Well, if you would open your Bibles with me now again to Philippians chapter two. As we have progressed steadily in our study of this epistle of joy, it seems to me we have stumbled upon what we all stumble upon. We began this journey to joy together, thinking we would find the secret, we would discover the key that unlocks the mystery, and we would finally become that person we all want to be who rejoices always. And then we ran into this verse, chapter 2, verse 14, where we now realize it's not rejoicing always that's so hard, it's doing all things without grumbling or disputing that's so hard. I gave you homework on that. Do you remember? How'd you do on that? I hear a chuckle. Yeah, anybody make it just through that one day without grumbling or, yeah, if you're like me, you realize it's harder than, it's easier said than done, right? And what I learned from that assignment was that, It's pervasive. I mean, this grumbling and complaining and disputing and arguing and bickering, it's hard to stop. It's hard to have a conversation without it. It's just become such a part of our life, such a natural, normal, customary, ordinary part of life. We can hardly talk about anything. We can't talk about the weather without grumbling or disputing. And so with that one verse, I think Paul really puts his finger on it, that the heart of the issue is the heart. My heart, your heart, this prevailing attitude of discontent that affects and infects every part of life. And what an obstacle that is to joy. I can't rejoice always. Until I learned to do all things without grumbling or disputing. And so we have in chapter two, verse 14, one of those fridge magnet verses, one of those. And there are many of them actually in Philippians, but but probably none that we need to see and read at least once or twice each day, any more than this one do all things without grumbling or disputing. And we started to look at that and just ask the question, why is that so important? Why is it so important? Why is that such a critical component for our lives, for the Christian life? I mean, everybody grumbles, everybody complains, everybody argues about everything. Why shouldn't I? I mean, it's part of our nature, it's part of our culture. Who doesn't grumble? Who doesn't dispute? Who doesn't complain? Who doesn't argue? I mean, it's just normal human behavior. Shouldn't it be normal Brad Arnold behavior? Shouldn't it be a normal part of my life, too? I mean, it's expected of us almost. What business, for example, doesn't have a complaint department, right? What restaurant doesn't have a way for you to give feedback, constructive criticism? I mean, that's how our society works. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Complaints make the world go round. That's what keeps this whole thing going. Why shouldn't we all participate in that? Why should I be any different than anybody else? Well, we've isolated some reasons here in Philippians chapter 2, verses 14 through 18, four of them, in fact. Four reasons why we should never complain, four reasons why we must do all things without grumbling or disputing. We noted that there are reasons based on the so that that appears in verse 15. Paul is giving reasons here for us not to do that. Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world. Holding fast the word of life so that in the day of Christ, I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain or toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You, too, I urge you rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Reasons, those are reasons. And the first one is for God's sake. And you are the children of God. Doing all things without grumbling or disputing is, according to this passage, how you show yourselves to be, how you prove yourselves to be the blameless, innocent children of God above reproach in this world. Sure, grumbling, disputing is what everyone else does. That's just the point. So not doing it makes you distinct. It sets you apart. It identifies you as unique. You are not like everyone else in the world. You are the children of God. And so this is how you show it. This is how you prove it by doing all things without grumbling. And we talked about that word. It's the word for murmuring, muttering, that sort of under the breath mumbling that we do. Or disputing, which is a word for arguing a case or dialoguing. It's that constant questioning, talking back and forth. Never being satisfied, but always feeling like we have to argue about things, squirm our way out of doing what maybe what God commands. And that's the context here. If you remember verse 12, the point is, work out your salvation. And so the context here is working out our salvation and the all things that he's talking about is all the things related to that. All the things related to working out your salvation do without grumbling or disputing. Paul is saying you've always obeyed and now even more so continue to obey, do all that God commands, do all that working out your salvation requires and do it with fear and trembling, but without grumbling or disputing. And why is that? Verse 13, for it is God who is at work in you. So that's the context here. It's the context of your salvation. You are the children of God. God is at work in you. Do you understand that? Do you believe that? God is at work in you. And so the question is, do you trust him or not? If you trust him, then why this constant bickering? Why this constant grumbling and arguing? Why are you complaining? What part of his work in you are you disputing? Do we know better than him what's needed in our lives and what's best for us and what what the best way is to accomplish that? Of course not. By the way, what is his work in you? What is what is he doing? You notice it says in verse 13, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. What does that mean? It means that he is working. God is at work in you and he's working both on your will and on your ability, your desire to do, and your capacity to do His good pleasure. So he's changing your want to so that you want what he wants. And then he's changing your able to so that you're able to do what he wants. But he's working on all of those things that all of the time in your life and everything that he's doing in your life fits that somehow and facilitates that somehow. Nothing's wasted, nothing's superfluous. There are no accidents, there are no mistakes, it all works together for good. What good? That good. The good of him conforming you to the image of his son. So why would you complain about that? Why would you question how this trial or this hardship or this circumstance or this difficult relationship fits in with that? It's amazing to me that that we can know. We can know what God's up to in our lives, because Scripture tells us we can know that his purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ. And that that's that's the goal he's working toward and working all things together for that good, we can know that and yet still grumble and complain and question and doubt and argue about the process. I mean, what did you expect the process to be like? Have you ever seen this old house? Have you ever watched one of those extreme makeover shows? The before, And after is pretty dramatic, isn't it? Pretty extreme. But there is a process, isn't there? And usually it's a pretty messy process. A lot of demolition, a lot of debris before there's any noticeable progress. Or you ever drive through a work zone? You can't not around here, right? It's not pleasant, is it, to drive through a work zone. They typically, you know, funnel you into one lane or off to a side road and it's a tight, narrow deal and you got a brick wall or a concrete wall over here and you got either traffic or those barrels or cones over here and almost always they put at least one side of your car on those little di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di. And, you know, it's just white knuckle the whole time. Right? It's not pleasant. It's painful. It's not fun. It's not perfect. And it's not permanent. Well, that's a question. Ideally. But it's under, what? It's under construction. See? And so are you, is my point. So what do you expect? White knuckle, what do you expect about bumps? See, what do you expect about squeezed? So why are we complaining? But we do, don't we? I mean, you... You decide we're going to remodel the house. The wife finally talks you into it, or you're going to remodel the kitchen, or you're going to knock out a wall and gut this part of the house and add on. You get all excited about it. You hire someone to come in, and they draw it all up. You see the finished product, man, and you get all excited about it. We're getting a new kitchen. We're getting a new bathroom, or whatever it is. It's so exciting. You get to pick it all out, all the colors, and all the tiles, and all the carpet, and all the fittings, and everything else, fixtures. You know when you enter into that, there's a process involved, right? You know you're going to be inconvenienced. You know you're going to be cramped. You know there's going to be clutter. You know you're going to have to not use that part of the house for a while. You know you may be without electricity for a day or two. Well, but it's okay, isn't it? You can handle that because we're getting all new appliances or whatever. God is at work. in you. Your Heavenly Father, who has redeemed you with the precious blood of His Son, who is weaving all these things in your life together to make you just like Him, and you're complaining about the dust. See, that's what it amounts to when we when we carry on the way we do with our complaining and disputing. It's just like we're looking over our shoulder, looking over his shoulder, questioning his every step, questioning his every. Why are you doing that? Why are you doing that? We are his children, meaning he is our father. Do you trust him or not? All I have needed by hand has provided right. Hast thou not seen how thy desires all have been granted in what he ordaineth? So it's an issue of trust, isn't it? That's what it comes down to. And I think that's what was so irritating about the grumbling and disputing of the children of Israel in the wilderness, right? God redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. He sent them out of there literally having looted the land. They paid them to leave. They're on their way to the promised land. God is with them every step, day and night, visibly present with them, leading them, providing for them, protecting them. And what did they do? Complain. Were there not enough graves in Egypt? We had to come out here to die? This is all we get? Manna? Quail? What about the garlic? What about the leeks? What about the cucumbers in Egypt? Oh, well, then you get to the land of there's giants. Grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, and Paul saying to us, watch it, watch yourselves, you remember God's attitude toward all of that. Don't be like that, you're the children of God, show yourselves to be that the second reason for the world's sake. And you're the light of the world. Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach where in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world. And what a what a picture that is of our of our value, of our importance, our significance, our purpose in the world. To the world around us in darkness, we are the lights. So not grumbling and not disputing is not only a question of our trust, it's a question of our testimony. It's not just a question of our identity, but of our responsibility. We are the light of the world. You have something better to do than grumble or dispute. You have something bigger to do than that. You are the light of the world. You're the stars in the sky for some people. Shine already. Illumine. Be brilliant. Embrace your mission and purpose in this world. We're not here to be comfortable. We're not here to get our way. We're not here to be safe. We're not here to be healthy. We're not here to be rich. We're here to be light. People all around us are living in darkness. What difference does your presence make if you're grumbling and disputing? I was thinking about Jesus, you know, warning not not lighting a lamp and putting it under a peck measure or a basket. You know, we do that to ourselves, don't we? The world doesn't snuff out our light. The government doesn't diminish our influence. We do it to ourselves. with our constant grumbling and complaining. We demonstrate that we live apparently for the same things everyone else lives for. We're upset about the same things they're upset about and we have the same hopes they have and apparently no other hope and no brighter future than their future. Is that true? No. So why would we quench our own lights? Matthew 5, 14, you're the light of the world. The city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peck measure, but on the lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who's in heaven. See, that's that's basic. That's our identity, that's our purpose, that's our goal. Look at Ephesians 5. Paul talks about this in detail there. Ephesians 5, 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them for it's disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they're exposed by the light for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason, it says awake sleeper arise from the dead in Christ. will shine on you. Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Understand what the will of the Lord is. Don't be foolish. Don't get drunk with wine, for that's dissipation. But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and so on. See, it's a complete different way of life now. You were darkness. Now you are light in the Lord. Walk like it. There's no room anywhere in that, is there, for grumbling, for disputing. We have too much to do. Too much is at stake. You know, I think we all get that we are in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. You know, right? We get that. We see that. Oh, no doubt about that. In fact, it's probably more true of our generation than any, we might say. The problem is that makes us want to do what? It makes us want to withdraw, doesn't it? It makes us want to remove ourselves. It makes us want to hide. It makes us want to isolate and insulate from the world, retreat into our Christian safe houses. But that is the very opposite of what We are to do. Lights exist to shine, lights exist to illumine the darkness. Yes, it's dark. Yes, it's a crooked and perverse generation. Yes, the people around us walk in darkness, Ephesians 418 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. Yes, all that's true, but it was true of us also, wasn't it? You were formerly that, but now you're the light of the world. Walk as children of light. You say, how do we do that? Well, verse 16, in part, it's by holding fast or holding forth. The translations are divided on that, which it is. The word of life, the verb could mean either one, really, and some suggest perhaps Paul has both ideas in mind. We hold fast the word of life and we hold forth the word of life. But that's. Our answer, see, to the world's darkness, that's that's the source of our light is the word which gives life. So the point is we must get on with that. That's our duty in this crooked and perverse generation. Shine the light. Spread the Word. The reason we must do all things without grumbling or disputing is because grumbling and disputing doesn't advance the Gospel. It just doesn't. It doesn't contribute to the shining of the light and the spreading of the Word. There's a third reason, not only for God's sake, and you are the children of God, for the world's sake, and you are the light of the world, but for Paul's sake, and you are his glory and joy. Another, so that in verse 16, holding fast the word of life so that in the day of Christ, I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain or toil in vain. This is very interesting. To hear Paul say this. Why, Paul, would you have us do all things without grumbling or disputing? So that I will have reason to glory. That's why. What is he talking about? Sounds kind of selfish, doesn't it? Well, this is very personal for him. What he's saying is there's coming a day when we are all going to stand before the Lord at His coming, and I want that day to be a day of glory and joy. I want to look around and see you there, complete in Christ, glorified. I want to be able to exult in the knowledge that my investment in you was not a waste. I didn't run in vain. I didn't toil in vain. In other words, here's a man who was living his life with that day in mind, wasn't he? That day was real to him. Is it as real to you as it was for Paul? If it is, then work out your salvation. Cooperate with God's work in you. Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Hold fast the Word of Life. Hold forth the Word of Life. And he won't do it for Pete's sake. Do it for Paul's sake. That is how this section began. You remember, look at verse one. If any encouragement, if any consolation, if any fellowship, if any affection, compassion, what? Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love. Paul's joy is tied directly to their obedience and their faithfulness. And he wasn't bashful about making that a motivation for them. My joy is tied up in this. You better do this. He says as much in chapter 4, verse 1. Look at that. Therefore, my beloved brethren, whom I long to see, my joy and crown. In this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. See what he's saying? You're my joy. You're my crown. Don't disappoint me. I'm counting on you. You're all I've got. All I'll have to show for my labor is you, is what he's saying. All I'll have to glory in when we stand together before the Lord in His presence is your presence there with me. And the sweet knowledge that the Lord was pleased to use me in your life. And it worked. And here we all are. And notice how he describes that verse 17, but even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. What a graphic picture that is. Paul saying he's picturing you're the sacrifice on the altar. You saints, you believers from Philippi, you're the sacrifice being offered on the altar, and I'm the drink offering at the end, being poured out upon that, and all of us together rising as this smoke, rising as this sweet savor up to the Lord. What a way to view your life. What a way to view your ministry. to glory and is the joy that that I'm somehow being used as this sacrifice ascends up into the nostrils of God and that all of us are a sweet aroma to him. Do you think of your life that way? I'm just here to be poured out. I'm just here as a sacrifice in the service of. Your faith, whatever part I can play in that, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. That's the perspective that Paul had makes you want to be there with him, doesn't it? What makes you want to be a part of his reward? And all the other faithful servants that God has used in your life to do all things without grumbling or disputing for their sake, and then fourthly and finally, if nothing else, for your own sake. And this is the verse at the end, verse 18, you too, I urge you rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me all. And with that, we sort of come full circle, don't we? Why is it important to do all things without grumbling or disputing? So you'll have joy. So you'll have joy. Why, why would you deprive yourself of joy? Don't grumble or dispute. Rejoice. Do you realize that grumbling and disputing, that's all it does? All it does is deprive you of joy. That's all it can do. It kills joy. It doesn't make your life any better. It doesn't make your burdens any lighter. It doesn't help fulfill our mission in the world. It doesn't please God. It doesn't accomplish anything for the gospel. It doesn't help anyone get to heaven. It doesn't put the goodness and wisdom of our God on display for people to see. It doesn't open doors for evangelism. It doesn't compel anyone to become a Christian. It doesn't illumine the darkness. It doesn't hold forth the word of life so that those who hear and believe can be saved and live. It doesn't do anything to enhance your joy. Not now or for later eternity. Toward all the things that are important to us as believers, grumbling and disputing contributes absolutely nothing. Nothing. So for God's sake, for the world's sake, for the church's sake, for your own sake, stop complaining. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling without grumbling or disputing. In other words, what is he saying? Let joy abound. Right. I mean, what's what's better advertising for the gospel than a transformed life filled with joy? Don't snuff out your own light by holding on to bitterness, critical, complaining spirit. Hold on to the word of life and hold forth that word of life for others to hear it. That they may come out of the darkness into the light and into our joy and that our joy may be full. That's what Jesus talked about, isn't it? So here's the thing, the climate in our culture, there's no question, the climate in our culture, politically, morally, economically, I mean, you name it, the climate is perfect for grumbling and complaining and disputing. It's perfect for that. It's also perfect for evangelism. And there's a sense in which we need to decide which one We're going to be about which one we're going to do. Can't do both. And so we need to stay focused on our identity and mission and purpose and privilege. As the people of God in this world. and then do all the things that he commands of us without grumbling, without disputing. Father, thank you for this perspective. We need it. We desperately need it. Deliver us from this self-absorption, the self-centeredness that pervades our culture that only makes us discontent and dissatisfied and bitter and critical and open our eyes, father, to the privilege of who we are as your people and the privilege of how you want to use us in this world and. Help us. To see our lives, as Paul saw his a drink offering being poured out in sacrifice and service. For the faith of others. Find our joy in being the instrument you use to bring others to joy. May our joy be full as we stand together before Christ on that day. Help us to live with that day ever in view. We pray in His name.