Please turn with me now to the book of Philippians. The book of Philippians, we want to look at chapter 2. We'll begin with verse 1 and read to verse 18. Philippians chapter 2, beginning with verse 1 and reading to verse 18. It's found on page 1349 to 1350 of the Bibles provided there in your seats. Remember, this is God's Word. It's inerrant, it's infallible, and it's perfect. So let us hear it then. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or vain conceit. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And then our text. Therefore, my beloved brethren, as you have always obeyed, not as in my absence only, but now much more, I'm sorry, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, 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 to do for his good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become 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 that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. for the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me." Thus far the reading of God's holy word. Remember the grass withers and the flower falls, but God's word abides forever. Amen. So what are some reasons that you are obedient? I mean, the whole point that Paul is making in verses 12 through 18 centers around the idea of obedience. So why do you obey? I'm not necessarily thinking of getting into the theology of obedience and the technicalities regarding scriptures at this point. I'm just thinking in general. you're called upon to obey, why do you do so? Well, when you were younger, it was the threat of the consequence, right? The reminder that if you don't obey, you're gonna be in trouble. And so there's this sense of an authority that's present and based on the authority that is there, you consequently say, well, I don't wanna upset the authority, so I will follow through. But when the authority isn't present, well, who knows? Don't you remember it being like that in school? The teacher gets called out of the room, and what happens? Immediate chaos. Kids are crazy, things are being noisy, paper airplanes flying across the room, or wads of paper. And then next thing you know, you hear the teacher, everyone sits like perfect angels, only to see the chaos that had erupted, and the teacher, of course, knows. The presence of authority strengthens obedience. The absence of authority, who knows? It may also be the aspect of the power of someone in your life. For example, you're driving down the road. You've heard this example by Dr. Kerner over the last couple of weeks. You're driving down the road, you're speeding, and next thing you know, you see the law officer that's sitting there on the side, and what happens? You look at your speedometer and immediately take your foot off the pedal and you slow down. So you render obedience at that moment because of the position that one is in that can bring a consequence on you. Sometimes we obey simply because of peer pressure. Everyone else is obeying, we will obey, because we don't want to stick out as opposed to the rest and consequently then be different or be the one who has to deal with the pressure. The results. Sometimes we disobey because everyone else is disobeying, and so it can work either way. The point being is that large numbers can have significant changes in their lives simply because others are having an influence. There may also be some things as it pertains to one's own personality. Sometimes kids are very compliant. Same mom, same dad, and one child, they're the angel, right? And the other child, eh. Some have just a sense in which, now y'all are going through and going, is it me, is it me? Or you find that your siblings are gone, you look at your parent and go, angel, right mom? Sometimes it's just simply an aspect of one's own personal responsibility. Maybe they've been directed by their upbringing or by their beliefs or by something else and consequently it leads them to this. The Apostle Paul in our text this morning is talking about obedience. He's talking about living out the Christian life. And he does so tied in with the general theme that we've seen throughout this epistle, which is the theme or subject of joy. And so here he's noting joyful obedience. The concept of joy comes to us from verse 17 and 18 when he says, if I'm being poured out in of service for your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you. And for the same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me. And yet even as he's citing joy, it's joy in the context of obedience. Because notice what he says in verse 12. As you've always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. But why would he give this encouragement to obedience? After all, in terms of this passage, he has come and addressed the congregation there in Philippi. He notes his praise and thanksgiving for them. He notes the wonder and beauty and glory of Christ being preached and the consequence in his life that as long as Christ is preached, he's happy, he's satisfied with that because all he desires is to honor and please Christ. And from the direction or the attention of pleasing the Lord Jesus, he encourages the congregation to do the same. And then in chapter two, he notes why it's all about the Lord Jesus Christ. if you're visiting with us this morning and this is the first time you've ever been in church, you may be wondering that yourself. Why is it that Christ is so important? Why is he so significant? Why is it that we are identified by his name as Christians? And verses five through 11 of chapter two really cite that because we note that the Lord Jesus is fully God and fully man, that He's existed from eternity past, and yet, in light of our miserable condition and our sin, He, as the second person of the Godhead, decided to come into this world in order to redeem a sinful people to Himself. And in order to do that, we see in verse 8 that He humbled Himself to the will of God. and obediently subjected himself even to the point of death. Now God didn't leave him there. The Lord Jesus submitted Himself obediently to the Father, even to the point of a miserable death. God in turn said, I love you, I'm pleased with what you've done. And so He raised Him up in order to seed Him and show Him to be glorious and wonderful and spotless. And as a result of this glorious position that God the Father has given to the Son, We as those who belong to the Lord Jesus are then being challenged that just as Jesus obeyed even to the point of death, we're called to obey even to the point of death. And so this morning we want to consider how do we joyfully obey or how do we heed the call to joyfully obey following after the example of the Lord Jesus? There's four basic things that we see brought out with this. Firstly, we want to consider simply the encouragement to obey. It's important that we hear the encouragement because oftentimes obedience is put as a threat. Obey or else. Paul doesn't do that. He says, this is a wonderful thing. This is a beautiful thing. It's a glorious thing. And so I want to encourage you in this. So we hear this encouragement towards it. And then from the encouragement, he gives the exhortation. He says, this is what you're supposed to do. And yet, as we are exhorted, called upon, challenged, to obey, Paul then tells us it's not up to us. It's not simply up to us. It's not about our own power or strength, but he says you can do so because you are empowered by God himself. And then lastly, he lays out the effect. What's the effect of this obedience? And he notes the effect that it has on Christians, the effect it has on non-Christians, and consequently, even the effect that it has on preachers. So let's note then firstly this encouragement. Notice what Paul says. Therefore my beloved, as you've always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation in fear and in trembling. Here's the encouragement. Paul comes to note this example of Christ, everything that the Lord Jesus has done on our behalf, his humiliation, his exaltation, his humiliation even to the point of suffering the curse of God for our sins and then God saying, I love you and I accept this and I'm going to then raise you up to be in this position of glory and exaltation to show that you have conquered, that you have accomplished And Paul says, as a consequence, think about obedience. And yet notice the encouragement that he gives. He calls him my beloved. This is why I said it's an encouragement. Paul's not like the DI in the army. Doesn't care about you. Usually the DI sometime within the first week or two, if not even the first day, will look at everyone in the squad and say, forget your mom, forget your dad, I'm your mama. I'm your dad. Whatever I say goes. Whatever I tell you to go, you go. Whatever I tell you to do, you do. And if you don't like it, tough. You follow after me and you follow after me and you do so as I call you to do. But that's not Paul here. Paul's not on the side going, come on and pounding them and threatening them and causing them to just go forward in fear. But instead he says, you know what? I'm bringing this to you out of love. I'm encouraging you to think about who Jesus is and what he has done. And as he has obeyed and as you are identified his name, I want you to do the same. He even notes this aspect of encouragement, this affection, this love, because he cites, I know who you are, I know what you've done, and as you've done this when I was with you and are now having to do this in my absence, continue to go forward in this. And yet even in this encouragement of obedience by implication, He's noting where their value needs to lie. He's ultimately telling them, don't follow after the Christian life simply because of me. Do so because of the Lord Jesus Christ. How often in your life have you found that it's easier to live the Christian life because others are spurring you on in this? Particularly, how often have you found it to be the case because you've really connected to a particular pastor or a teacher? And so anything they say goes. You can't wait to wake up in order to hear them or to read their latest book in order to connect with them. The Apostle Paul is encouraging the congregation there at Philippi to ensure that their obedience isn't just simply because of him. One minister identified this as a proxy obedience. The idea that you have someone in your stead and so consequently as they go, you go. As their strength and your strength and as they're down, you're down. We can do this not only with pastors, but even with spouses. Husbands, maybe your wives are more the reader or more the listener. And so you think to yourself, I've got it made because my wife's keeping up on all this stuff. And so consequently, my faith and my holiness is strengthened because of her. Where does your security lie? Where does your strength remain? Where is your hope founded? Paul, in his encouragement, is setting before the church at Philippi in love and in compassion to ensure or to draw their attention not to him, but ultimately to the Lord Jesus. And so he says, obey. And yet in this, he then exhorts them as to what to do. What is disobedience? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. What is he talking about here? Is he now citing all of a sudden that, did Paul somehow or another, you know, fall in his house arrest, forget what he wrote in Ephesians 2 verse 8 and 9 when he says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Is he somehow embraced works righteousness here? Because after all he says, work out your own salvation. Notice firstly here, He does not say work for your salvation. He does not say work at your salvation. He does not say work up to your salvation. To work for your salvation means earn it. To work at it means that it's contingent upon you to ensure that it really is yours. To work up to it means that there's this standard and as long as you can reach up and you can grab it and you can get it, it's then yours. Paul isn't noting any of that here. He's not saying that you somehow attain salvation by your self-effort. I mean, in fact, isn't that what we heard from Belgic Confession of Faith this morning, Article 24, when it reminds us that in terms of our good works, there's still imperfections, there's still things that are lacking, there's still things that are weak, that if we were to look at that, we would find that it wouldn't be enough, that it wouldn't be sufficient, and consequently, it wouldn't meet up to the perfections of God's righteous standards. He's noting here that the believer is to walk as Christ did. This isn't in any way the attainment of salvation by self-effort, but rather the evidence and reflection of a life that has been transformed inwardly by the grace of God. Listen to what John writes in 1 John 2. 1 John 2, verse six. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. It's the evidence that shows that the Christian is not somehow passive or dormant, but rather there is a constant energy that the believer, that the child of God can say, this is the evidence, this is the manifestation, this is the thing that is being worked in me and through me to show that I truly belong to God Himself. I am a child of the King. Paul is saying, carry forward in this. Walk as Christ did. How did he walk? He walked in obedience to the Father. He said, my will is to do the will of the one who sent me. Those who have his name upon us will also say, my desire is to love, honor, and obey my heavenly Father, to do his will in all things. But we also note that Christ, in order to do this, did it by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you look over in Luke chapter four, this is right around the time of the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark talks about this, and Matthew in his gospel also identifies these things. But listen to what Luke says in Luke chapter four, verse one. Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit. Again, in verse 14 of Luke chapter 4, we read, Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. The point is that the way in which Jesus could obey the Father, the way in which Jesus could fulfill all that was set before Him to put Himself even to the point of the obedience of suffering death on the cross is that He lived this out by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we follow after Him and as He was equipped, so then we also are equipped by God's Spirit in order to be able to go forward to work with fear and trembling. This idea of work is brought out elsewhere in the scriptures as the idea of following after. Paul in Philippians chapter three says that, not have I already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. In Romans 14, he notes, I press on to the upward calling or the high calling of God in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 9, he notes that it's a contest of running and beating his body into submission, a fight. In 1 Timothy 6, he notes it's a race. What do we see in all these things? In races, you have active runners. In fights, you have active boxers. In contests, you have competitors that are involved and engaged. If you press on, you go forward, you're not on the sideline, you're not sitting down, you're not resting on your laurels, you're not thinking back to what happened in the past or a hope for what is future. But there is engagement, there is involvement, there is deliberate intention. There is an energy that is manifest, an effort in life to go forward in the task that God has set. Paul exhorts all of us to engage in the Christian life. This is important for us to hear because it's easy for us to say, well, I'll get to it one day. One day I'll reach it. Right now I've got some other stuff that I want to do. I still want to live a little bit. I still want to engage in certain things. I still want to find things. There's still certain activities that I want to do, and I know it conflicts with what God notes in His Word, and so I'll wait, but then one day I'll come. Dear person, you don't know what tomorrow brings. You don't know what the Lord has in store. Why wait? Today is the day to engage in the race and run. Wasn't this to be the year of the Olympics? Runners, competitors, all with hopes of being able to get a medal. And what's happened? We can't do it now, virus. You don't know what's going to happen in your life. Paul also notes it's not simply a matter of sitting on what's happened in the past. It's now, it's continuous, it's present, it's going forward. And yet notice what he says. To do so with fear and trembling. This isn't an approach that says, I got this. I'm on it. I can do this. This is a sense of noting that there is a fear and an awe and a trembling to come before God Himself and live a life that is pleasing unto Him and reflects Him and honors Him. It's aware of one's own weakness and the temptations that are around us. It's an awareness of being identified as a child of the King. Just who He is. And yet even with that, notice the empowerment. Because I think oftentimes we hear what Paul says, and we go, yeah, yeah, yeah, beloved. And then we go, work out your own salvation. How do I do that? I mean, I can't work out little things in my own life. I'm barely organized. I barely have my things together. I barely can put one foot in front of the other when I get up in the morning. How much coffee do I get in order to be able to work this out? Because I need at least a pot before I get going during the day. If you're feeling that way, notice what Paul says in verse 13. God works in you. both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Yes, the Christian life involves us, but it doesn't just involve us. Think about the idea that God is at work in you. Who is God? He's the glorious eternal one. He's the all-powerful one. He's the all-knowing one. He's the all-seeing one. He's great and glorious and cannot be touched or comprehended with anything in this earth. And yet as He reveals Himself and manifests Himself, He does so in great holiness, but also in great love and mercy and kindness as poured out on the Lord Jesus Christ and anyone who is connected to His Son. is the recipient of that same love and grace so that you are assured in Christ you have been forgiven and you've been cleansed and He Himself then calls you and empowers you and gives you and strengthens you. God Himself does that. And so we see then the joy to then go, hey, If God himself is for me, who can be against me? God empowers your ability to love him. God empowers your ability to serve him. God empowers your ability to reflect his character. See, it's not up to you. Yes, you act. Yes, you will. Yes, you do. Yes, He works through you so that you ultimately can then say, because God is at work in me, I see these things in me and through me. And yet it's ultimately because of Him. Because we know that left in ourselves and up to ourselves, we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins. We would still be overcome by our sin. We would still want unrighteousness. We will still love disobedience. We would still desire things that go against Him and His will. But because of His great love with which He loved us, He has changed us and seated us with His Son in the heavenlies. so that what Christ wants, we want, and what Christ does, we do. And what Christ seeks to accomplish, we also accomplish. Notice how the Apostle Paul lays this out in Ephesians 3. He says praise, he gives praise unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as the entire kingdom of heaven has come together and then he says that he would grant what? According to the riches of his glory to be strengthened through his Son and the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith so that you're rooted and grounded in love and may be able to comprehend what? The width, length, depth, height of the love of God. To know his power. to know His glory. Now what does He say? To Him be glory. Remember, Jesus says that He has to go away in order to send His Spirit, who's at work in you, who leads you, who comforts you, who guides you, who encourages you, who directs you. God's present with you. Lastly, He brings out His purposes. All for what? the sake of His good pleasure. God at work in you to will and to do of what? His good pleasure. Oftentimes, as Reformed Christians, I think we really focus on duty. We embrace duty. We like duty. Duty is simple. Duty is easy. do this and you're good, don't do that, you're bad, so stay away from all the stuff that you're not supposed to do, do all the stuff that you're supposed to do and everything's good. But the place we don't dwell enough in that we need to dwell more in is delight. the psalmist delighted in God's law, the psalmist delighted in the presence of God, the psalmist delighted in the power of God and the hope that he had through God. And again and again, it was encouragement and it was strengthening, it was an empowerment, and it was just a beautiful thing to note that there is an opportunity to be able to enjoy, to taste and see that the Lord is good, that there is a privilege to be able to engage with God Himself in fellowship so that it is expressed as sweet and joyous and wonderful and pleasant. And notice Paul here notes that as God is at work in you to will and to do what? Of His good pleasure. Of that which is pleasing to God, to be able to know that you are bringing delight to your heavenly Father, to know that you are thinking and doing what pleases Him, to know that you are fulfilling His purposes, so that as there is the work of obedience, as there is the desire to worship, and as you engage in all things to the honor and glory of His name, you know that He's going, check, check, check, up on my refrigerator. That's mine. That's me in him. And isn't that what we ultimately want? Isn't that what we ultimately desire? Isn't that what we long for? Isn't that what we pray for? Isn't that ultimately the joy that we're seeking and the hope that we are pursuing and the goal that we're wanting to achieve? So what does Paul say? He says, here's this encouragement to you. I say it out of love, not out of criticism, not out of command, not out of challenge, not out of absence, but truly out of love. That with great awe and with a great sense of wonder, you see God. And yet what's the joy? You seek Him because He's at work in you. How many of you know of the work of God in your life now? How many of you can see His hand upon you, in you, and through you? How do you see the evidence that it is occurring in you? Do you desire what He desires? Do you do what He calls you to do? Is it your aim? Is it your goal? Is it your purpose and delight to hear the voice of your God tell you, well done, I love you, I'm pleased? If not, come to Him. His yoke is easy, His burden is light. Some of you are under the struggle and the challenge and the burden of attempting to achieve your way unto God, and yet you see just how restrictive it is, how hard it is, how there's a lack of joy in it, how hurtful it is, how much of a struggle, how much of a burden it is, and just how you are overwhelmed by it. Paul says it doesn't have to be that way. Because you can know that God can be at work in you, that it's not just up to you. So come to him through the Lord. Tell him I want to let go of these things. Simply want your work in my life. Some of you know this and yet, you've forgotten it, you've left it, you've abandoned it. Your wheels are spinning. You feel like things are going okay for a time, but you're going back further and further. That's because you've only focused on the first part. You work. You've forgotten that God works. Humber yourself under his mighty hand. Cry out that he would change your attention, your focus, your attitude, to be confident not in yourself or in him. Some of you are rolling well. And you know that God is at work in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Never forget it. Notice the joy in that. And as you shine this forth, and as you manifest it among your fellow Christians, come alongside of them as Paul did. Encourage them. Build them up. empower them by your presence, empower them by your love, empower them by your words, empower them by your example, that they may see and reflect on the joy of obedience and follow after you as you follow after Christ. There is a joy that can be found in here. It's not just simply based on the influence of peers or the power of someone on the side of the road threatening us or the presence of an authority figure, but something far better, far greater, far more wondrous, the living God Himself at work in you, causing you to love, delight, desire, and do His holy will. May He give us this joy now, in all ways. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we hear the call that is set before us. We see the living example and the lives of those in your word and through the corridor of history. We confess the struggles that we have in this. How easy it is for us to focus on obedience and on righteousness and forget that the power and strength of it lies in you. redirect our attention. Some of us don't even know it yet. Awaken their hearts. And for those who are seeking and following after you, build them up in this with the confident knowledge that you are present, that you will never leave them nor forsake them, that you are upholding them, that you're guiding them, that you're leading them, and that you're glorifying your name by them and through them. And as we're all at these various stages, we pray that You would ultimately set our hearts and our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.