Grow Like Jesus

It is always good for us to keep our eyes on Jesus. For when we look at how Jesus lived among us we are often inspired by his life.  We are moved by his compassion to the hurting.  We marvel at the way he included those the world rejects.  And we’re blown away by His unconditional love displayed for us on the cross.  And yet it as we learned last week, Jesus did all these things simply because He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the Father in everything, even to the point of death.

But if you’re like me and you look at how Jesus lived, as inspiring as it was, to humble yourself and obey the Father like Jesus did, seems to be out of the realm of possibility.  After all, when we are called to have the same mindset in us that Jesus had in him – this mindset that allowed him to empty himself and humble himself – we are often left thinking that his way of life is impossible to live on our own.  And yet God’s Word calls us to follow Jesus so we might become like Him in every way. So that means learning to live in obedience to the Father’s will in everything, just like Jesus.

So if this seems hard to you.  Or if you’ve ever struggled with surrendering your will to the Father’s will like Jesus did, or just wish you could be more obedient to the Father like Jesus, then what we are going to look at today, should give you encouragement .  For as we come to Philippians 2:12-13, Paul unlocks for us God’s plan for how you can become more like Jesus.  God’s plan that shows you how you can live this new life as a Christ follower and obey the Father just like Jesus. Let me read Philippians 2:12-13 for us, and then let’s find God’s encouragement for us today:  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

This morning we’re simply going to unpack Our responsibility in God’s growth plan, then see God’s role in helping us grow.  But before we do that, I want to make some observations that will help clarify God’s plan for helping us become more like Jesus.

The first is this:  Before Paul commands, he gets personal.   He says, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.                           Before Paul gives this command to work out our salvation, he calls the Philippians “my beloved.”  These people were dear to his heart.  He doesn’t identify them as a “motley crew” as I have sometimes identified you, but identifies them as the beloved of God.  I really like this.  It reminds me of the unique relationship we share.  Each one of us who calls Jesus Lord is truly the beloved of God.  This such a great example for us. It’s always good to remind God’s people of who they really are.  We are the beloved of God.   We are the apple of God’s eye.  So before Paul dives into God’s plan for helping us become like Jesus, he reminds us that we are the beloved of God.  That’s the first observation.

The second is this:  Before Paul commands, he commends.  He commends their obedience as Christ followers.  This is encouraging for them.  I don’t know about you, but I am encouraged when someone speaks into my life about my faith.  This too is a great example for us.  Rarely to we hear words of encouragement. Rarely do people take the time to point out the good they see in you.  We need more of this.  For it seems that everyone these days are quick to criticize or even condemn.  Here Paul models for us what he just taught us in verse 3, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.  So he does that here, he points out their continued obedience to Christ, even in his absence.  He commends their faith.  I think that’s a good practice for us to develop in our relationships together.

So I want to do that now:  I love our Church. You are a great church, a generous church, a faithful people and serving people!  There’s no greater evidence of that then what we saw happen as everyone pulled together to make our outdoor service happen last week. I love how Ken and his team got everyone parked so well.  I truly appreciate Dale taking the time to set up his sound equipment and lead us in worship.  I’m grateful for Eileen who battled through a cold and laryngitis during the week so she could lead us in singing on Sunday.  A big thanks to Steve Bishop and his team for setting up the awning.  And how great was it that Connie Drew arranged a drone shot of all the carts who came out and worshiped with us.  It reminded me that we were are all God’s people in this thing together. I’m proud to call you my church family. I just loved seeing your servant spirit and your faithfulness on display last Sunday. What a blessing it is for me to serve you as your Pastor.  It’s such a blessing to speak into your lives.  As we’ve seen from Paul.  Before Paul commands, he commends.  We need more of this.  That’s our second observation.

Now the third observation:  When Paul writes, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Paul doesn’t say, “Work FOR your own salvation.” We can’t earn salvation (Eph 2:8-10).  Paul says, “Work out your salvation.”  That’s a huge difference.  God has worked for us by His sovereign grace alone.  Christ has done the work on the cross to make us right with God.  And His work is finished.  So this is not about you doing anything to save yourself.  That’s already been done by Jesus.  No, this is a command for you to carry out the work of what God has already started in you –  a work that is characterized by your obedience of God.  If you are obeying God’s Word, then that is a sign that God is already at work in you.  Now you just need to know what is required of you to continue what God has started in you.  So that’s what we’re about to see here in our text.

So then let’s now look at  Our Responsibility in God’s Growth Plan Let’s look now at verse 12 again: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.   The first thing I want you to see is the word “therefore” Paul is pointing backward to what he just taught us. What did he just teach us?  That we are to have same the mindset as Jesus in all our relationships.  What is this mindset? We are to empty ourselves so we can serve one another.  And we are to humble ourselves so we might please the Father through our obedience.

Our part then is to train ourselves to have a heart that is attentive to God, tuned into His will, so that when we hear what He wants us to do, we will do it with joy!  That’s how Jesus lived.

So the idea here is that we need to learn how to obey the Father, so what Paul is commanding us here is to train ourselves to obey God.  Here’s the deal. Prior to Jesus saving you, you only obeyed the cravings of your flesh. That was your way of life.  You lived for yourself.  You obeyed your inner desires. But the moment you believed in Jesus you were set free from the power of the flesh.  Now you no longer have to obey those desires.  But since those desires have been ingrained in you, have become habits of your lifestyle, learning to obey God’s will is a whole new thing for you.  So now you need to TRAIN yourself in a new lifestyle – the lifestyle of a Christ follower.

And Paul goes into specific detail of what’s involved in our training in his letter to the Romans.  There he writes in Romans 6, Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Romans 6:11-12  Did you hear it?  Sin still wants to reign in you.  Sin wants you to live for self, not for Jesus.  Sin wants you to be Lord, not Jesus.  So count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Then he adds: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Romans 6:11-13  So this then is how you are to train yourself to obey God – you are to offer our heart to God, your mind to God, your body to God.  The idea is that you are done living for the flesh, and by offering yourself to God, you are ready to live His way. So what Paul is saying here is that in order to work out your new lifestyle of obedience to God, you are submitting yourself to God to train you in this new lifestyle…

It’s like training to be an athlete. You don’t become a good athlete simply by eating your Wheaties.  You’ve got to discipline yourself.  You’ve got to train, to work out.  When I was in College, every July I would begin running 3 to 6 miles a day to prepare myself for the soccer season.  Then when I arrived at training camp the last two weeks of August, I was ready to submit to the rigors of training under my Coach.  During those two weeks, we trained together twice a day.  We ran sprints together.  We did drills together.  We learned plays together.  And then we worked out all our training in scrimmages together. Why?  So we could be ready for our first competition in September.   Imagine how it would go for us if we never trained together and just showed up for our first game?  We pull muscles, we’d be sucking air, and we’d get humiliated by the other team.

So what Paul is talking about here, in working out our salvation, is basically learning how to carry out this new way of life God called us to when He rescued us from our old way of life.  We are to let Him be our coach, submit to His ways, learn His fundamentals, learn to work out our new life together.  Not so you might become a good soccer player but a good Christ follower. But you can’t just show up. It takes discipline.  It takes work.  And it takes one other thing – and Paul tells us here:  We are to work out our new life with fear and trembling.

What does this mean? Obviously, this means living in awe of God.  It has to do with living in humility before Almighty God and in submission to His will.  Anyone who has lived for self, who has lived in rebellion to God, but then has experienced God’s mercy, forgiving you as an undeserving sinner – this should fill you with a sense of awe and wonder – that produces in you an attitude of humility that says, “I can’t believe God would have anything to do with me, let alone choose me to be His child.”

God saved you from the punishment your sins deserved.  God set you free from sin’s enslavement.  God rescued you from the dominion of darkness.  And He did all this for you so He could be with you.  When was the last time you realized how awesome your God is?  When was the last time you were humbled by the great lengths God took to make you His child?  Awe and wonder, reverence and respect.  When our hearts are filled with awe and wonder of our great and loving God, then obedience to Him is something we want to do, not have to do.  We obey because we love Him for loving us.  That’s what it means to work out our new life with fear and trembling.   This is our responsibility in God’s growth plan.  This is the part we are commanded to work out in our learning to become more like Jesus.

But, but before we get too carried away and think that our becoming like Christ is all up to us, Paul is quick to tell us God’s role in helping us grow.  Let’s now read the two verses together: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.  Here’s the good news in the text.  This is the part of God’s Word this morning that should give us all relief.  Here is God’s grace to us helping us become more like Jesus.  God doesn’t leave us to our own strength or wisdom to work out our new lifestyle of obedience to His will.  No, the moment He saves us He gives us the desire to live in obedience to Him, and He gives us the power to actually do it.

First, God works in us to change our desires  He works in us the desire to want what He wants for our lives.  If you have this desire to please God and surrender to His will, this doesn’t come from you, it comes from the Spirit of Christ dwelling within you.

God’s Word says that apart from Christ working in us, we really want nothing to do with doing God’s will.  In fact, the Bible is very clear about this.  In Romans 8:7, God’s Word says, “The sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”  So the reality is that apart from God working in you, you would not want to submit to God’s will.  In fact, quite the opposite.  You would want nothing to do with God.  So, what this teaches us today is that if you desire to obey God – this desire doesn’t come from you.  That desire comes from God who put this desire in you.  How does He do this?  The moment you believe, God puts His Spirit in you.  The Spirit of Christ takes up residence in you, so that now, it is the Spirit of Christ in you that willingly submits to the Father.  THIS IS WHY IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO LIVE SURRENEDERED TO THE FATHER’S WILL.  JESUS ALREADY DID IT.  And because Jesus already did it, and Jesus lives in you by His Spirit, then you can do it too!

Now this doesn’t mean that we are perfect or never have wrong desires.  It means that we can have hope because God is already working in us so that we will want to become more like Jesus.  And that’s good news.  That’s grace.  God works in us to change our desires so we will want to please God.  But He does more than simply give us the desire, He also works in us to give us the ability to obey Him.

That’s the second thing we see here:  God works in us to give us the power to obey. Again, how God does this is by giving us His Holy Spirit.  So then, it is when we walk in the power of the Spirit that we are now able to obey the Father.  For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

The good news today is that it pleased God to give you what you need to obey Him.  He is working in your right now so you will want He wants.  And He is working in you right now to empower you to actually do what He wants.  That’s God’s grace.  He gives us all what we need to obey Him. That’s why He gives Jesus to live in us by His Spirit.  And now with Jesus in you, God works in you both to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

I hope that encourages you today.  It’s now possible for you to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, and obeying like Jesus is actually possible, because God is working in you through Jesus.

So may each of us do our part to carry out the work He’s begun us, to train ourselves in obedience to God’s Word and trust that God will do His part to help us become more like Jesus.  Let’s pray.