The Truth About Our Tendencies - Philippians 2:12-13

God is bad and have you show up with the discipleship using the make you fill out a form and want to but it's got your hand in your volunteering to be using force or jaws open to testify the gospel of grace, the deposit slip caused you to send a little money aside for that trip coming up internationally with admissions see his work in us doesn't responsibility the word work hard different tastes different hobbies and missions convictions, but in the midst of all this diversity there are tendencies we all share in common that hinder our spiritual growth and vitality. Welcome to wisdom for the heart. Today, our Bible teacher, Stephen Devi takes an eye opening look at Paul's exhortation to the Philippian believers, as Stephen unpacks this message, he exposes these tendencies in our lives and teaches us how we can overcome. Let's get started. Notice verse 12 begins with the words so then, as he is bringing about an application is gonna bring in the example of Christ's humility and his obedience, and so we sort of letting us know that's what I want you to apply in a general sense, but I want you to notice how he very tenderly adds the words so that by beloved my beloved not you guys stay with Generali talking to you and Philip.

I need to grow work it out. Notes: he begins his application by saying my beloved heat models, kind Shepherd understands and he went there disappointments in in Philippi, he knows the conflicts there facing. He knows their fears.

He knows their needs.

He understands this adversarial culture where the gospel is anything but appreciate so is not delivering is not about to start delivering some indifference on caring directive is actually very affectionately calling us to follow the example of Christ. As I have read and reread and reread these opening verses in his closing application. It struck me that Paul is very insightfully pulling out and surfacing the challenges that we face in growing in Christ. The challenges of of sanctification. He's going to bring up truths about our tendon and we all have Kennedy brings them up. These tendencies that hinder humility and obedience. Ultimately, sanctification going to provide some solution first point would be this Paul is bringing up the tendency we have destroyed the tendency we have destroyed verse 12 so then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.there can you hear what he is graciously suggesting you have already been right in the middle of your face. It's one thing to obey when I'm right there it's going to be an extra challenge for you to obey when he speaks like an experienced mother or father is one thing for children to obey when you're around.

It's an entirely different thing when they obey with your not around and the babysitter gives that credit report is one thing for child shares, toys, and in the day when mommy standing at arms length and even then it's not 100%. What is really going to be interesting when she leave the room so Paul is basically telling them that us will have the same tendency grown-ups have the same problem.

Is anybody watching and anybody seen the change in I flew to Florida to speak to student body. The Christian college in the opinion is your if you been. Maybe notice the same thing that is still caused her to flip-flop you pull off that exit you come around or near specialist logos emergent with the terminal, traffic, and right there.

They placed a patrol car. I mean, there's a patrol right there, but only after you had a minor stroke.

Do you realize that the patrol car is empty. That is not right is not right you know they got another part of your writing pharmacy is likely no more.

I'm going to be in a parked car there just isn't there. I'll speak to somebody about that. I read this past week is interesting where one state trooper was sitting on the side of the interstate and inside North Carolina and in examining his radar gun at the interstate.

Of course everybody's slowing down just sitting there with his radar gun. Just pointing it at the cars he admitted to a reporter later on. That was in a radar gun after all it was his wife here we are going and how this would work as well.

This is something not right about that is well actually it's a good thing. In fact, it's what one author called Jade like Pentecost in his commentary called the pressure of presence. The pressure of presence and authority shows up in attitudes J you been on the interstate. Why is everybody just you know get along doing 55 when it's clearly okay to 62 with me. Maybe I'm on my own here but eventually fall into the left lane to get into the Indianapolis 500 going that's what I call and your and all of a sudden just ahead bank of lights and you realize what everybody was watching their automotive and cues pressure presence changes everything.

One author started.

I have she was late one morning taking her 11-year-old school quote hurrying my 11-year-old daughter to school I stopped at a red light at an intersection and I turn right on red in the notice assignment prohibited.

Although I said out loud I I just made an illegal turn.

My daughter look behind us and then up at me and said out all right. The police car behind us just did the same thing, nothing like the pressure to do the right thing because of the presence of an authority. And Paul says you have been obedience in my presence. I know you have a tendency to stray its nature effect the word he uses for obedience is a compound word that has to do with listening effective preferreds or it could refer to someone in his generation. For someone answering the door.

You do not you get up and respond to what you heard, Paul is effectively saying you been careful to listen to me when I delivered some truth. You responded… You acted on it. Wonderful. I'm so grateful for you, my beloved, but unlike children or motorists like me. We evidenced spiritual growth by how we behave when no one is looking.

Or to put it even more crudely we behave when we have the opportunity to get away with misbehaving. There is no pressure see a growing reputation is based on how you act when people are watching sanctification growing in sanctification is how you act when people are not watching the power or the pressure of presence in a growing believer is moving from an external authority that you can see like a parent or policeman, it moves to an internal authority that you are very well aware is present spirit of God.

So in a very real sense growing in our sanctification me for coming to understand the pressure of the presence of God. He is watching and by the way that because we have a tendency to destroy second we have a tendency to stall verse 12 now much more: get get a little more heat much more in my absence were out your salvation.

By the way, make sure you understand, Paul is writing to Christians. He's not defining how you get salvation. He's talking about how you demonstrate salvation that we do notice that Paul does not say here work for your salvation or work your salvation or work to learn your salvation in my corner and down the road we sing work out your salvation.

Live close effectively saying growing as a Christian is going to require the willingness on our part to have a daily worked out. I think we understand so are we willing, will God is as will see impact his willingness is already at work within is whatever you're prepared to engage. He is already repaired to enable work out your salvation.

There are three dimensions of salvation were given in the New Testament as well is helpful to understand the past dimension where where our sin is dealt with.

And at that moment of justification, we have applied to us. The fact that he's paid the penalty for Raulerson the past dimension of salvation we have this future dimension of salvation, we are glorified and perfected and that fallen nature is done away with.

As we prepare for that kingdom, and then the holy estate and what we have in between the past and the future is the present invention in that sanctification.

How were demonstrating out the truth of the gospel for the put like this by the way, it is worth repeating that are passed salvation. Save this forever from the penalties are future salvation will will save us from the presence of sin. Sin terms are present. Salvation saves us one temptation at a time from the power of sin. We can now say no even though we move forward and sometimes backwards. We have ups and downs, mountaintops and valleys, strikeouts and homeruns.

This is the process of sanctification where we are being challenged to demonstrate our growth in Christ, having been redeemed in the past. On our way to being glorified in the future. This present dimension, we refer to as sanctification of the reason Paul is encouraging these believers from stalling. The reason I get that idea is the use of this verb to work work out much more work it out.

Don't slow down.

The verb Paul uses literally means to work toward the finish to keep the goal in mind to keep completion in mind and progress toward that goal of the goal that Paul would have in mind. Within this context of application is to demonstrate the humility of Jesus Christ and the obedience to God the father, don't stop, don't slip into neutral, less dangerous and don't stop halfway.

Keep your eye on the go, which is Christ in his example and move toward that goal. Here then is the attitude of humility in the finish line is ultimately the completion of that work when he perfects us and were glorified in Christ "was a gracious encourager. He knows that finishing is a lot harder than starting. It's a lot easier to start something that is finish, you may have started in 2015, he decided to read the Bible through in a year.

This is one of the reasons why the book of Genesis is the most read book in the entire Bible worn out because you get to Leviticus 2122 and the wheels bogged down a lot of people can start a marriage staying out. It is different. My graduate program I understand it, less than about 60% of those who do graduate people can start violin lessons at the age of a not very many are playing at the age of 30. You want to explore the issue in the life and times of Nehemiah wonderful example that usually to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. They been entirely destroyed for generations will discover his greatest threats from his enemies and his most discouraging moments recorded in his service occurred when the walls of Jerusalem were half way out the temptation to quit is probably never stronger when you're halfway you know you get here you're not sure you got it to finish.

When it is easy to stall. That's why you may know people and we we talk about this midlife crisis is when people are halfway say that enough of it. They throw in the towel in the church we have the same tendencies believers we know it took to get this far. We may have as much to go temptation to stall strong.

Maybe you have accomplished something in about the time he wiped the sweat of your brow you see something out you need will come looks a lot like that you weather the storm and got through it.

All of a sudden you have another one. And that's already darkening on the horizon. How can I get out of this boat verb to work. Here's a present tense comparative which means that Paul was literally commanding us to keep at it, which gives me the idea. Don't stall stay stay the course.

Stay with it. Jean Peterson calls this the long obedience in the same direction. The great definition of psych. The long obedience in the same direction.) The path of obedience become steep and difficult, even dangerous. Those who simply want to find pleasure look for an easier way religious tourists hunting for entertainment or enlightenment or excitement jump off and jump on a new horizon take the quickest shortcut they will not be found among those believers on the long hard road following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ to Paul applies here was obedient to death all the way up to the point of death on the cross sell Christ over the long haul, waiting for the final resolution, and rest were perfected in him. King in the meantime, with humility and obedience waiting and still working toward the goal of his example and sanctification absolutely.

You know something as soon as you take a step or two in that direction. Maybe even a text. Something's already going through your mind you're not even listening you're already talking to the Lord about certain things and you know there's something you need to do a note.

No sooner will you take one or two or three or four or five steps in the right direction and then maybe take off a milestone or so. No sooner does that occur then the enemy of your flash gives an ear to the enemy of hell who signs up to you and whispers to something. I mean your something I many other people in here that there they're not even off the dime they probably don't get the big picture you got. So Paul is not only going to tell us we have a tendency to stray tendency to stall he's going to tell us the truth that we have a tendency to struct find the Greek word for that, but you know what I mean distraught.

He had work out your salvation with gloating himself. Congratulateme wait a second, what'd he say, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, that's only strutting to me is not showboating and that this is Old Testament terminology which he was steeped in the references God is our audience fear and trembling is another way of saying we are in all and in deep respect of the glory of God. We love nothing more than pleasing, and we had a nothing more than disbelief were fears about boss gives us our word phobia terror word for trembling is from us gives us our work tremor. Isaiah uses that in the Septuagint, at least in the translation. Isaiah 66 for the humble and contrite person who trembles at God's one. Scholars centuries ago, wrote that this phrase to fear and tremble means you have a trembling anxiousness to do what's right.

While because of who you that attitude combats the tendency to struct swagger and to brag to tell people all about yourself. We have a tendency Spurgeon used to say, this way somebody in the church can kill a mouse without publishing it in. So Paul delivers a reminder when a tendency to stray women tendency to stall and one more women tendency to steal ours.

We have a tendency to take the credit and craft titles from our accomplish. So Paul reminds us here where the credit glory, long and in the context of humility. This is what he's after. 13 for it is God who is at work in both Stillwell and to work is good pleasure. Pride is already going away. Philippa deal with selfishness conceived even more pointedly, as the letter progresses.

He's attempting to to cut it back that we pride by showing the example of the humility of Christ and will deal with selfish contention later on and he does it by saying hello it is God who is working.

I mean, right down to the core, giving you the will desire ability to do his good pleasure easy. Here's the paradox we are commanded to work outwardly. Now we discover that he is at work inwardly, which produces the work outwardly and in the context of humility. This is Paul's way of reminding us that God then alone deserves the credit. Because ultimately he was at work in us both to will that is to wish you were to want to decide and to do that is to act now humbling should this truth be to all of us. I mean, how did you do that.did it through me that great idea.impress me with wonderful desire.David Kaman that's just, you know that Sunday vocabulary.

That's religious jargon you're supposed to say stuff like that when you read you really believe as I do. I have been crucified with Christ, he is no longer I live Christ who lives in and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself. Galatians 220. We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose. I later strong word. I labor, striving according to his power, which works mightily in Colossians 120 I can do through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 413. See the evidence of your sanctification is coming to realize that any anything good that I desired wasn't desire he put in anything good that I did something he did through his God at work. I love the word Paul uses her for work.

It's a different word than the one we looked at earlier verse 12 work out your salvation. And now it is God who is at work. The word changes to enter get we get our word energy from this again creates a wonderful paradox, but helps clarify God's the initiator. The enabler of the empower for you to do is work and when I work is empowered by his work.

I work externally as a result of his work internally is energizing power which we entirely depend upon. So, hearing the lies and tension God is making bad and turn to Leviticus chapter 21 and start slogging it out.

He is kicking and then have you show up at the discipleship group using the make you fill out a form and want to but it's got your hand in your your volunteering to be a youth leader or sing in the choir volunteer in the nursery using force or jaws open to testify the gospel of grace to your coworker. He thought the deposit slip caused you to send a little money aside for that trip is coming up internationally with admissions to see his work in us and the fact that he doesn't get us doesn't avoid responsibility to work and work hard. Here's the tension, but when we do work. It is through his energizing strength to do what is right and when we desire to act. It is his first and foremost desire.

When we accomplish something. It is his good pleasure whereafter between drinking steel any of the credit belongs. Why, by the way, when we are more than one day to be what we can do with those current events fully understand then better than we do.

It was all I hope today's time in God's has encouraged today.

You're listening to wisdom for the heart.

This is the Bible teaching ministry of pastor and author Stephen Davey February is coming to a close so I want to remind you of our featured resource this month. It's Stephen's devotional book a winter wisdom retreat. This is a 30 day devotional that takes you into God's word to strengthen your faith. For information about that resource give us a call at 86 648 Bible have a great weekend and then join us next Monday for more wisdom for the heart