 00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:01.419 Amen.