There’s the way our facilities are mysteriously kept operating. The Tuesday bandage rolling group that provides bandages for a hospital in Africa. Food that appears in the food closet for Love INC. Discipleship that takes place over coffee and donuts. The Prayer Tree. Lives touched through our benevolence ministry. As I visit and talk with people I hear about the cards - phone calls - emails - visits that they’ve received. How much these mean to them.

Ministry which is greatly appreciated by our congregation and others. But, most importantly - ministry given without expectation of recognition.

Its the unseen things of life in Christ - what motivates us from our heart - the work of God in us and through us - that speaks of who we are before God and our usefulness to Him.

Coming to Philippians 2:12 - going on with our series of messages from Philippians - this letter of life together in Jesus - we’re coming to a part of this letter where Paul writes about God’s work in our hearts - and how that work of God in us effects our life together.

In 2:12 - Paul begins: “So then”

When Paul writes “So then” he’s referring back to everything he’s written in this section of Philippians - a section that began in 1:27 - where Paul started by writing, “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” Paul writing about our behavior - how we live as Christians - living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A life - that if we’re honest with ourselves - too often we fall short of. We struggle to live as we know we should. How do we live this life?

So then - because of everything I’ve been telling you about how to live the Christian life and the importance of living that life together - So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence - because you’ve been striving to live according to what I’ve taught you - whether I was there - or not there - So then - because your desire is to behave rightly before God - work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Before we go on - there’s a command here in verse 12 that's the basis of everything Paul is about to say about living life in Christ - and most importantly - about our heart attitude before God and each other. There are three parts to Paul’s command that we need to understand.

First - Paul says to “work out your salvation.”

There’s a story about a ditch digger who was working in a canal with another guy. It was a hot August day - like we should be having around here. No breeze. Just the hot sun beating down on these two guys digging this canal. A little ways off - sitting under shady tree - drinking a cold drink - is their supervisor.

This ditch digger says to the other ditch digger, “Why are we down here killing ourselves working in this hot sun and that guy is up there sitting in the shade drinking that cold drink?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?”

“I will,” said the first ditch digger. So he gets out of the ditch. Walks up to the supervisor and asks him, “Why do you get to sit up here in the shade while we’re down there working in the hot sun?”

“Well,” said the supervisor. “It’s a matter of experience.”

“Experience? What do you mean by that?”

The supervisor takes his hand and puts it up against the tree and says, “Hit my hand as hard as you can.” At first the ditch digger is reluctant cause he knows he’s going to smash the supervisor’s hand. But the supervisor insists. So the ditch digger takes a powerful swing at the supervisors hand. At the last instant the supervisor moves his hand. The ditch digger smashes his hand into the tree.

“Do you understand?” Asked the supervisor.

“I think so,” said the ditch digger. So he goes back into the ditch. The other ditch digger asks him, “What did he say?”

“He said it was a matter of experience.”

“What did he mean by that?”

The ditch digger looks around for a tree. Of course he couldn’t find one. So he stuck his hand up in front of his face and said, “Hit my hand as hard as you can.”

Most of us seem to learn the hard way - “the school of hard knocks.” Experience comes as we go through life - a process of coming to understand how life works. That’s what Paul has in mind here. The process of learning how to live life with God - growth through experience - working at working it out as we go along.

Second, Paul writes that the process of living the Christian life comes as we work out our life in Christ with “fear and trembling.”

Some of you were in that far off land of Wisconsin recently. A while back we’d gone to this small town in Wisconsin to visit some friends of my parents - friends who happened to be morticians. Their home was on two levels. Downstairs was the mortuary. Upstairs was their house.

They’d taken us out to see the town. The line, “It was a dark and stormy night” fits here. In the not too distant distance we could see tornados. It was dark with that muted heavy darkness that comes with tornados. Stormy - windy - rain. The power had gone off.

When we got back to their house - dark because of the power outage - we pulled up to the hearse entrance where they normally would have brought in the bodies. Opened the French doors - with the sheer white curtains blowing in the wind. Maybe I’ve seen too many movies. But this was really weird. We’re standing in the pitch black funeral parlor and the wife says, “Let me go get light.” A few minutes later she’s coming down the stairs - wearing a white dress - carrying a lit candelabra.

That’s not the fear Paul is writing about. “Fear” is awe - respect - honor.

In the year that King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision of God - sitting on His throne - exalted in His temple. Isaiah writes, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him - angels - each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’ - all things on earth are affected by God who sits - above the corruption of His people - in holy majestic splendor upon His throne - And the foundations of the thresholds trembled - reverberated - at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke - the holiness and presence of God filling the temple. Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of the armies of Heaven.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.’” (Isaiah 6:1-7)

The Newsboys sing the song “Adoration”. These words are in the chorus, “Come, let us adore Him. He has come down to the world we live in. And all I have to give Him is adoration.”

God condescends to give us the privilege of being able to worship and adore Him. He calls us - enables us. Worship isn't about us. We benefit from worship. But, worship is about God. In fear and trembling we should respond to Him. And imagine - what it means to live daily in touch with the awesome almighty living God. That’s what Paul means.

The third part of Paul’s command is this humbling statement: “God is at work in you.”

Remember Superman? Here’s Clark Kent - a mild mannered reporter for a large metropolitan newspaper. A guy who wears a geeky suit and out-of-style glasses that keep slipping down his nose. A guy who never quite fits in. Kind of bumbles along through life. Not a likely candidate for “The Bachelor.” Yet we know - that underneath that really tacky suit - is the man of steel - Superman - Lois Lane’s heart throb - the defender of truth, justice, and the American way.

The same is true of us. Turn to person next to you and tell them, “You don’t look like Superman… But in Christ - you are.” The reason is because God is at work in you - according to His will and pleasure. The world may see Clark Kent. We may feel like Clark Kent. But God sees Superman.

In Philippians 2:5-11 we read that it was God who raised Jesus from death - Who highly exalted Him - bestowed on Him the name - the entitlement - the authority - the majesty - which is superior to all that exists. If we’ve come to salvation in Jesus - the same awesome God who raised Jesus from death is at work within us - rescuing us from death - transforming us - renewing us - recreating us - empowering us - conforming our hearts to His. God sees and is molding and shaping us to be the incredible creation that He wills us to be.

This is Paul’s command. The way to work out our salvation - to learn to live life as God intends - is with fear and trembling to bring our hearts before Him - and let Him do the work that He alone - the living God can do in us and through us.

Verse 14. Verses 14 to 30 are Paul’s application - what working out our salvation with fear and trembling looks like in every day life.

Verse 14: Do all things without grumbling - without complaining against each other - or even against God - or disputing - arguing with each other with selfish motives. If God really has a hold on our hearts - if we really understand who we are before God - how could we ever grumble or dispute with each other?

Verse 15 - so that - in contrast to grumbling and disputing - both of which come from hearts focused on our selves and not God - in contrast - 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,

Ever see the night sky without all the city lights - a pitch black sky with brilliant points of light - stars - piercing the darkness? Live - with God in control of our heart - and we shine in contrast to the darkness around us. Complaining and arguing - corruption and perversity - a self-centered - self-gratifying - self-justifying life - are status quo for man apart from God. Godly people live differently - or we should.

Verse 16: so that in the day of Christ I - Paul - will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor 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.

Paul - in another letter - writes to the church in Corinth - explaining his heart attitude in ministry. 1 Corinthians 2:1 - Paul writes, “When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. - I didn’t come arrogantly - For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling - does that sound familiar? - and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith - what God is doing in your hearts - would not rest on the wisdom of men - not on what Paul thinks or believes or Paul’s authority as a theologian and a Apostle - but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Do you hear where Paul’s heart is at? Paul - living in fear and trembling before God - isn’t winning people to his side with disputing and arguing - but with humility - allowing God’s transformation of his own heart to set the example for how his brothers and sisters in Christ are to live together before God.

That’s what he’s saying here in Philippians. I’m pouring myself out for you - sacrificing myself in service for you. And I rejoice - because you're living the life - because I can see God at work in you. I rejoice - because when Jesus comes back the testimony of what He’s been doing through me will be evident. I’ll be able to see more clearly all that He’s been doing in you. And I want you to rejoice - like I’m rejoicing. So, live like I’ve been living. Follow my example.

This is hard - but powerful. If a husband could begin to understand what it means to live in fear and trembling before God and so love his wife with humble servant leadership - how would that transform their relationship? If a wife could learn to completely open her heart to God - in awe and respect for Him - so that God will teach her how to honor and love her husband. Wouldn’t that transform their relationship - their home? Siblings - parents - co-workers - students - brothers and sisters in Christ - whomever you may be - wouldn’t our lives - our relationships be different - if we could learn to work out our salvation by allowing God to create in us the person He has called us to be? In fear and trembling before Him - in humility - allow Him to touch others through us?

Verses 19 to 30. Paul shares two examples of this with us. Actually they’re two individuals that Paul holds up as examples for us. Two ordinary people like us - Clark Kents - living examples of what Paul has been writing about - about what God can do in our hearts and lives.

In verse 19 he begins with Timothy. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

Paul describes Timothy as a kindred spirit - someone genuinely concerned for others - a man seeking after the same things that are important to God - of proven worth - serving as a son serves his father with love and devotion and trust. A man that Paul would have enough confidence in that he would send him as his own representative - to take his place as if he were there himself. All that comes from a heart sold out to God.

Second example - Epaphroditus - verse 25: But I thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow - if he had died away from you that would have been hard for me to take - Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

The church in Philippi had so much respect for Epaphroditus that they sent him as their representative to Paul in Rome - a journey of great danger and hardship - even the risk of death. A journey requiring courage and dedication and character. Paul describes Epaphroditus as a brother - a fellow worker - a fellow soldier. The kind of comrade that you could trust your life to. He’ll watch your back. He’ll be there for you.

In Rome, Epaphroditus - this courageous brother in Christ - was homesick - longing for the church in Philippi - deeply concerned for the people there. Paul sends him home. With him he may have carried this very letter of Philippians. Paul writes, “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard.” Words that testify to a heart sold out to God.

We began by saying that its the unseen things of life in Christ - what motivates us from our heart - the work of God in us and through us - that speaks of who we are before God and our usefulness to Him. Are there people here who should be held in high regard? Not for some kind of ego trip. But, because we seen in them someone who’s walk with God we should seek to emulate. People who’s hearts are close - tightly close - to the heart of God.

Last thought. How would Paul describe you - the unseen part that motivates you? What kind of heart is yours?

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