For several weeks, we've been looking at the book of Philippians. In fact, this would be the 25th sermon as we go through the book of Philippians, verse by verse and maybe word by word. At this point, we will probably be going faster now that we've spent such a long time at verses 5 through 11, really the heart and center of this letter. This is also Our anniversary as a church, anniversary of our first signing of our covenant and instituting officially as a church, January 20th, 2008. It's more or less a four year anniversary, a little bit early, but that's OK. And oftentimes when we have such an event like this in January, we take a specific verse that's not a part of what we're doing. But today, I think providentially it makes sense and it will work very well to let the pathway that we're taking through Philippians actually intersect with our idea of taking a day out of the year to remind ourselves of who we are as a church and what God's charge would be to us. I think these things will intersect quite well as we look at Philippians chapter two, verses 12 and 13. And somewhat due because of lack of time, I'm not going to thrill you with a long gloriously put together introduction full of jokes and stories and big words as if I ever do that. But I want us to go directly into the text in Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13. I will say this as we look at these two verses, we will first look at the context. Which is quite important, as usual, but especially here, we'll then look at the command that Paul gives us. We'll look at the concern that comes from that command. But then we'll look at the comfort and the confidence that is given to help us with that concern. So it will be four parts. The context, the command, a concern, and then the comfort and confidence that is given in that context, in that concern. Now, I will say that verses 12 through 18 are a smaller section that actually fits in the larger section from verse 27 of chapter one to verse 18 in chapter two. When we started a long time ago and we said, conduct yourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, that was Paul's first exhortation in the letter. That's also the beginning of this long section that now ends in chapter two, verse 18. So let me read verses 12 through 18, but know that we will look only at verses 12 and 13 today. Therefore, my beloved, 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. This is the word of the Lord. May we hear it and may God do his work with it. Well, the context and again, we're looking only at verses 12 and 13, the context, yes, it goes all the way back to verse 27 in chapter one, and then it ends in verse 18 of chapter two. And in verse 27 of chapter one, Paul says, conduct yourselves in a manner that's worthy of the gospel of Christ. You are citizens of heaven. This is how you're to act. And we won't belabor the point because we probably have already many times in the past, but interestingly, his point is your conduct should be characterized by unity within the church. That's the main point he's introducing in verse twenty seven of chapter one. And he says that from verse twenty seven to the end of chapter one, he says this unity is first of all, to be be together in one mind, one love, one purpose as you are combating against those who are outside, as you stand, strive and suffer for the gospel of Christ. And ironically, on a very first covenant signing four years ago, that was the text that we used for our initial charge as a church. to stand, strive and suffer for the gospel. But then in chapter two, he's looking still at the unity of the church and exhorting us to be unified. But now it's as we look towards each other. He's saying, I want you to have the same mind, the same love, the same purpose within the church. as you have unity amongst yourselves. And we said it's often harder to have unity when we're sitting alone by ourselves than it is when we're fighting against something on the outside. And so more effort is put into this. And he says this unity has to be characterized by humility and a sacrificial, unselfish service within the church. So that's Paul's initial exhortation to the Philippians. But then he gives an example in verses 5 through 11 in chapter 2. And that example then is this. I've just told you, you need to be humbled and you need to be full of sacrificial, unselfish service. And so now I'm going to give to you Christ Jesus as the ultimate example, who though He is God, He humbled Himself and emptied Himself and came, became man, took on flesh and humbled Himself to the point of obedience to death on the cross. And He was then exalted on high to the highest place made known as the Lord of all, as we read before we sang our last hymn. So, Paul gives an exhortation. Then he gives the example. Now in verse 12, in the context, he's going to give an entreaty, an encouragement. It's an exhortation, but it's flavored with encouragement and tender love, as he's going to say, therefore, Therefore, because all that I've just said, even going back to chapter one, verse twenty seven, but especially what he just said in verses five through eleven of the humiliation, the exaltation of Christ. Therefore, this is the conduct I want you to have that is worthy of the gospel of Christ because of Christ himself. This is what I want you to do. And now that it's in the shadow or I think better yet, it's in the light of who Christ is and what he has done and what he's doing right now. in verses 5 through 11, it's all the more heightened. What he's getting ready to tell the Philippians, and therefore what he's getting ready to tell us, it's all the more heightened. The light is shining on there because of Christ that we've just looked at. It's as if he's saying, because of Christ's example of humility and sacrifice and obedience, I want you to do this. Because of Christ being exalted to the highest place He's able to empower us, to do what I'm asking you to do. And because the exaltation of Christ is the major purpose of the church, I want to encourage you to do what I'm asking you to do in verse 12 through 18. I said what he's going to say, starting in verse 12, is more than just an exhortation. It's an entreaty. It's an encouragement. Why would I say that? Well, look what he says. In verse 12, he says, therefore, which is pointing back to what we've just studied for several weeks. Therefore, my beloved. We don't say that very often now, do we? I wish we did. I do think that when I read how Paul talks about and to his brothers and sisters, even in the book of Philippians, I think sometimes we're embarrassed. We couldn't talk like that, especially as men were too manly to talk in such a way. But Paul, he's known as one who has such a great mind and a great will, who's willing to sacrifice his whole life for the sake of Christ. He's also a man who has a great heart and a great love, not only for Christ, but for the people of Christ. And he uses this term, beloved, only in terms of those who are also redeemed by Christ. And he uses it frequently in his epistles. He uses it often for those who are redeemed, entreating them into service, encouraging them to do what He's asking them to do by saying, My Beloved. It's part of His entreaty. In Philippians 4.1, there's a verse that really kind of shows this. We'll get to that in a few weeks. In Philippians 4.1, Paul says, Therefore, my Beloved and my longed for brethren, my joy and my crown stand fast in the Lord. Beloved. Their Beloved is a bookend on each side of what He's going to ask them to do. Why can Paul call his people in Philippi, My Beloved? And why can we be called My Beloved? Well, because first of all, we're in the Beloved One. We're in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 1 verse 6, Paul says that we are accepted in the Beloved One. We are in the Beloved One. Second of all, because we are beloved by God and by Christ. When Paul begins his letter to the Romans, he calls the saints the ones who are beloved by God and beloved of God. But also because we love the beloved. John makes that very, very clear. And with much repetition in chapter four of his first epistle, Paul says, or I should say, John says, Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." So, beloved, my beloved, Paul says. William Hendrickson, I think, concisely summarizes what Paul is saying here and how he's saying it. Hendrickson says, very tenderly, Paul addresses the Philippians as my beloved. He means you whom Christ loves and I also love with a love that is deep seated, thorough going, intelligent and purposeful. And so this Paul in the context, this command, he's saying, my beloved, he's entreating them. Listen to what I have to say. Because of who Christ is and what he has done, because you're the beloved, But he has one more thing that he uses here to try to encourage them, not just to command them, but to encourage them. He says, as you have always obeyed. Does that kind of encourage you to obey when someone says, well, as you've always obeyed, I want you to continue to obey, is what he's going to say. Because of Christ, you're my beloved. You're his beloved. And as you have always obeyed, he's appealing to how they have obeyed and how they've served in the past. He says, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. It's much easier to obey Paul when he's there. His authority being in your midst, it's a lot easier to say, yes, I'll do that. When Paul's there, you're reminded of the message of the encouragement of Paul. When Paul's there, his authority is watching over you. It encourages you to obey, even if maybe your heart's not in it. But Paul knows he's not there. He's heard they're still obeying. But Paul, remember, he's in prison. He may not live much longer. So he's concerned about his beloved. He may even be saying, remember how how you obeyed so thoroughly in the past, in the beginning, and maybe it would be easy for you to rest on what your achievements and your obedience has been in the past. And maybe now you're getting stale because you remember the good old days. You remember what God has done in the past. And now maybe it's not as easy as it was. So Paul's encouraging them. He's entreating them. My beloved, because of Christ and as you have always obeyed, press on. And obey all the further is what he's getting ready to say. Before we got to Philippians 2 verses 5 through 11, Paul said, I want you to be humble. I want you to be unselfish. I want you to be sacrificial in your service. And then he gives the example of Christ as the ultimate one who is humble and sacrificial and unselfish. But you might remember in the midst of what he talked about Jesus in that example he gave, he said Christ was obedient. He mentioned the centrality of Christ's obedience. So now after he's planted that mountain of Christ, that great hymn of Christ there in the midst of this, Now he says, remember the obedience of Christ that I've just given to you. I'm entreating you, my beloved, as you've always obeyed, obey like Christ Jesus as your example. That's the context that we have here, as Paul then starts in verses 12 and so on. And so that leads us then to the command that is given. In verse 12. Work out your own salvation. I want you to obey as Christ obeyed. And because of Christ, because you're the Beloved, and because you've obeyed in the past, now work out your own salvation. That's His command. Now, you might not realize this, but that phrase, work out your own salvation, causes a little bit of consternation for some people. A little bit of discussion. A little bit of argument, perhaps. But it really shouldn't. It's not that difficult. It might be easier to explain what work out your own salvation does not mean first. And maybe to illustrate that, don't turn there because we're not going to read it, but in your mind, turn back to Acts chapter 16. Do you remember what happened in Acts chapter 16? The beginning of the church at Philippi? And God's sovereign work in the hearts of men and women occurred there in Philippi, which was such an excitement to Paul and Silas, but also for the early church there at Philippi. You might remember Lydia, who God moved in her heart that she might believe. You might remember the slave girl who was demon possessed. And Paul cast that demon out. And we assume that she also believed and she came to Christ. As a result of their labors, Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. They were beaten. They were shackled. And here it was, nearing midnight, and they were praying and singing hymns. And you remember what happened. An earthquake came that shook the jail. The doors came open. The latches came open. And the jailer who was there, knowing that if my prisoners are free, I lose my life. So he takes the sword. The jailer takes the sword. He's getting ready to kill himself. And Paul says, don't do that. We're still here. We're not going anywhere. And the jailer then, I assume, throws down the sword. He comes running into Paul in silence and he says, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And Paul says, Well, Mr. Jailer, sir, you must work out your own salvation. He didn't say that, did he? Instead, he says something completely different. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will be saved. There's no working out. There's no no human effort, but it's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, that I would strongly assume that they were praying audibly to and about that the jailer would be hearing that they were singing about that the jailer would hear that they knew who this Christ was, what he had done and what his condition was before God. And so in this belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, there must be repentance and surrender to Christ and faith in Him. But there's no work involved. What does it mean to work out one's own salvation? Notice, Paul says, work out your own salvation. The salvation that he's speaking of is already there. The salvation is already wrought, it's already given, it's already worked in the believer. So now that it's there, work it out, apply it, live in it, exercise this salvation, this redemption, this regeneration that God has given you through Christ Jesus. Now that you're saved and that entirely by God, now that the work has begun, we now are responsible to work and obey in that salvation. Our salvation begins with the act of God's free grace, justification, but it continues in the work of God's free grace, which is sanctification. And so we're to work out our own salvation as salvation is already there. Now that we can work it out. I think Paul is saying this to the Philippians, especially because he's no longer there to encourage them. He's no longer there to hold them accountable. And it would seem like opposition and persecution is getting stronger for the Philippians. And so, Paul, out of his love for his beloved, he's saying, you must work this out. You must take the initiative and do your part now that the work has begun in you. You must exert yourselves. You must work out your own salvation apart from me being there with you in the midst, as we've just read, in midst of a perverse and crooked generation who is against you. You must work out this salvation, shining forth and bringing forth the Word of Truth. When Paul says this in the original, it really has the idea of continue to work out your salvation. It's not a one-time thing. It's a continuous, strenuous working out of one's salvation. It speaks of a daily, proactive, continual exertion of the whole being, of all of who you are, in pursuit of Christ likeness, in pursuit of the exaltation of Christ himself. When preachers or certain groups seem to imply or even go even more explicit to say that Christianity is easy, that you just have to let go and let God, that you come to Christ and now you've got a free ticket out of hell and into heaven. and now your life is made perfect and joyful and happy, that's from the pit of hell. Christianity is hard work. Jesus says as much. It involves effort after salvation. And the entirety of salvation is a process that's begun by God. But then once it started and once God is working in us, it's a process in which we run, pursue and press on. Did you catch that in verses 14 through 18, what Paul is talking about? When we get into that, we'll see more of the details of this working out our salvation. It involves labor. It involves pressing forth, running not in vain, but for the Lord. So Paul says, My beloved, because of Christ and as you've always obeyed, work out your own salvation. A salvation that God has worked in you and begun. Now, Lord willing, in two weeks, next week, we have a missionary coming and speaking, but in two weeks, when we get back to Philippians chapter two, we may spin our wheels more so on this working out our salvation. The scripture is far more in depth what that means. But I think we're OK for this morning, for what we're looking at this morning. But when you think about working out your own salvation, there may be a concern. We've had the context, now the commandment, now there's a concern, there may be a concern. And I think Paul voices that concern when he says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now, I thought Paul was entreating. I thought he was encouraging. Why is he using such negative words like work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? That seems a little bit not what we'd expect. That's not encouraging. And I think as well today, in American Christianity, because that's all I know personally, I suppose, in Kansan Christianity, In evangelical Christianity, we whitewash the idea of fear and trembling. When we see that we're to have the fear of God, we quickly say, oh, well, that can't really mean fear, because, well, that just doesn't sound good. God's a God of love, and so when it says fear, it must mean, well, we have a certain awe and reverence of who God is. Well, you know, Christ is my buddy. God's the big man upstairs. And so the idea of fear, it really doesn't register with us, even in the Christian community, if I can use that word. But I do think, my beloved, that when Scripture speaks of the fear of God, I think it means fear of God. So let us not whitewash that. But again, let me use the tact of what does it not mean first, before we look at what actually I think means in this context, especially. What does it mean to be working out one's salvation in fear and trembling? Well, Pastor Al Martin explains this very well, I think, when he says, first of all, it doesn't mean a cringing fear. You know the kind of cringing fear that maybe sometimes we get into? The cringing fear that would be like that of a criminal who is stolen and he's running from the law and he's cringing everywhere he goes because somebody's looking over his shoulder, somebody's around the corner, and he can't enjoy what he has, what he's stolen, because it's not his. It's actually the whole purpose why he's cringing. It's not a cringing fear that renders us inoperable. It's also not a fear of uncertainty. That, oh, no, I don't know if God really means what he says. Maybe that hope I have in Christ isn't well founded. Maybe my salvation isn't assured. Maybe the position I have is not what the scripture says it is. It's not a fear of uncertainty. We have no condemnation in Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We have the inheritance of Christ Jesus to treasure and enjoy and to use for his glory. It's not that sort of a fear. I think that here and how Paul uses this phrase fear and trembling and a few other places in his writings. What we have here is it's a fear that's characterized by the anxious, a true anxious concern that arises from our knowledge of who we are. But then who Christ is in the enormity of our calling in him. It's a fear that arises from the anxious concern because we know who we are and who Christ is and what he's called us to do. We have just seen again, Philippians 2, 5 through 11, we see the great mountaintop, the great hymn of Christ and the greatness of Christ and his humility and his exaltation. Though He is God, He empties Himself and He becomes like us. He humbles Himself, though He is very God, to obedience to a shameful, bloody death on the cross. Why? Because of our sin that we could do nothing about. And He took on Himself what we deserved and what we could never endure, that we might be set free. And therefore, we're humbled before Him and we want to love and please Him above all else. But then we look at ourselves and think, If we're honest, I'm a sinning, frail man or woman. How can I respond appropriately to this? And there's fear that develops from that. Then we see Christ who's exalted to the highest place, a place where all will bow and all will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And we said He's coming back in glory. And we are then called to exalt him as well. We're called to proclaim him, to represent him. And we want to make him known. We want to see him praised and adored. We sing, Jesus shall reign wherever the sun, and we mean that. But then we see ourselves. In light of who Christ is and the enormity of what He's called us to do, we see ourselves, if we're honest and we see our depravity, our weakness, our failure, we recognize that there's no good thing in us. And fear and trembling ought to ensue. It ought to result. And we think, How can I sin so freely? Because now I've been given a new heart and sin is distasteful to me. I hate it because I don't want to blaspheme my Lord. I don't want to defame my Lord because of sin in my life and disobedience. And I think, well, how can I sin so freely? Am I trampling upon the blood of Christ? What sort of love is this? What sort of way is this to please Him? How can I misrepresent Him so? I think of Philippians, chapter two, when the Jews were said that that even though we're giving all of the privileges of being the ones chosen by God, they blaspheme the name of God amongst the Gentiles. And so we, as those who have been saved by Christ, the beloved ones, we think, I don't want to defame the name of Christ in the world. The Christ I'm called to represent and to proclaim and exalts. We think of Joseph in Genesis 39 when he's being enticed by Potiphar's wife to come to the bedroom. And the most important thing he says is, how could I do this thing? And what? And sin against my God. That's fear and trembling in a positive way. And not only that, we have the battle against the flesh But we have the battle against the world. We have the battle against the devil. We even see that in verses 14-18 about the battle in these areas. Our battle is a difficult battle. We see who we are. The battle we have when we see the glory of Christ and the enormity of what He has called us to. And so fear and trembling ought to be present. Does that register with you? As I was studying this passage, most of the time we run to the working in and the working out. But I was struck with something that we don't notice, that this fear and trembling is such an important part of what Paul is commanding here. In fact, in the original, it's really being emphasized. It's really more so with fear and trembling, work out your salvation. It's not an afterthought. It's in the forefront with fear and trembling. obey and work out your salvation. But I want to warn you, it's not meant to render us helpless as if, oh, why even try? I'm so worthless. Some of us become like that. We've all been like that. Some of us know others that are like that. They deal with that more than others. It's not to render you helpless and useless. It's to motivate you. It's to humble you to know that you must depend on God in Christ Jesus to work out your salvation. and to accomplish the call that God has called you to do. You must depend on Him all the more. You must be careful. You must be proactive. You must work at this. Which is what Paul is saying. And so that's the concern. To work out this salvation with fear and trembling. Or even better yet, with fear and trembling, work out your salvation. So now are you kind of concerned? I thought this was kind of easy to do. Now I'm concerned. You're almost saying, Pastor Nish, that you helpless slimeball, you can't do anything. That's not what I'm saying. Remember that it's God who has begun a good work in you. You're not the same. You've been redeemed. And that then brings this last point. The comfort and the confidence that Paul gives us here. Yes, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, for his good pleasure. Don't forget that final point. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, for his good pleasure. What Paul is doing here, he is saying, you are empowered by God. And it's been empowered in such an extent that it should comfort you and give you confidence. And the glorious end of that empowerment should give even more comfort and confidence. Did you catch that empowerment, extent and end? There's three parts to this. First of all, God empowers you. It's God who works in you. You are empowered by the very God of the universe. Fear and trembling removes our confidence and our pride in ourself. But then knowing that it's God who works in you creates the confidence and yes, even the pride in God and in Christ, because he's working in you, that you might be able to work it out in your salvation. Notice there's no if attached to this. It doesn't say, for it is God who works in you, if you only surrender a lot more. Or it's God who works in you if you would have greater faith. It's God who works in you if you work harder. For it's God who works in you. No strings attached. This is a bookend to what Paul said in Philippians 1.6. I think we did spend quite a bit of time in that. And we referred back to Philippians 2.12 and 13. But in Philippians 1.6, Paul says, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God has begun the work in you. He not only saves you, but he changes you so that you might then be able to work it out. Do you understand this? God is working in. You're working out concurrently. And the question is, well, who's responsible for my growth in the Christian life? Is it me or is it God? And the answer is quite obviously, yes. You're both responsible. There's not a contradiction here. It's God who's working in and you who are working it out. And it should give you great confidence and comfort that He who has began a good work in you will continue it until the point of its finished glorified state. With that as the backdrop, with that as the foundation, then you can work it out. Take what God has done with you and what He's working in you and work it out knowing that there will be success. And nothing should give you more comfort and confidence than that. And do you see the extent of this empowerment? He doesn't merely say, for it's God who works in you. So go at it. He says it's God who works in you both to will and to do. He doesn't just work in you good works. He works in you a change of your will, a change of your heart, a change of your desires. Last week, we looked at Psalm one and we said the one who's the blessed man, the one who's the redeemed man, he delights in God's law. So that you would expect it would be explaining all the good things he does. But what characterizes the man who's blessed by God, the one who's blessed, first of all, by redemption in Christ is the man who delights in God's law because he's delighting in God in that way. That doesn't happen if God doesn't first change your will that you would hate sin and love the things of God and then be willing to. And now you're able then to serve after God and to work after God. The one that God has begun a new work in has the law of God written on his heart. He has the spirit of God to enable him to desire God in all of his ways. And this God's work results in your work and what you desire and what you're able to do. There's a plethora of scripture that shows this this back and forth God working in you that you might work out. The easiest one is Ephesians chapter two, where Paul says, you who were dead in your trespasses and sin have now been made alive. The work is begun in you, not because of anything you have done, but because what God has done to raise you from the dead. For by grace, you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Isn't that a glorious picture? God works in you. He changes you from the inside out that now you're able to will and to do according to what He would want you to do. And now you're working that out with the works of God that God has prepared in advance for you to do as well. It should encourage you to work. to serve, to obey. If you'd like some examples, kids, kids, examples wake you up. Think of Lazarus in John chapter 11. Remember Lazarus? Do you remember Lazarus? He was dead in the tomb. And again, Mr. James says, he stinketh. He was very much dead. called out to Lazarus by name, Lazarus, come forth. He had no life beforehand, but when Christ called out his name, he was given new life and a work was begun in him. That's the picture we see. And then in a sense, he works it out by he gets up, he shuffles out of the tomb. We assume he's still wrapped up, but he comes forth. Why? because now he's able to will and to do according to God's good pleasure, to do what Christ has commanded him to do. The work was begun, and it begins being worked out in him. Another example, to fit in your mind, in John chapter 5, we have the lame man, the one who's unable to walk. And Christ commands him, He says, pick up your mat and walk. And now that the work has begun in him, this man was able to get up, and he did. He worked by getting up, picking up the mat, and He walked. These are pictures of what it means to be empowered by God. Him that is working in you. The work was begun in you, but it's extent to both your will and your doing that now you can work it out because of the change that's occurred. For the last part that should be an encouragement, that should be a comfort and a confidence for you. Notice what Paul says, is God who works in you, both to will and to do, But what's the end purpose of this? The empowerment, the extent, and now the end purpose? For His good pleasure. This work that is begun by Him, He promises to carry it out, and it affects our will and our works, but even more so, it's for His good pleasure. When you are saved, God is working in you for His glory and His pleasure. Do you think if he has saved you and he's begun to work in you and he promises to work that out in you, do you think he's going to leave you alone and not get to the end, which is for his pleasure and his glory? And doesn't that motivate you all the more knowing that you can then be working with God, working out the salvation that He's working in you, a working that affects your whole being, your will and your actions, so that you then can work out your salvation for the pleasure of God. I think the pleasure of Christ as well. That's an amazing thought. For His good pleasure. And so because of God and His work in us and all the benefits, Yes, in fear and trembling to make us be founded on who we are and who God is and the calling we have. But we can do this as a branch that abides in the vine of Christ, we can be empowered by him and we can be working out this salvation in our willing and our doing according to his good pleasure. Well, in closing, since this is our yearly charge to all of us as a church and a reminder to all of us as a church, as we prepare to renew our vows as a church, I said earlier that we began our church with the charge from Philippians 1, verses 27 through 30, that we were called, as Paul called the Philippians, to stand, strive, and suffer for the gospel's sake. That was a message before the great mountain of the wonder and the glory of Christ in verses 5 through 11. And now it seems fitting that four years later, we're on the other side of the mountain in the great shadow, but better yet, the light, the blazing light of who Christ is and what he's called us to do in verses 5 through 11. And so on this our anniversary, let me entreat you as Paul entreated the Philippians. Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City. Therefore, remember our conduct is to be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Remember the exhortation to stand, strive and suffer for the gospel. Remember the exhortation to unity through humility and unselfish sacrificial service. Therefore, Remember, our existence and our purposes as a church also rest in this immense light of Christ. We exist because of Christ's humiliation and exaltation. We exist because he condescended to be like us, to redeem us. We exist because he rose and he reigns in heaven for us and through us. And we exist so that we might proclaim him and be made like him and to exalt him to the glory and the pleasure of God. Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City. Therefore, I entreat you, my beloved. Remember the great truth that you are in the beloved, that you are therefore beloved by God and Christ. And we are called to love one another as the beloved. Therefore, I entreat you, my beloved, as you have always obeyed. Remember the obedience, the sweetness, the ease of our obedience on that first day. During that honeymoon period, when we first gathered as a church, we had big dreams and the relief that we were gathering together like minded, anticipating what God was going to do. It's easier to obey at that time, isn't it? Before time comes in and we see the warts and we see the blemishes on one another and the relationships aren't quite as strong as we'd like to. And maybe our like mindedness isn't quite as strong as it should be. Remember not to rest on our obedience in the beginning. but to continue to obey, and all the more as we continue forth. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do for His good pleasure. I charge you to continue the work at Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City, working out what God is working in us, working continuously, purposely together for the cause of Christ, working in fear and trembling, recognizing our own weakness, but the great calling. And if we have that fear and trembling, we remember our humility before each other so that our relationships within the church are characterized by love and patience and forgiveness. And we have that fear and trembling. We recognize the seriousness of our task before God and before the unbelieving world to present Christ in all his glory to that world. working out what God is working in our wills and our actions, depending on Him for our strength and the results, and working indeed for His glory and His good pleasure. So my final charge is, my beloved, may we be the humble means through which our Father works, finishing the work that He began in us and continues through us so that Christ may be exalted for God's glory and God's pleasure. Let us pray. Dear, gracious, but holy Heavenly Father. Oh, you have called us to an astounding work and you have called us to serve an astounding Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we sit at the feet of Christ on this other side of verses five through eleven, this other side of this great mountain of a hymn of the glory and the wonder of who Christ is. And we gladly sit here. Being desirous to to confess him as Lord and to bow down before him as Lord and then to be part of his exaltation as Lord. Lord, we plead with you. that you would enable us. You would take the work that you have begun in us and you would continue to work it out and you would enable us then to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. That Christ would be exalted. That Christ would be proclaimed so that through your work and not ours, through your work working through us and our being obedient in that, that you would bring sinners to Christ like you brought us. And Lord, you would be pleased. You would be glorified. May it be so in us. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.