Good morning! God’s blessings be with you for a beautiful day!
This week in worship we’ll be celebrating our Seniors. We’re grateful for the eight great young adults who are graduating in our congregation. I’m thankful we can share in this special time together.
Our Scripture for Sunday is Philippians 1:2-6, 2:12-13.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ…12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
It’s a beautiful text witnessing to a deep and abiding love in Christ the Apostle shared with the believers in Philippi. It’s also a text that reflects our sentiments for our seniors.
On Tuesdays in the pastor’s workshop we look at the structure of the Scripture. What is the logic of love we see here? Where does the Apostle start and where does he end? How does the message “emerge”?
Verse 2 begins with a common salutation of Paul’s – “Grace and Peace”. These words reflect the heart of God. “Grace” is the heart of God that is ever “for” all people. It is a heart witnessed to by John when he said, “God so loved the world…”. And “Peace” is the calm assurance found in knowing God is “for” you and “with” you always.
Verses 3-4 reflects the heart of Paul as he is “thinking of” (“remembering”), “thanking always”, and “constantly praying with joy”. Paul’s heart for the Philippians is a witness to the heart of God for the Philippians.
Verse 5 rejoices in the special relationship Paul and the Philippians share. Paul talks about “sharing in the gospel”. The Gospel (the “Good News”) is the saving love of God for all people in Jesus Christ. Paul rejoices that he and the Philippians have learned about and lived that love of God in Christ together. They have experienced how that love is a foundation for life that is abundant and full. They have discovered how to grow in that gospel of grace each and every day in each and every relationship. They have lived out the Gospel in ministry and mission together.
Verse 6 resounds with a confidence that this growing in grace, living into the love of Jesus Christ, is doing something beautiful in the lives of the faithful. He believes that living into this love is working a “maturity of love” in the lives of the followers. In this belief he imagines what’s ahead. He says Jesus Christ will bring this working of love “to completion in the day of Christ Jesus”. As he projects into the future he believes the love of God in Christ will continue to grow and fully mature in the hearts of the believers. They will become more and more like Christ in their abilities to love, serve, sacrifice, and fully live. The end result will be they are “perfected” in love – whole and complete in the love of God in Christ. This Scripture is the basis of John Wesley’s doctrine of “perfection”.
Verse 12 takes the next step. Since this foundation of the Gospel has been provided in Christ and the way of growth has been opened by him, now comes the call. “Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling”. The Apostle summons the believers to not only “believe” but also “behave” the Gospel. Take what you believe about the love of God in Christ and see how it works in your life. Do it with “fear and trembling”, awe and wonder because as you live out the love of God in Christ you are sharing in something sacred, awesome and wonderful.
Verse 13 closes by sharing what that “awesome and wonderful” reality is. As we live by faith, live seeking to express and extend the love of God in Christ to others, the Apostle says that in our effort God is present and working. His phrase is “God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and work his good pleasure”.
It is a beautiful Scripture moving from a foundation of “Grace and Peace” to a future where we are working with God, living the love of Christ in the world. This reality is the heart of our witness, ministry and mission. All of these are expressions of the God’s good gospel of grace!
That’s the logic I experience. As you look at the text what do you see? What message is coming forward and how does it advance? Make sure you always jot down your thoughts and ideas.
Time for you to go to work! As you do, know that “God is at work in you, both to will and work for God’s good pleasure!”
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of this day. Thank you for how these blessings come to us as opportunities to love our families, friends, neighbors, community and world. By Your Holy Spirit help us to see and seize these moments so others will be blessed and we will grow in your grace. This is your Gospel in Jesus Christ. For that wonderful working of Your love, that is Your salvation working in and through us we give you thanks today in Jesus’ name. Amen