Joy in obedience

Transcript (Auto-generated)

Good morning everyone as you see we're going to um do things a little bit different today um so um it's going to be in two parts I want to use the Whiteboard and I'll explain why in a minute and so most of the time is going to be uh spent drawing on um on the Whiteboard and then I'm going to do the PowerPoint and go through the whole sermon on the PowerPoint which sounds like we'll be here till lunch time but don't panic uh we won't be um it's uh just with the Whiteboard once I get through that most of what I have on the on the PowerPoint is much the same so I aim to get through I expect I'll get through the PowerPoint in like five minutes or maybe 10 at the most um so um the um thing is by the way we'll um shift the uh the Whiteboard down here afterwards so can see this screen and um and so if you want to come and get a photo if that's helpful for you afterwards to um to get a photo you'll feel feel free to do that um for a modest fee I'll even autograph the Whiteboard and so uh because of my artistic abilities um it's actually lacked there all it's just that as um as I was uh preparing this uh this message of just reading this passage through again and again just this um this drawing this diagram just uh was just coming to me and was helping me to understand what this uh how this passage all fitted together how it came together and so I'm just doing this um hoping that just as it was helpful for me that um that it might be helpful for you as well and um so we'll see how we go as um by the way um you've heard about an's a school teacher or was a school teacher teacher Zar was and once you see my writing you'll see and it'll confirm that I was never a school teacher um because my uh my spelling might be right hopefully but how it needed is is uh is not so good so we've had these two words that keep coming up or that have been coming up today is joy and Obey and so we're looking to see how these two things fit together and how they come together out of this passage now if you've got your Bibles there it would be really really really helpful for you if you um if you have this passage open because we're going to be referring to it and seeing how this passage comes together in this um in this diagram form and um so these are the two words coming up we understand Joy we've had that explained to us each week as ree did last week again that Joy and happiness is not the same thing the happiness depends on happenings Joy depends on knowing that Jesus is in control and so even the ladies this morning didn't say that quite as definite as that but they alluded that that's how it is obey well we know what obey means we're told to do something we do it and uh so those two things are coming together now what this passage is about is that it pictures the world in which we live and when you look at the world in which we live you'll find that In this passage there are just two words that describe the world in which we live so what we discover I got pens everywhere and I don't know what I'm doing here but you'll see something that about the about the context in which this uh in which we live and this comes out in verse 15 and when you read verse 15 there are just two words that Paul uses to describe the world so it reads this way it says God with uh so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault and here the two words that describe the world in this version it says a crooked and depraved Generation Um it's different versions uh render that in different ways but when I read all the different versions the two words which are most commonly used in um in explaining this the world in which we live is one is um the world is uh is crooked and perverse so this is this is the environment or this is Paul in Just Two Words describes the world in which we live now I might be being a little bit pedantic here but actually when you go through that you understand that this these two words here crooked and perverse that one talks about Behavior and the other one talks about belief so the way that Paul describing the world in which we live uses these two words that it's crooked and perverse and what that's talking about the world in which we live is talking about the behavior of the world and about the belief um the system of the world as well so for example we know how the world behaves we um I by generally Often by the paper just on the Saturday and Sunday and and you only have to read the paper to see the sort of world in which we live and there's murders and there's all sorts of things happening all the time and so this is the context in the behavior of the world in which we live but fact that that some of the biggest which we might be concerned about which we might worry about but of course there's a lot of other things that are more down to earth I guess are more more basic about our Behavior as well I don't know what it is but ever since Co um everybody is saying how angry our society is um I haven't seen it before Co nowadays when you go to a place and you're going to the waiting room there's seems to always be a sign up which says do not get angry with our staff if you get angry we're going to call the police um we have to be told that U things like road rage are you involved or even tempted in that way um things like coercion control things like that sort of really seem to be grabbing us as something of the society in which we live but we could narrow it down a bit more I guess to um things like uh what about pornography or or or dependence on substance to get us through life or that we're more concerned about our outward appearance and our inward relationship with the Lord Jesus about the language that we use about the talk about the things that we say about others so Paul is saying that this is the context in which we live about the behavior of the world in which we live just by the way um You probably notice or aware that before a service that those involved in the service we go outside last minute instructions but the main reason we gather out there is to pray last week we were out there to pray there were these two guys on the other side of the road one was obviously chasing the other and uh the one in front Got Away ran around the corner here but the other guy chasing him just yelling obscenities and chasing him and uh and whatever and while that was occurring I'm thinking what do we as a church have to say to these two guys uh what is it that we offered to them but uh but not just to them but even while we seated here is that there are probably hundreds of cars go by hundreds of people drive by and may not even recognize that there's a church that there are people gathered in here but what do we have to say to them because out there is not just Behavior but there is a belief system as well in which we exist and live as well of course there are those people who don't believe in God at all uh no a atheist that a means no no God there's the agnostic that Ms us to knowing and the a me I don't know whether there's a God or not and there's others who um who believe in different sorts of gods so not in the one true God that we would Worship in which we've honored today but but maybe some other God and some other religion but even within Christendom there are those who um who have this W view or the some W beliefs as well we watch a show on TV one of the quiz shows and I was just watching it the other day and just thinking about the guy who h i thinking he looks a bit old and I'm just thinking sitting there wondering how old he was and so look up Google to see how old he was and and um then I'm reading about him as I'm reading about him he says that he is a very spiritual man he described himself as a very spiritual man and goes to church regularly oh this captured my thinking and I wanted to know a bit more and as I read a bit more he said not that I believe in a personal God that God is a person but I believe in God as an entity now to be honest with you I don't even know what that means that God is an entity but not a person because you see all I really need to know and want to know is what the Bible says about God and that God is a person and so we have this not only this uh this warped Behavior out there but this warped beliefs out there as well and so Paul is saying in writing to the church at Philippi saying this is the context this is the world in which you and I are living and then he goes on to say well how do we live and this is the example or this is the picture that he uses to describe us in verse 15 he says this in which you what Shine Like Stars so I can't draw a star but that's my excuse for a star and he says with in this Society in this Society where behavior and belief is all walk in this dark Society you are placed here as The Shining Star and we understand from that of course is that this shining star of course is um is indistinct contrast from what's going on sure there's a behavior and a belief but a very different Behavior a very different belief to the world in which we live and he says you are here as a shining star in this Dark World um most of you maybe all of you aware of uh of my history that probably going to Ministry I was in the Army I did my trade in the Army did my apprenticeship and so we were described as being well when we're doing our military training we were described as soldier Tradesmen when we're doing a trade we were described as Tradesman soldiers and so most of the time we're in the the classroom or the workshop or laboratory whatever learning our trade but on a regular basis on a weekly basis we had our military training where they tried to turn us into soldiers where we did all sorts of training like um camouflage how to camouflage yourself um rifles are so important and so they quite Technical and so even blindfolded to be able to pull our rifle down to completely bit and put it back together and to do it with speed because sometimes there's gas stoppage or whatever other stoppage and we need to be able to do that to learn how to um poke Bonet into into um things of hay and things like that but there's one time I remember that we did this um did this study or this course on night vision and what is not generally realized is this is that even on the darkest of nights that uh when there is no other light there's still enough ambient light light to be able to see some things and so part of our training was when we're in a situation like this how we might be able to be able to um to see things or see some things at night in the darkest of nights um it some of the things we for like I mean it takes time like can't remember exact details like 5 or 10 minutes to be in complete darkness for you to be able to gain your night vision and when you have your night vision you should not stay fix have your fixed eyes fixed on a particular thing because your mind and your eyes play tricks on you and and even if it's still it's uh it looks to be moving and so you keep your eyes moving around and if you think something might be moving you have a look at but look away and you keep looking and come back because you've pictured it in your mind to see whether it's it's still there and so on but the thing that was very much impressed on us was this is that even when we had our night vision is that even the smallest of light coming into our into our our scope of vision was enough to destroy our night vision and we'd have to go right back to square one to recapture our night vision and so telling soldiers no lighting cigarettes when you're out in the out in the bush and you're wanting night vision in fact they even told us and I can't remember I wish I could remember that uh how far even the glow of a cigarette was able to be seen on a dark night and there was some I just remember some some really really huge distance that in the darkest of nights just the GL of a cigarette could be seen for miles and miles around Paul says to the church in this dark environment we are to be what we're to be a Shining Light we're to be something that destroys the night vision we are there will be be so obvious that we will stand out like anything because our behavior and our beliefs are quite different to what the world is offering and so he says that to us that we to be different and he says how are we to be different well in verse 16 it says this is that a part of our difference is this as that we are to be holding fast now that's how we to be this difference is that we to hold fast or some versions and your version might say this it might say hold hold out because the way that the original language is written it can be understood in either way and I don't think we have to opt for either one or the other but rather we can say it includes both of these number of places the Bible talks about holding fast to the word of God just as it does here cling to the word of God if we are going to be shining lights cling to it this is what the word of God says this is what I'm obedient to this is what I'm going to hang on to really really tight in my life but other versions talk about holding out and those versions are picturing or extending this picture that we're a Shining Light and it says because we are like a shining star hold it out to the world in this Dark World this difference that we are as God's people used to sing a lot of songs Sunday school about light um This Little Light of Mine I'm going to let it shine um hold it under a bushel hold the light under some of the cover no I'm going to let it shine and this is what Paul's saying to the church at Philippi context is a is a really bad environment dark environment we as shining stars hold fast to the word of God hold out the light to show the difference now we come back to this where does this obedience in in all of that well I've been pitching in a bit of that somewhere along the line but the Bible tells us this fol is that this context this crooked and perverse generation is that the Bible tells us that what every one of us at one stage or another belonged in there at one stage you and I we were here in this environment we're a part of this environment and Paul is saying that we because we' become Christians that we have transferred from there into here Bible says quite clearly all have sin and come short of the glory of God says all that includes all of this gift of God those who receive the gift that we have become like a shining star and this is where the real Crux of obedience comes because if we go back to verse 12 here we read these words therefore my dear friends as you have always what obeyed as you've always obeyed in the obedience goes back to when we uh first followed the Lord Jesus as we have always obeyed not only in my presence but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to Will and to act according to his good purpose you see what we're talking about here is that we have gone through a distinct change a distinct change in our life this is transfer of ownership from me to God that now God controls me and I am now under his control to do whatever he wants me to do but I don't know whether you found this a bit puzzling because it almost seems like a contradiction when you read this well it did to me if on a casual reading work out your salvation because it is God at work in you now which is it are we working out our Salvation where is a god at work in me well it's a lot easier to to accept in my mind it's a lot easier to accept this idea that God is at work in me but what does it mean to work out my salvation one thing's for sure it does not mean that I can work my way into heaven the the Bible says that abundant times and Paul makes it abundantly clear we can never work our way we're never good enough no matter how good we think we are we can never be good enough to get into God's heaven so what does it mean to work out well it's AIT like a puzzle or something like that in working it out I've enlisted the help of my soccer coach Jason to come and help me here um I imagine this microphone here will probably work um it's not a um it's not a complete surprise to him we took us about 30 seconds to set this up um not only is Jason a um a gifted worship leader we' really appreciated how you've led us in worship today but Jason in his job is also head of campus at gra colleges is a very responsible job and we need to be praying for him in all of that but in addition to that back in his day he was a Fed teacher and so um that's why we both have this physic physique about us um maybe when I was your age it was a bit more like that when I was or even a bit younger but uh but uh you're going to have to use your imagination and your imagination is going to have to be really really really good here because I want you to imagine and to think that um I'm not 120 as you know I am but I'm actually cross the one off that I'm only 20 years of age and I've just watched the Olympics here in um in Paris and I'm watching the soccer because uh one of Jason's real for days of soccer now he's got his kids playing soccer and whatever but I'm thinking at a 20 year old you know what in 2032 the Olympics are going to be in Brisbane and if I really do my training and everything right I could be the in the Australian team for soccer in 2032 and um and I'll be standing up here on the on the podium uh receiving the gold medal with the other players so I come to to Jason today I said Jason this is my goal this is my plan and um and I want you to be my personal trainer and I know there's a lot of things we used to there' be a dozen things but but I just want you to give me three things that I need to do if I'm going to be representing Australia in the soccer in 2032 right I said um David and I talked before there's certainly more than three but here's number one um accurate passes absolutely be able to need to be able to get the ball to where you want to go to um so that's number one um number two is going to be um creating space off the ball uh you need to be able to pass the ball to someone so you need to be good at um moving into space um you need to be fast David change direction quickly uh and create space so um that's number two uh and number three is going to be uh you have to be a good communicator uh you got to be able to talk to people well encourage people ask them to move tell them where the balls are going to go to uh communicating is definitely key okay don't go away Coach I want you to stay here so my training now is what's working out my salvation is all about hearing the instructions and then it's up to me what I'm going to do in working it out now the issue is this is that if I'm going to do everything there's one word for that which we've been talking about begins with the letter O what is it I am going to obey everything thing that Jason has told me to do however I say Jason I like number one and three but I don't like number two so I don't think I'll worry about number two is that obedience or not no it's not obedience or what if I say well um you said I've got to learn to run really really fast but what about that's a bit too much for me and what about if I just jog um will that do is that obedience or Jason didn't say it had to start straight away so I think well the games aren't till 2031 so maybe I'll just start doing this in 2031 for 2032 you reckon that's obedience as well no it's not and so working out my salvation has to do with this God is at work in me now how does this this work out in practice and so I have a Jason who spiritually when we're talking about our spiritual life Jason's my soccer coach but in my spiritual life he's going to be my Jason well it might be your EFG leader it might be your parent or your brother or your sister or another trusted friend it might be even the pastor who talks to you or ultimately the real Coach is the holy spirit in us helping us to work out our salvation and this is what it means god is at work in me to work out this is how the Christian life is to be lived a life of obedience doing everything that he wants me to do so that one day not only will I have the joy of being able to run and to pass and Freedom like those athletes do but maybe even ultimately one day I'll stand on the podium where Jesus is there not maybe but I will because I've worked out my salvation thanks Jason you're a good coach I'm feeling fitter already is all this clear is that making sense to you so here we are in this context in this crooked and perverse generation that we're called to be stars to show this difference out here in doing this there's a change that take place to get me there and I'm holding fast and I'm holding out and I'm working out in the presence of God this is what my salvation this is what a walk with Jesus is all about hope that makes sense can we get rid of this and I'm going to go through this PowerPoint in about 5 minutes if we can do a swap the things okay so five minutes you can CH me if you like so there's some links here we're talking about Joy remember that Joy is also one of the fruit of the spirit um fruit of the spirit is love joy peace patience and so on happiness depends on happenings but joy depends on knowing Jesus in control obedience a connection is this remember that Jesus in The Great Commission said teaching them to obey everything hey this is the coaching teaching them to oby everything and how many commands are there what Jesus has said well depends how many you want to go to at least 50 but especially these this command in Matthew 22 said to them you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind with all your strength elsewhere this is the greatest and first commandment and the second is what you shall love your neighbor as well so that's the links looking around the context crooked and perverse characters with to shine like stars Clarity hold out hold fast the change you have always obeyed work out your salvation God is at work in you realize this is that obedience means change almost everything I do in life maybe I made a say but so much in our life has to change when we become Disciples of Jesus because we become all we acknowledge Jesus as Lord Of Our Lives when we talking about the lordship of Jesus we're talking about Authority and obedience we've got to understand or just to recognize that we throw this word Lord around so loosely that Lord has almost become like a name for Jesus rather than a title and the title Lord is what Jesus really is as the Lord talks about his character and the Dignity of Jesus and it's the basis of our worship and our obedience and just like I was saying here with jasus my coach I want to pick and choose so often in life what I want to obey well I'll do it later well I'll do it halfheartedly well I'll do this but I won't do that the tendency as Christians is to pick and choose what we are going to be obedient to God about and and sometimes in the worst case scenario we might say what's the least I can do that'll still get me into heaven in obeying Jesus you know what we're talking about here is The Obedience and joy re involves a total life life change an entire life change that we are now living totally for the Lord Jesus well we didn't cover this earlier but discipleship is always in the context of community the ladies mentioned when they're up here about the importance of it and while we didn't go into it we can read that rest of that passage about Timothy and aitis by the way we say Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi but when you read the introduction it says Paul and Timothy to the church at Philippi and some of the things we picked up we pick up by reading this about Timothy those few verses is that he loved God and he served others two things that we note about Timothy there about a paparoditis that he's a valued companion prepared to die for Jesus he almost died for the sake of the gospel Paul says discipleship is always in the context of community remember we've talked about previously having a mentor or mentee and those who we enjoy life with so it's always companions as well so where's the joy in obedience let me just mention the three and you might have more likeminded with Jesus means that there's a lack of conflict with him and there is Harmony on living together with Jesus a good solid relationship accepting that Jesus knows best leads to a positive outcome means that I can engage in life and thirdly obedience means living a life of freedom and integrity free from guilt and anger and fear and whatever else I can walk around with my head high as I live in obedience to Jesus well joy and obedience one thing to talk about whole lot more to put into practice let's pray as we become like shining stars we want to hold fast to the word of God and hold out the light of the Lord Jesus thank you that as your people that you are at work in our lives everyone of us help us as we continue this journey called life to work out what this means to live our life in obedience resulting in Joy Grant this to us as our pray you're able to keep us from stumbling to present us faultless presence of the father we commend ourselves and each other to you in this way in the name of Jesus. Amen.