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Good morning. I'm Melissa Arseniega and I'm part of the El Cerrito Kensington Community Group, an Oikos group, and a deacon.
Today's scripture reading is from Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 12 to 30, as printed in your liturgy.
A reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians.
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 in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure,
children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.
Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.
And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on this sacrifice and service, coming from your faith,
I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send you Timothy to you soon,
that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.
I have no one else like him who will show genuine concern for your welfare.
For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father,
he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.
And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus,
my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier,
who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
For he longs for all of you and is distressed, because you heard he was ill.
Indeed, he was ill and almost died.
But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me,
to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
Therefore, I am all the more eager to send him,
so that when you see him again, you may be glad,
and I may have less anxiety.
So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and honor people like him.
Because he almost died for the work of Christ,
he risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
This is the word of the Lord.
So back earlier in January, our very own David Lopez,
he put me onto this guy.
His name is Wesley Huff.
Anybody heard of Wesley Huff?
A couple of you, thanks.
If you haven't had a chance to check out Wesley Huff, I highly recommend him.
He's this up-and-coming Christian apologist,
incredibly sharp, incredibly articulate.
He's doing his PhD in New Testament right now at the University of Toronto,
and he does this podcast called the AC Podcast.
It stands for Apologetics Canada.
And I highly recommend that you check him out.
And he's actually been invited onto some pretty large stages recently.
He was invited onto Joe Rogan's podcast.
It's like the most widely listened to podcast in the world.
And then just a month ago, it's this podcast I listened to just this past week.
It's Andrew Schultz's podcast.
Andrew Schultz is like this big-time comedian.
He's got his own Netflix special.
And, you know, whatever you think about Andrew Schultz and Andrew Rogan
and, you know, kind of the bro-y manosphere thing,
at least we can say these are huge audiences that Wesley Huff is getting in front of.
I mean, President Trump was on both of these podcasts, like, not long before Wesley Huff.
So it's pretty interesting, right, to see this Christian getting on this pretty large stage.
And, you know, so I was listening to Wesley Huff and Andrew Schultz
and his, you know, kind of crass comedian buddies on this podcast earlier this week.
And he said something there that I really think gets at the heart
of what Paul's trying to communicate to the church in Philippi and to us today in our passage.
And what Wesley Huff said was, you know, for Christians,
reading the Bible and praying and going to church and, you know,
doing all these spiritual practices,
these are not the fruit of the Christian life,
but they're more like water.
They're more like how we water the Christian life.
And while sure God wants us to water the soil of our hearts,
what we will ultimately be judged upon is not simply how well we watered,
but whether or not our lives bore fruit.
See, that's Paul's vision for the church in Philippi.
That's our vision here at Christ Church.
Not just a well-watered church, but a fruitful church.
Not simply a learned church, but a living church.
Paul doesn't just want the church to accept the gospel of Jesus,
but to apply the gospel of Jesus in our everyday lives.
Or as he will say here in our text,
to work out our salvation.
To work out our salvation.
So remember last time we were in the book of Philippians,
we looked and marveled at that brilliantly concise summary,
that core confession, that amazing statement of Christianity
in the beginning of Philippians chapter 2 called the Christ hymn, right?
The Christ hymn.
But today what we find is that Paul is not just sharing it as a creed to confess,
but more so as a calling to carry out in our lives.
He's sharing it because he wants the church to live a certain way.
So remember what Paul's doing.
He's imploring these Christians living in this patriotic Roman colony.
He says in chapter 1 verse 27,
to make it their primary aim to be citizens of the gospel of Christ,
distinct citizens, right?
Distinct citizens of a distinct kingdom.
A kingdom where the king, God himself,
in the person of Jesus Christ,
took on not just humanity,
but slavery and crucifixion and obedience to his eternal father
on the way to glory and exaltation.
And what Paul wants for the church is to, quote,
have the same mindset as Christ Jesus,
who humbled himself by becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Paul commands the church to live with selfless service
and humble obedience just like their maker and their Messiah.
And that is what comes right before our passage today, okay?
Where he writes in verse 12, we can look down at that now.
Therefore, my dear friends, or in the Greek,
therefore, my beloved.
Therefore, meaning because, or as a result of what God has revealed to us
in Christ, crucified and exalted,
as a result of what God has shown us
about who he is as God
and what it means to be ideally human.
Therefore, my beloved Philippians, verse 12,
as you have always obeyed, like Christ obeyed,
and not only in my presence when I was with you,
but now much more in my absence,
continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
He's saying,
I saw you obey when I was with you,
when we all lived together in the same household,
and even now when we are apart,
I've been very pleased to see and hear about you
all grown up and off to college,
no more parents in the house,
and you're still obeying great.
But hey, as your spiritual father,
this is still my command to you,
keep continuing to obey.
Or to give it even more texture and meaning,
continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
So in one sense,
he's not saying anything new, obey.
But in case you're tempted to, you know,
just kind of check out here,
of course this pastor's gonna come up
and preach a sermon about obeying God.
Just hang in there with me, okay?
And let's try to catch the nuance.
It's not just obey,
but it's continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
So the question to ask is,
what is Paul trying to get at
with this more specific language,
work out your salvation?
Why does he say it that way?
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Well, let me start by clarifying
what this doesn't mean, okay?
When Paul says to continue
to work out your salvation,
it's very important to distinguish
working for your salvation
from working out your salvation.
Remember, this is the same Apostle Paul
who's written elsewhere in his other letters
that salvation, being restored
into a right status and relationship with God,
it isn't earned by good works of merit,
but received by grace through faith.
Paul isn't departing from this core truth
of the good news about Jesus.
He's not telling them to work for
or earn their salvation.
So the question is, okay, what does he mean
when he says work out your salvation?
Well, let's define salvation.
What is salvation?
You see, for many of us,
salvation is simply about what happens when I die.
Do I go to heaven or do I go to hell?
And yes, the scriptures do teach
that heaven is real and hell is real
and eternal life is real
and judgment is real,
but these truths never constitute
the core essence of what salvation is
and what it means to be saved.
See, according to the scriptures,
according to Jesus,
Jesus said this,
I have another slide in,
oh, sorry, in John chapter 17.
Can you pull that up for us, Ben?
Jesus said this,
and this is eternal life.
Not that you go to heaven.
And this is eternal life
that they know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
So see, according to the scriptures,
the essence of salvation
is not about destination.
It's about relationship.
Paul confirms this as well,
Romans chapter five,
2 Corinthians chapter five,
Colossians chapter one,
that to be saved is to be rescued
from alienation from God
and to be restored into communion with God.
Salvation is reunion
with the starting point
and the sustainer of all of life,
the maker of our souls.
That's what salvation is.
So again, salvation is about so much more
than the day you die.
It's about the life you live
in union with the life giver.
And if this is true,
if this is true that salvation
is not primarily about your future,
eternal destination,
but about your union with God,
then that means that salvation
can be spoken of
as something that's past,
present, and future
all at the same time.
So if you look at Paul's letters,
you can find him talking about
how we were saved in the past,
like before the foundations of the earth,
Ephesians one,
or at the cross,
before we were even born,
Colossians chapter two,
or at the time of our conversions,
Titus chapter three.
But Paul also talks about
how we are being saved presently,
1 Corinthians chapter one,
1 Corinthians chapter 15,
and then how we will be saved
in the future.
Romans chapter five,
Romans 13,
Philippians one,
he who began a good work
and you will bring it
to completion
at the day of Christ Jesus.
It's kind of like marriage, okay?
I was married,
I am married,
and Chelsea willing,
I will be married,
all right?
All that to say here is
when Paul is saying
continue to work out
your salvation
with fear and trembling,
he's getting at the present,
the present aspect of salvation,
the present aspect of being
in a dynamic
and ongoing relationship
with God.
He's calling the church
to presently
and continually live out
their renewed
and ever deepening union
with their infinite
and eternal God.
He's saying don't just
receive salvation,
don't just receive
some past salvation,
and don't just hope
and wait for some
future salvation.
He's saying live in it
now and forever,
work it out in your life
today.
And not just casually,
he says,
but with fear and trembling
because this isn't just
any kind of casual relationship,
it's a relationship
with the thrice holy God,
right?
The great I am.
And maybe this gives
some of us pause,
this idea of fear
and trembling
in our relationship
with God
because, you know,
so much of our soft,
secular, heavily therapeutic
Western culture
tells us that healthy,
loving, safe relationships
should not involve
any kind of fear
or trembling.
And so much of the
American church
with its, you know,
Jesus is my homeboy,
come just as you are,
his arms are open wide,
authenticity over everything,
self-expressive individualism,
so many popular
therapeutic versions
of American Christianity
go out of their way
to downplay
the fear of God
as if it were incompatible
with the love of God.
But let me try to dissuade you
of this false dichotomy,
this wrong-headed way
of thinking
that runs counter
to the teachings of Jesus
and the Scriptures.
Now, some Christians
want to say fear
and trembling here
is just about reverence
and respect.
And sure,
that is definitely
a part of working out
our salvation
with fear and trembling,
but I think
he actually means
fear and trembling here.
Let me try to illustrate that.
So, for example,
you know,
I personally find gorillas
like fascinating,
glorious,
like amazing creatures.
And many of us,
we have Oakland Zoo passes
and we can get
like really close
to these huge,
majestic,
grizzly bears, right?
And on the one hand,
these creatures
are marvelous
and they awe us
and they shock us.
Like think of the intelligence
of a silverback gorilla,
right?
So intelligent,
it could communicate
with sign language,
it could be so gentle,
it could pick those
little flies, right,
off of its baby,
it could unpeel a banana
with its fingers,
incredible dexterity,
it's amazing, right?
And it's even endearing,
right?
It's heartwarming, right?
This massive gorilla.
But then at the very same time,
this silverback
could also rip my arms off,
right?
It could.
If I step beyond my boundaries,
then interact with the gorilla
in a rightful
and natural way.
So even while we can
and should marvel at
and enjoy a silverback
or a grizzly
within a properly
ordered relationship,
it is also right of us
to fear and tremble
before these creatures
that we at the same time
adore, love, and honor.
Think about maybe
a cliff, right?
The cliffs of Moor in Ireland
or the edge of El Capitan
in Yosemite,
these majestic cliffs
of such great beauty
and splendor
that fill our hearts
with wonder and awe
that we hope to preserve
and we fight to preserve
and honor.
And yet,
is it not also true
that at the very same time
that we marvel,
standing atop these cliffs,
we also stand
at the edge of these cliffs
with rightful fear
and trembling
because we know
that there is a right,
good, beautiful,
and natural way
to interact with these cliffs
or like with a grizzly bear.
And then there are wrong,
dangerous,
and unnatural ways
to interact with them.
Fear and trembling
are right,
natural human responses
in the presence
of greatness and power.
So if fear and trembling
are appropriate
in the presence
of a silverback,
how much more appropriate
are fear and trembling
in the presence
of the holy maker
of the silverback,
maker of our souls?
It really makes complete sense
to work out our salvation,
to live out our relationships
with God
with fear
and trembling.
And it is actually
the enemy
that would whisper
into our ears
not to fear.
You just do you.
Choose your own way.
Go ahead and cross
that boundary
between the creator
and the creature.
There is nothing
to fear
for you will not surely die.
No,
it makes complete sense
to fear
and tremble
at the prospect
of not relating
to God Almighty
as we were naturally
meant to relate to Him,
as His obedient creatures,
as His obedient children.
It's like the Psalms
and the Proverbs say,
the fear of the Lord
is the beginning
of wisdom.
And you know,
the beauty of the gospel
is that while we have
every reason to fear
and tremble
before this holy God
against whom
we have all rebelled
and gone our own way
time and time again,
the beauty of Christianity
is that this God
before whom we ought
to fear and tremble,
He also loves
to lay His strong
yet calming hand
upon us.
He loves to come
near to us
to be more than
a fearful,
frightening presence
in our lives,
but also a kind,
gentle,
calming,
empowering,
and ever-present
presence in our lives.
It's like what
was said of Aslan.
You remember
what they said of Aslan?
It's like,
no, for heaven's sake,
he isn't safe,
but he is good.
He is good.
In Christianity,
the fear of God
and the enjoyment
of God
go hand in hand.
I have another slide.
I want you to see
what the prophet Jeremiah
says,
what God says
through the prophet Jeremiah
to his people.
They've gone astray
again and again,
yet he promises
to restore them.
He says,
behold,
I will bring it
to health
and healing
and I will heal them
and reveal to them
abundance of prosperity
and security.
I will restore
the fortunes of Judah
and the fortunes of Israel
and rebuild them
as they were at first.
I will cleanse them
from all the guilt
of their sin against me
and I will forgive
all the guilt
of their sin
and rebellion against me
and this city
shall be to me
a name of joy,
a praise,
and a glory
before all the nations
of the earth
who shall hear
of all the good
that I do for them.
They shall fear
and tremble
because of all the good
and all the prosperity
I provide for it.
So the fear
and enjoyment of God
can and in fact do
go hand in hand
because God
doesn't just insist
on His way
but He also makes it happen.
He assists us
in His way.
Look with me
at verse 13.
See,
Paul doesn't just call
the church
to work out
their salvation
with fear
and trembling
like go ahead,
keep on trying,
good luck guys.
No,
he says work out
your salvation
with fear
and trembling
for or because
it is God
who works in you
both to will
and to act
in order to fulfill
His good purpose.
See,
Paul isn't calling them
to an onerous
solo grind
but in honoring
shared grace.
This is a God
and Father in heaven
who demands
the highest standard
from His children
and who at the same time
provides for the fulfillment
of that standard
by coming near
and uniting Himself
to us
to work out within us
what He demands of us.
It's like St. Augustine
once said,
grant what thou dost command
and command
what thou wilt.
God isn't a father
standing afar off
with His hands
on His hips
waiting for us
to perform
and attain
to His standards.
No,
He is a father
who is intimately involved
and interested
in us fulfilling
His perfect purposes
and not just
at the level
of our actions
but at the level
of our wills.
It says,
it is God
who works in you
both to will
and to act
in order to fulfill
His good purpose.
This is a God
who changes hearts.
He changes our hearts
to want what He wants.
He strengthens our hands
to do what we were made
to do.
This is a Father
who wants to see us
crush it
in His perfect plan
and who will never
leave us nor forsake us
to have to go it alone.
And isn't that good news?
Isn't that good news?
Now, I know I've spent
most of my time here
this morning
in these first two verses
but this is just
so important.
And I imagine
that this is,
you know,
a multifaceted word
to all of us
this morning.
Continue
to work out
your salvation
with fear and trembling
for it is God
who works in you
both to will
and to act
for His good purpose.
So maybe for some of you
this morning
God's word to you
is that word continue.
You have been living
a life on mission,
a life of service
toward God,
love toward God,
service toward others,
love toward others,
not a perfect life
but a faithful one,
a long obedience
in the right direction.
And your Father in heaven,
maybe He wants you
to hear that He sees you.
Maybe He wants you
to know He sees you.
He sees you in your moments
of wanting to quit,
your moments of doubt
when you're trying
to be faithful
but you wonder
is life in relationship
with God
really supposed
to be this hard?
Is there any point
in faithfulness
and obedience?
Will salvation ever come
for my health,
for my trauma,
for my marriage?
God's word to you
this morning
is to not grow weary
in doing good.
Continue to work out
your salvation
for God is at work
in you
and He has not
left you to yourself.
Maybe for others of us,
God's word to you today
is that it is God
who needs to work in you
both to will
and to act
according to His good purposes.
You've been trying
this Christian life thing
but you are weary
and you are tired
and you feel so unmotivated.
What if God's word
to you this morning
is not try harder
but seek God's work
in you
both to will
and to act?
What if God
is not so much
challenging you this morning
but inviting you
into a collaborative
relationship?
What if your next step
isn't stricter
spiritual disciplines,
right,
to kind of self-manufacture
fruit in your life
but what if He's asking you
to just ask Him?
Ask Him,
see what I will do.
See what I will do.
What if God's word
to you this morning
is that He is just
as much for you
and in fact
even more so
than you are for yourself?
That He is more committed
to His good
and perfect purposes
in your life
and in this world
than anyone else
and you're His workmanship,
His masterpiece
created in Christ Jesus
for good works
which He has prepared
beforehand
that you should walk
in them.
What if God's word
to you this morning
is that even you
cannot get in the way
of God's good
and perfect purposes
for you and the world?
Can you hear Him?
Can you hear Him speak
that word to you
this morning,
these words of invitation,
these words of comfort
comfort in the sovereign power
and ability of God?
But now maybe others of you
need more of a word
of challenge today
or maybe you need both.
Perhaps for you though
today your word
is to work out
your salvation
like now
and with fear
and trembling.
Maybe some of us
have been tempted
to view salvation
as something
I secured in the past
and I'll enjoy
in the future
and in the meantime
I'm going to live
however I want
because I have
my salvation card,
my get out of hell
free card.
But might God
be challenging you
this morning,
convicting you
to work out
your salvation
even today
and every day
with fear
and trembling
remembering that
your life
is not your own.
You are living
your life
in the very presence
of the holy God
of the universe.
Do we live
with that kind
of earnestness
and gravitas?
Are we working out
the implications
of who God is
and what Christ
has done
in our everyday lives,
in our workplaces?
Does the story
of Jesus
have any bearing
on how we manage
our staff?
Does the story
of Jesus
have any bearing
on how we develop
or pursue
or market
that product
or in our relationships?
How we go into
our relationships
with our spouses,
our children,
our parents,
our neighbors?
How are we showing up
every day
as people
who have been saved
by and united
to the divine
suffering servant
and Lord,
Jesus Christ?
How are we showing up?
Are we showing up
as servants
of the suffering servant
or are we showing up
as those
who are living
unworthy
of the gospel,
unworthy
of the citizenship
that he has granted
to us in Christ?
Alright.
So, you know,
I've totally
not budgeted
my time well
with these first
two verses
and we won't have
time to go
verse by verse
through the rest
of this passage.
But I want you
to look with me
at verse 14
to see how Paul
commands that we
show up
in our day-to-day lives,
how we work out
our salvation
with fear
and trembling.
This is what it looks
like when God
is at work in us
to will
and to act
in fulfillment
of his good purposes.
Verse 14 says,
do everything
without grumbling
or arguing.
Okay?
A tough one, right?
Who of us
can stand up
to this?
And notice the command
here isn't
thou shalt not grumble
or thou shalt not argue.
The command is
do everything
without grumbling
or arguing.
This is a totalizing
command.
Paul's divinely
inspired words here
are laying a claim
on the whole
of our lives.
Everything we do
and he is commanding
the whole manner
of our lives.
We are to do
everything
as obedient servants
of Christ.
Everything we do
falls under the umbrella
of the working out
of our salvation.
And we are to work
out that salvation
with fear
and trembling
but without
grumbling
and arguing.
So that,
verse 15,
you may become
blameless and pure
children of God
without fault
in a warped
and crooked generation
among whom
you will shine
like stars
in the sky
as you hold
firmly
to the word
of life.
And you know,
this is another sermon
in and of itself
about grumbling
and arguing
but good thing,
you know,
American Christians
don't struggle
with that, right?
But my question is,
of all the things
that Paul could have
named as antithetical
to Jesus' way,
why does he say
do everything
without grumbling
and arguing?
Why not like
do everything
and don't murder,
don't rape,
don't steal,
do everything
without hating
and fighting?
Well,
if you are an astute
reader in Philippi,
you would catch
a connection
Paul is making here
when he uses
the words
grumbling,
arguing,
warped
and crooked
generation
and shining
like stars
in the sky.
He's actually
alluding
to Israel
in the wilderness.
In Exodus
chapter 16
and 17,
the people
of Israel
are characterized
by just that,
grumbling
and arguing.
And in Deuteronomy
chapter 32,
Moses rebukes
the people of Israel
for being a crooked
and twisted
generation.
And then hundreds
of years later,
the prophet Daniel,
he prophesies
that even though
the people of Israel
have strayed
again and again
and again
as grumbling,
argumentative
and crooked people,
God would still
one day redeem
some of them
and make them shine
like stars
in the sky.
So basically,
Paul is using
the ancient Israelites
as a negative example
of grumbling
and arguing,
as an opposite example
to Jesus
in the Christ.
And Paul is basically
laying out two ways
to live.
The pure and blameless
Jesus way
of humility,
service,
obedience,
fear,
and trembling,
a way that will
bring light
and bear witness
in our dark
and twisted generation
or the crooked
wilderness way
of grumbling
and arguing
the way that we
experience in this world
every day,
right?
And why Paul singles out
the grumbling
and arguing
of Israel
in the wilderness
is not so much
that grumbling
and arguing
are the worst
imaginable sins
that one could commit
but because
of the hearts
from which grumbling
and arguing
come from.
You see,
the sin of grumbling
isn't simply about
breaking the thou shalt
not grumble
rule,
all right?
And my children,
like,
they break that
all the time,
right?
But you know,
when my daughters
grumble,
especially when I ask
them to do things
that they're not
excited about,
what do I tell them?
Stop grumbling?
Well, yeah,
I do say that a lot.
But the best version
of me says,
hey,
you gotta trust me,
you gotta trust mommy,
you gotta trust
what I'm telling you
to do.
This is for your good,
it's for the good
of the family,
it's better for our world,
and if you keep
insisting on doing
otherwise,
you're gonna regret it.
See,
the grumbling of Israel
was so twisted
because it reflected
their entitlement
and their defiance
of the authority
of God,
their lack of faith
in His goodness
and His promises.
It came from a place
of them thinking
they deserved better
and that they also
knew better
than God.
God,
staying in Egypt
as slaves
would have been
so much better
than wandering
in the wilderness
with you,
having to trust you
every day
for our daily bread.
We grumble
because we don't
trust God's word
and His ways.
Paul is saying,
no,
verse 16,
hold firmly
to God's word of life
instead.
Hold firmly
to His word,
believe it,
trust it,
it's good,
it's true,
especially as those
who believe
that Christ is risen,
especially as those
who believe
that yeah,
Christ did suffer
the wilderness
experience of obedience
unto death on a cross,
but God exalted Him,
that's the gospel,
that's the word of life
that you must hold
firmly to.
God exalted Christ
and He will exalt
His sons and daughters
as well.
And in verses 16 to 18,
Paul talks about
how this is
His ultimate boast,
this is what He wants
for everyone,
the whole church,
everyone that He is
sacrificing for,
laboring for,
ultimately He wants
their joy in Christ
at the last day.
And then He closes
with two more
positive examples,
okay,
of people living
as citizens
of the gospel
having the same
mindset as Christ,
Timothy and Epaphroditus.
And this could be
another sermon too,
but just very briefly,
look at how He describes
Timothy in verse 20.
I have no one else
like Him
who will show
genuine concern
for your welfare.
For everyone looks
for their own interests,
right,
that's that whole
warped and crooked
generation,
everyone looks out
for their own interests,
not those of Jesus Christ.
We are called to be
a different kind
of generation
with a different
kind of citizenship.
Paul says,
but you know that
Timothy has proved
himself to be different,
right?
This guy Timothy,
he genuinely cares
about you,
he genuinely cares
about the things
of Christ
more than himself.
And then in verse 29,
look,
Paul says to honor
people also like
Epaphroditus,
who,
verse 30 says,
almost died
for the work of Christ,
right?
He risked his life
for the things of God,
for the things
that exalt Christ.
Another Christ-like example
in real life,
in the flesh,
in the church.
And the point is,
we all have our roles
and it is all
in service of Christ.
We all have
an opportunity
and a calling
and a command
to live like Christ,
carrying on God's work
in the world,
whether as a teacher
or an apologist,
an assistant pastor
and evangelist
like Timothy,
or as just a messenger
and a care package
transporter
like Epaphroditus.
Regardless of what we do
or what happens to us,
God sees
and God honors
such people,
just as he honored
and exalted Jesus,
risen and ascended
into heaven.
So just to tie all this up,
the question is,
will we
or won't we
pursue
this life
of honor
and work out
our salvation
with fear
and trembling
and ultimately
with life-giving service?
Timothy and Epaphroditus
had no idea
that they were going
to end up
in this record
that we'd be reading
about 2,000 years later,
honored
as Christ-like servants
in the gospel?
What will be our stories?
Right?
I think of that
Hamilton song,
Who Lives,
Who Dies,
Who Tells Your Story.
How will they tell it?
I have another slide
that I want to share.
It's my last slide.
It's something
that's really stuck with me
over the past couple years.
It was written
by David Brooks.
He's a recently converted
New York Times writer.
He wrote this book,
The Second Mountain.
I highly recommend it.
The Second Mountain,
The Quest for a Moral Life.
And he basically says
that there are
First Mountain people
and there are
Second Mountain people.
Or another way he puts it
is that there are
resume virtue people
and eulogy virtue people.
Resume virtue people
focus on individual achievement,
career, wealth,
and personal happiness.
They're motivated
by external validation
and societal expectations.
Their values are success,
status,
and personal pleasure.
And their approach
to the world
is self-centered
and focused on individual goals
and achievements.
But eulogy virtue people,
they focus on meaning,
purpose,
commitment,
and contributing
to something larger
than themselves.
They're motivated
by a desire
for deeper fulfillment
and connection.
Their values are community,
service, love,
and moral joy.
And their approach
is others-centered
and focused on
building relationships
and making a positive impact.
Now you can easily guess
the kind of person
David Brooks suggests
we become.
But the more important question
is will we?
And how?
Will we and how?
So God's word to us
this morning
is to consider Timothy,
is to consider Paphroditus,
consider ancient Israel,
consider all the people
you most abhor
and all the people
you most admire,
and then above all
consider the life,
death,
and resurrection of Jesus
and ask yourselves,
what kind of person
do I want to be?
And what kind of life
do I want to live?
What is my ultimate salvation?
Is it knowing Christ?
Is it knowing the God
of the universe
who went to the cross for me
and whose spirit
is still at work within me
to will and to act
according to his perfect purposes?
God invites us this morning
simply to work out
what he has worked for
and what he has committed
to working in us.
Salvation,
union with God Almighty.
And that's good news.
It's a challenge
but it's an invitation
that he extends to us
in love and gentleness
and confidence
that he will bring it
to completion.
Let's pray.
Oh God,
fill us
with that fear
and trembling
in your presence
and at the same time
fill us with that joy,
comfort,
and security.
and let us work out
our salvations.
Let us work out
our union with Christ.
Let us enjoy that.
Live dynamically in that
as your people
so that we might be
bright and shining
children of God.
Bearing witness,
shining like stars
in this dark
and crooked generation,
oh God.
Beacons of hope.
An alternative way
to live
for this world,
this self-centered,
broken world,
oh God.
In our union with Christ,
help us to live out
selflessness
and sacrifice
and servanthood
and humility
and bring glory
to yourself,
Lord God,
as your people
seek to follow
their Savior,
Jesus Christ.
In his name we pray.
Amen.