We Can Work it Out | One on One

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org is your whole life and someone else maybe your parents leave your husband nor your wife or someone else at the moment there with you.

You just just say two words to you coming up today. Pastor Greg Laurie points out, God wants reversal on relationship. One of wants us to work, work out your own salvation. Absence makes the heart. Others say out of sight of her mind.

The truth is any relationship requires connection when we say about friendship drifted completely out of our lives.

Oh so and so was someone I sing dynamic applies to our relationship with God is a connection that needs to be maintained today on the new beginning. Greg Laurie points out that connection is one of the keys to finding real quick ball. How many of you love, do exercise you love to work out how many of you exercise and you hate door got raised her hand up onto statements about even. I do, but I hate it. And you know there's reasons you know you do it you want to stay. As you can be a or maybe you go to a doctor and he says you know what you need to work out more because you're having heart problems so you go by treadmill or by some other equipment to put it in your house and then you almost have a heart attack when you find out how much it costs right I be this crazy. The expense of then maybe you go and decide to join the gym instead� Be honest, really strange people hang out in Jim's okay. So when I go to a gym twice a weekend and it's it's a good gym you know and I bet the gyms over the years and there's there's certain kinds of people in Jim's first of all, there's the guy who always puts too much weight on the barbell or whatever it is too much weight either three or four reps he makes too much noise but the guy that drives me crazy. There's always one of his guys in every gym is the guy who sweats too much right and then they leave the sweat on the bench. You know it's like when you go when you're looking at a pool of what our ideal guy that used to get on a treadmill and he perspired so much, literally.

I'm not exaggerating. There would be puddles around it.

Afterwards, people wouldn't get in the treadmill.

Others ride or is left to know so there's always these strange people that they hang up. But you know maybe you decide you want to try to get in shape and exercise a little bit more.

I'm I'm up to 100 crunches a day. By the way. Yup, Nestl�'s crunch is very good, but then you know sometimes if you worked up for a long time you go to a gym and you maybe overdo it and then you're so sore the next day you never want to go back to the gym again will look we need to say in the best shape we can stand because the Bible says our body is the temple of God, right, first Thessalonians 5 says he got himself a go to makes everything holy in all make you holy in all spirit, soul and body are not a disembodied spirit, God has placed my soul in the body.

So I wanted take the best care that I can of this body. The Bible says of course bodily exercise profits, little but godliness is profitable for all things and will quote that is a rationalization to never work out. But the Bible actually says it profits a little and also profit some now if you work out and you're more focused on your body then you are in your spirit.

You have your priorities out of whack. But if you only think about your spiritual life and you never do anything to maintain your physical health. That also is an imbalance you want to find that right balance that sweet spot in their and II bring that up because that is true spiritually as well. We need to work out what God has worked in salutes look at our text, it's Philippians 2 starting in verse 12, Paul writes and says therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and do of his good pleasure to all things without complaining and disputing that you may be blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. There so Paul says work out your own salvation. Notice your own underlying the stewards your own salvation.

You can't hire someone to work out for you when you nice guy going to the gym go work out for me. I'll pay you for. While that may benefit the person is working out but it won't have any effect on you. You can't have someone get saved for you either.

It's your own salvation. It's a personal choice when you revolve again, Paul says, my beloved is you've always obeyed, not only in my presence but also more in my absence.

Member Paul wrote this from prison and he had a special bond with the Christians in Philippi. That's the epistle that were looking at it to the believers. There we call it the book of Philippians, but it's up a letter to people living in Philippi and that he love these folks and they loved him and so they were in great agony when they found out Paul was imprisoned and so we think guys, it's okay. I'm okay and you're okay back to verse 12.

From the new living translation. It would go as follows dear friends, you're always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you but now that I'm aware you must be even more careful to put into action, God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear physically. Paul saying look I know you guys love me I love you.

I wish I could be there with you but I need to tell you something you need to grow up spiritually.

In other words, don't start slacking because I'm not there because it's God that works in you.

It's not all that works in you both to will and do of God's good pleasure. It's God that is working in you because there might be some there there might have been some there. I should say that thought they needed Paul around to live the Christian life and how awesome it would've been to have Paul as your pastor mean a living, breathing, apostle or John or James are some of the others. Will Paul say look, guys, I I can't be with you so you need to grow up spiritually. This can happen with us as well. We can find ourselves too dependent on people for our spiritual growth and listen to this. Sometimes people can become idols in our life. This happened to the children of Israel, a Moses led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. He wasn't able to bring them actually in the promised land, but remember one occasion he had to leave the of July because God had summoned him to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments and in his absence. Moses left Aaron his brother as their babysitter, which was a very bad choice because everything fell apart because basically after Moses had been gone for a while.

The people came to Aaron and they said hey where is this man Moses in exit is 32 who brought us out of Egypt make us some God soon can lead us because we don't know where Moses has gone out white and they say hey the Lord is the one who led us out of Egypt. Now they said Moses did it. Moses led us out of Egypt and of Moses is gone. We need another God to take his place.

So it was there and that had the bright idea to bring all of their golden altar bling and he was given a melted in the shape of a golden, which should have been one of the images that they would've been accustomed to in Egypt and and then there worshiping this calling Email open Mount Sinai Moses is done receiving the commandments. He's walking down with these tablets written with the right finger of God and he hears noise back in the It sounds like some kind of a war and it turns out there actually having a party and he comes down and finds the Israelites dancing naked in front of a golden calf. Not good at all and Aaron says I know this looks bad. I can explain everything you see what happened was we took our gold. We threw it on the fire and the golden calf came out so what else could we do would strip up our closing worship.

That's not what happened. You were the one that made the golden You are the one that told him to bring the gold. But here was the problem. Moses was their first God and the golden calf was their second let Moses take the place of God in their life is happening to you is your whole Christian life depended on someone else. Maybe your parents maybe your husband or your wife for someone else and you know if they're not around you just fall apart as long as a strong believer is in your life. Your good. But the moment they're not there with you. You just classless and can I just say two words to you grow up grow up and become a man of God grow up and be a woman of God and build your relationship on God because there's one thing you can be sure of in life, maybe two things many more things but I'll just say two for now, you can always be sure that God will be there for you and number two, you can always be sure that eventually people will let you down.

People will let you down. You know why because their sinful just like you are more than a false short raga to make mistakes were all going to disappoint you know maybe that a husband walks with the Lord release goes to church because the wife doesn't. So one day if she stopped going to church. He stops to, or the children you know they went to church and mom and dad took them but when they get older and maybe they go to college and they're out of their own they stop going to church. We must not let people take the place of God in our lives. Pastor Greg is giving his insights from his happiness. The Bible tells us to work out our salvation need some clarity on that injunction. Pastor Greg Hassett just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from these daily messages God's word ministers to them and it often gets them through some of their darkest hours are a lot harder about anger and imagined plot Juan right now Stanley can completely change entrance that I like the grace of God into your car.

You can ask each and every day. I ended Harriet God� 24 7.1.

It's encouraging to know that the studies in God's will in fact this woman's life is Pastor Greg, could you drop him an email telling your story, send it to great@harvest.org today will you thinking about again. That's great@harvest.org Pastor Greg is presenting a message today from Libyans. Chapter 2 called we can work it out relearning how to push toward maturity and happiness in our walk with God. Paul is saying, guys, it's time to grow up and how are they to do that. Verse 12. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling by the way, Paul did not say work for your own salvation. He said work out your own salvation. You can't work for your salvation.

Salvation, the forgiveness of sins eternal life is a gift to you from God. The Bible says it is by faith through grace that you been saved on not of yourself gets the gift of God so what does this mean that one pauses work out your own salvation or member he's addressing these words to Christians member will be started this series we pointed out that he addressed them as saints saint is an interchangeable word for Christian. So these words are written to believers. He saying to followers of Jesus. And really, in effect to us as well. Work out your own salvation.

What is this mean it means to live out one's faith.

Another way to translate it would be work. It took full completion work at the full completion, the ideas take what God has given you and work it out in your life. It would be like a conductor having an incredible musical composition handed to him, and there is a whole orchestra, but notes don't jump off of paper and play themselves. You've gotta read the music. And then you gotta play the music. Everybody has to work out their part and play the music.

The same is true for us. We need to work out what God is working. Actually, the phrase that Paul uses here also could speak of working on mine working on mine. You may have heard that there was a gold rush here in California years ago and the story was there so much gold in California, you'll find it laying on the street you will find it in the streams expression was there's gold in them thar hills so people came literally from around the world and what was called the California gold rush, and everyone is looking for the gold wall. What little gold was around was quickly removed, but there still was gold in the minds and if he would take the time to go into the mine and dig deeply and be patient. They might find some of the golden live. They were really persistent. I might find the mother load right that day strain of gold deep inside of a mine. So God is saying to you. I've given you all this gold. It's all there.

But you gotta work it out. You've got a minute you need to discover it.

But then he adds this distinction work out your own salvation with fear and trembling by the way Paul is not suggesting you can lose your salvation. I don't really think you can.

I think it's a gift given to us by God. But what he is saying this as you work it out. Recognize your own inability and any let me say something that might surprise you. The Christian life is not hard to live. It's impossible.

It is impossible to live as a Christian in this crazy gold surrender. They are part from the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. So in my ability. I can't do it in my strength. I can't keep the commandments. My own skills.

II can't do these things, God called me to do, but it is God that works in me both to will and do of his good pleasure.

So work it out. To the goal completed but was so this trust, by the way, let me just say this to you if you put your faith in Christ would take a quick poll. How many of you put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Surgery and that's pretty much everyone but I want you to leave this service.

Knowing that your salvation is secure just fire a few verses that you and I encourage you to write these references down because sometimes the devil will attack us and he'll say to us you're not a Christian, your hypocrite, God can save you Christ doesn't come in your life you site yourself into it. This isn't true. The Bible isn't so none of it's to have any of you ever had doubts like that come to your mind raise your hand if you have that's not a sin that major human just because a fiery dart or doubtful thought comes your mind doesn't mean that you're not a believer. It just means you're being attacked so the best way to the what those flaming arrows that come your way. Doubtful thought or hopeless thought, or a lustful thoughts or I hateful thought whatever it might be feeling your mind up with God's word so the devil attack Jesus in the wilderness right and every time the devil tempted Jesus Christ came back with these words, it is written, they wanted to turn a rock into a piece of bread for it is written, Christ says men shall live by God's word, not by bread alone, why don't you throw yourself off the top of the Temple and it is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God came back to God's word over and over. There's a few verses that assure us that were saved first John 510 anyone who believes in the son of God as his testimony in his heart. Romans 816. His spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. John 524 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, and he's crossed over from death to life. He has it, it's yours.

God's given it to you and God's not taken it back. It's yours to keep. And then of course my favorite assurance first first John 513 these things we write to you that believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. So the next time the devil comes to you and says how do you know you're Christian you know you are not perfect you send why do you think Christ would forgive you when you know what the Bible says these things we write to the believe in the name of some of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

I know I quoted out loud you know it's not a bad thing to go verses out loud when the devil is attacking you say no.

Here's what the Bible says and you quote the verse good thing to do. But you know sometimes we bless a question, can a Christian loser salvation. Let me give you a short answer ready. No, I don't think so let me ask another question that I think addresses the deeper issue. I don't think the question should be in a Christian loser salvation. I think the question should be, did that Christian was allegedly lost her salvation ever really have salvation to begin with his because if they did not bring forth what the Bible calls fruit in keeping with repentance. I would suggest to you that they never were a Christian at all. It just because someone carries a Bible doesn't make him a Christian just because someone says praise the Lord.

It doesn't make him a Christian.

The Bible says even the demons believe in Trumbull, there has to be fruit or results in their life as they work out their own salvation with fear and trembling member. Jesus told the parable of the sower and he talked about that seed that fell on the ground that was embedded with rocks and so the seed sprung up quickly, but because the rocks were in the sauna could not sink its roots down deeply and it died in the blazing sun and then Jesus went on to say these are those that hear the word of God.

Listen and they respond with great enthusiasm but there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions were off for some difficulty arrives. There's nothing to show for so you don't work for your salvation you work it out to Greg Lord good inside today on Howard to work out our own salvation.

There's more to come from this study called, we can work it out.

You know the last couple of years have been such a trying time for everyone.

The pandemic and all the uncertainty political tension unrest in our cities, inflation, empty store shelves with the counseling. God's word is the answer for the troubles and trials were facing and we want to reach out even further with the studies. The only thing holding us back is the resources to make it happen suppressor Greg we hope our listeners might pray about partnering with us so we can reach further in their own community and and reach further into places they've never even been that's right. It's an investment in kingdom business is not right. Yes, that's true. So whatever you can send to us here at a new beginning will use that money to reach more people with the teaching of the word of God and the message of the gospel. I hope some of you will be generous because this enables us to do more but whatever you send look forward to hearing from you.

We hope you let God use you to make a difference. A real tangible difference in people's lives and we want to say thank you for your investment.

Get the details about that@harvest.org or you can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or just give us a phone call at 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime at 1-800-821-3300. Sometimes, we can always make sure his church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone.

We do it every weekend and it's called harvest home. We worship we have a message of the word of God.

If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all. How do we know of our faith is genuine. If our commitment is real.

Pastor Greg provides a five-part litmus test.

Next time, selfish, check up on ourselves.

Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Lord and everybody thinks you're listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God