SING / SHINE / REJOICE

Philippians 2:12-18
22/11/06 - Kungskyrkan

BIG IDEA & PURPOSE:

BIG IDEA: Live grump free lives that are worthy of the song, that magnify our witness and God’s
work in our lives.

PURPOSE: That we would see the seriousness of our complaining and strive to be a church that
rejoices rather than complains!

Introduction: (144)

The other day I was sitting in the kitchen with friends and we were having a deep conversation. But in
the background was a piece of music from Les Miserables, “Bring him home.” It was just the music
but I couldn’t help but cry. I don’t know the words but the melody alone was so emotional and
provocative.

God created that musical connection in each of us to be a way of revealing His beauty and majesty in
the world. I believe that God is revealed as much through a beautiful cello solo as though a glorious
view in nature. Those kinds of experiences are transcendent!

That’s why we sing in church. Because when good theology is put into words it can sink down deeper
into our hearts and bring it to life. We were designed by God in such a way on purpose!

Context: The song of the gospel! (300)

Our passage today comes directly after Paul quotes from an ancient Christian hymn in verses 5 to 11.
The content of the song is so amazing. Christians have been singing this song and other songs inspired
by it for the past two thousand years. The content of this song is the old, old gospel of grace.

It’s the true story of the Son of God, becoming like us to save us. It’s the story of the King of
Creation, the creator of the universe, taking the place of sinners like us, so that we could become
children of the living God. It’s a love song that tells the story of the greatest love ever to be known.
The love of God for His people the church. It’s a song that shows the depths of God’s love for us. Just
how far He was willing to go, to save us from our sins and bring us home to Him. And it’s a song of
the glory, only He deserves!
Listen to the words again:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being
in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own
advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”
Philippians 2:5-11 NIV

It’s a glorious gospel to believe isn’t it? And Christians are still singing this song. And we have
planted Kungskyrkan, so this song can be sung even louder here in Sweden. So more, and more
people, by God’s grace, will sing it and spread it also!

But, while it’s a glorious gospel to believe and to share, it is also a message to live by. You can’t hear
this song, say you believe it and then stay the same. It has to change you.

That is where our passage begins this morning. Our first point today is:

1) The song requires a response. (725)

“Therefore, my dear friends, 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,”
Philippians 2:12 NIV

Paul is saying if this song has moved you then you have to respond to it with action. He says you have
to obey it, and it’s truths have to be seen in the way you live you life. Right?

Look, this song is beautiful but it’s also serious. If you believe you were dead in your sins, and Jesus
had to die to save you from your coming judgement, and it doesn’t effect the way you live, the way
you think, then something seriously wrong is going on. You can’t believe a message like this and take
it for granted.

ILLUSTRATION: Sonny and Cher - I got you babe!

Back in 1965 Sonny and Cher were a power couple of pop music. Their iconic single “I got you babe”
stayed at number one for three weeks. It sold over a million copies and became gold certified. And it
worked so well because you could see and hear Sonny and Cher genuine love in the simple lyrics and
in how they performed it together.
 I got flowers in the spring, I got you to wear my ring
And when I'm sad, you're a clown
And if I get scared, you're always around
So let them say your hair's too long
Cause I don't care, with you I can't go wrong
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb

Babe
I got you babe, I got you babe

But in 1974, they filed for divorce. And had a bitter court battle for their daughter Chastity. It turns
out that they had been singing the song for years but hadn’t meant it for a long time. The words
sounded great, but they didn’t really believe it.

If I say that I believe that Jesus is my Lord and King, but I don’t listen to His word, and I just choose
to live live my way, then I don’t really believe it. I just like the words.

If I believe that people are lost and heading towards eternal judgement (which I do) but I don’t tell
people, then my belief is the same as unbelief. I don’t really believe it, I just like the words.

And liking the words my friends, is not saving faith. That is why Paul says “Work out your salvation
in fear and trembling.” DO NOT take this song for granted. Strive to make your life match the words
of the song you say you believe. Don’t just like the words. Live the words!

But you may be thinking at this point this sounds like earning your salvation, right? “Work out your
salvation with fear and trembling.” But, no. See what comes in the next verse:

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

“For, it is God who works in you…” Salvation is all of God. It is His work in our lives. And when we
find ourselves working, we find it is always God at work in us, according to His will and purposes.
We are called to strive, but it’s His power at work in us at every stage of our Christian walk.

And this is great news! Because this means it is not an impossible task. For the same power that raised
Jesus from the dead IS at work in us. So by God’s power as we work with all our might to grow more
like Christ, all of God and all His might is at work in us as well. We can by His grace make progress
in the Christian life, because God is working His good purposes in us.

This is all great stuff. Live the song. Believe the words. Work hard towards humility and Christ-
likeness… But what does this look like practically? Great question I am glad you asked!

In the next couple of verse Paul gets super practical.

So the song requires a response… and our second point is:

“Gör allt utan att klaga och tveka så att ni blir fläckfria och rena, Guds oskyldiga barn mitt i
ett falskt och fördärvat släkte, där ni lyser som stjärnor i världen”

What a challenging 6 words. Right? “Do everything” not do some things, or do most things, or the
things you don’t mind doing. But do everything. There is no wriggle room out of it.

One thing the UK and Sweden have in common is that complaining is a bit of a national pass time.
Complaining about the weather and our work conditions are an easy way to connect with each other.

We complain to our families and friends about work! Then we complain to our work colleagues about
our families and friends. And we complain to everyone about the weather!

Complaining. It’s negative. It’s contagious. And we all do it on average 16 to 30 times a day!

But Paul says the song of the gospel has the power to break through this. And if we just quit
complaining we will shine like the stars as we hold out the Word of life in a dark world.

ILLUSTRATION: DO YOU WANT TO SHINE LIKE THE STARS?

In my first few months in Sweden, I took a road trip with some friends. We were driving back in the
middle of the night.

There was one stretch of road that was almost infinitely dark. We could only see the road ahead in the
headlights. Unless we looked up! Then we noticed the stars in the clear nights sky. We pulled the car
over, jumped out and spent about ten minutes, just looking up.

It was glorious. It’s so easy to get lost in wonder looking at the stars. First, at the sheer number of
these tiny bright dots. Then at the magnitude and size of the universe that they only hint to. A size that
our tiny minds can’t even comprehend.

Then as a Christian, your mind has to go to awe and wonder at the God who made them all. The God
who according to Psalm 147:4, “determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” As
big and glorious as those stars are, they pale in comparison to the glory and majesty of the God they
point to.

Stars shine as a bright witness to the God of the Gospel.

Kungskyrkan, do we want to shine so bright that when the world looks at us they see the God who
lives in us, and His gospel shining out from us? Do you want that? Yes? Me too.

Then we need to fight ALL our grumbling and complaining.

We need to stop whining: “Why does it always happen to me? It’s not fair!”
We need to stop seeing ourselves as martyrs: “No one appreciates me! Do you realise just how much
I have been doing?”

We need to stop our cynicism: “Nothing ever changes! There is no use even trying. Why bother?
You're wasting your time!”

We need to fight negative perfectionism: “Is that the best you can do? I should have done the job
myself!”

And we need to stop nit-picking: Where nothing anyone does is right. And we just have an endless
and soul destroying list of wrong, wrong and wrong again!

It’s just way too easy to complain!

Which type of complaining are you more prone to? Or are you like me? A mix of all of them…

Paul says, if verses 5-11 are your song, then it only makes sense to stop ALL your complaining.

Think about it. Jesus was glorious in Heaven, and He became like us, as a man. And He didn’t
grumble or complain. Jesus took on the nature of a servant, and He didn’t complain. Jesus became
obedient to death, and He did not grumble about it. Even death on a cross, and he was led like a lamb
to the slaughter and silent He did not open His mouth, he did not complain!

And he faced all that suffering willingly to save you and I from our sin. He died in yours and my
place, and he did not grumble.

If that is our song, what sense does it make that we would grumble or complain about anything.

Paul says, sing about Jesus and kill every one of these grumbling complaints in the church and the
Christian life. Because, Paul says when we do, we shall become blameless and pure, true children of
God!

So Kungskyrkan, shall we fight this together? Let’s encourage one another to sing the song together,
meditate on Christ and fight to shine brighter and brighter in this world for the gospel.

But is it really possible Ben? Yes it is. In our final point today we will take a quick look at Paul’s
example over this.

So, the song requires a response, to stop complaining and…

3) WE CAN REJOICE LIKE PAUL REGARDLESS OF OUR DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

The other thing we need to remember about Paul is this; as he writes this letter to the Philippians he is
under house arrest in Rome awaiting trial, that in the end will lead to his death. Paul knows this and
we can see how he views all this in how he writes verse 17:
 “Ja, även om mitt blod skulle utgjutas medan er tro bärs fram som ett offer är jag glad och
gläds med er alla.”

He sees that his blood may be poured out for his service to them and to God. And what does he do?
He rejoices!

If I were writing to you from prison what do you think my letter would be filled with? Yes,
complaints. I’d be complaining about the food, the guards, the heating, the lack of freedom. But not
Paul. In this letter there is not one complaint. The resounding word in Philippians is rejoice!

Even in chapter one when people are trying to stir up trouble for Paul while he is in Prison. Listen to
how Paul describes those circumstances there in Chapter 1:18:

“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false
motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to
rejoice,”

Paul’s most central ambition is that “Christ is preached.” Or, to put in another way, that he would be
able to sing the song of the gospel, and that others would hear it and start singing it for themselves.

So, how can Paul rejoice in all circumstances without grumbling?

By singing the song of the gospel over and over again to his heart.

And by singing out loud for others to hear.

And by seeing other people's lives, in this case his beloved Philippians, being touched by its message.

And so in verse 18 he says “So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Paul is an amazing example in human history of what is possible when a heart is captured by the song,
and a powered by God’s spirit.

CONCLUSION: 200

Let’s strive to make Kungskyrkan, our homes and our lives filled with worship filled rejoicing as we
hold out the message of the gospel in a lost world.

Grumbling is contagious. So we could fill this place with other unhappy souls who want to find
misery in company. Ever finding new things out there to complain about. I think we could plant a big
church pretty quick that way. But it won’t help Sweden’s rate of depression and we will live
miserable lives.

Grumbling may be contagious BUT joy in Christ, is powerfully attractive. So let’s fill our minds with
Christ! Let’s sing loudly the songs of His grace. Let’s learn to sing new song, after new song, filled
with the deep rich and glorious theology of the old, old, glorious gospel.
Let’s pray.

CLOSING PRAYER: 100

Oh Lord,

We are lost in wonder at your wonderful gospel. We thank you for Jesus. We repent of our hearts
wandering into the misery of constant complaining. Help us to fill our minds and hearts with the joy
of the gospel. Help us to be filled with joy as we hold out your gospel to the world around us.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.