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Sons of God

Philippians 2: 15 “That ye may be rblameless and ||harmless, sthe sons of God, twithout rebuke, uin the midst of a vcrooked and wperverse nation, among whom ||ye shine xas lights in the world;” [1]

I.   Righteous

     A. Blameless

     B. Harmless

II. Rebuke

     A. Crooked

     B. Perverted

III. Radiant

     A. Shine

     B. Shown

Introduction:  Last week we rightly divided one of the more famous verses of scripture in the New Testament.  People memorize a verse here and a verse there often without even understanding what the verse means.  If a survey was done and people were asked to give their own interpretation of Philippians 2:12c there is no doubt that people have many differing ideas of what, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” really means.

Without absolute faith in Jesus most people actually believe that their salvation is a hard thing that must be worked out by each individual person.  That is the great stumbling block actually.  People refuse to believe that nobody is good enough to go to heaven unless they accept His perfect sacrifice once and for all time.  The only perfect sacrifice is Jesus.

You might say and actually believe that someone close to you is a very good person deserving of heaven.  You would be wrong.  If you bow down to anyone or anything other than Jesus then you are against God.  He works into you that which He can use for His glory once you have received that which you cannot earn.  There is nothing that you can do to make yourself worthy.

Even Jesus referred to Himself as “Son of Man” before He was resurrected from the tomb.  Yet in our focal verse today we learn that once we become humble disciples of Jesus that we may then become blameless and harmless, the sons of God.  We do not deserve to be sons of God but through the power of Jesus Christ we do receive that adoption.

If we finally really understand salvation in that light we come away humbled to the point of humiliation.  That we could have ever felt so vain to think we deserve better treatment than our neighbor should make us ashamed.  In the light of who we would be without Jesus, the blinding truth is that we are no more deserving of honor than the worst sinner.

And all this truth is obvious only as we read for the Bible for comprehension.  If we simply skip through this beautiful letter to the Philippians we might come away with the fact that Paul was so proud of these people that he considered them evidence of his well-done job in the ministry of the gospel of Christ and you would be partially right.

Of course this letter is congratulatory.  We can read this into this letter.  What reason did Paul give for them to be congratulated?  It wasn’t because they made him proud to be a minister.  “2 If there be therefore any aconsolation in Christ, if any bcomfort of love, if cany fellowship dof the Spirit, if any ebowels and mercies, 2 fFulfil ye my joy, that gye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through hstrife or ivainglory; but in jlowliness of mind let keach esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but levery man also on the things of others." [2]

Paul encouraged them to humble themselves as they served each other.  If any group of believers can do that, they are to be congratulated no matter what they have done to make others proud of them.

Scripture:  The scripture today is Philippians 2:15.  Please stand if you’re able.

Prayer:  Let us pray.  Be seated.

Message:  Paul went on to say this in chapter two, “5 mLet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, nbeing in the oform of God, thought it not probbery to be qequal with God: 7 But rmade himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of sa servant, and  twas made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in ||ufashion as a man, rhe humbled himself, and wbecame obedient unto death, even xthe death of the cross.” [3]

To be a Christian is more than to be like Christ.  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."  This is not the only place where Paul informs that we can and must have the mind of Christ.  Jesus has the mind of a servant who knew that though He has the attributes of God; Jesus is humble to the point of submission to death on that cruel cross. 

When we allow ourselves to think like that, we can say that we have something to be congratulated for.  And yes we can have the mind of Christ.  Because of what Jesus did we will never be called on to die on someone else’s cross like He did, yet we will be expected to be humble to the point of being walked on. 

Jesus was brought low by us whom He died to save.  He could have called the angels anytime He wanted to and yet He remained humble to the cross and beyond.  God exalted Jesus to the place that He alone deserved.  Now what do we do?   “10 That at the name of Jesus cevery knee should bow, of dethings in heaven, and dethings in earth, and dfthings under the earth; 11 And ffthat every tongue should confess that Jesus gChrist is hLord, to the glory of God the Father.” [4]

That brings us back to the focal verse for last week’s message and an explanation of what it means when we say that we must work out what God has worked into us.  We have the righteousness of Jesus within us.  So why do we feel that we still have reason to argue our differing opinions so that we murmur under our breath without bringing them into the open where we can learn from each other.  Paul warned the Philippians and us.  People are watching and learning what not to do.  What does Merry Oaks Baptist church want to be known for?

One of the few things that our fallen nature and our Christian nature have in common is that we want to be righteous.  Nobody wants to be wrong!  Yet without Jesus living in us we have no righteousness.  Either you are guilty of being one to bring harm to another person or you are innocent so that nobody can blame you for an injustice.  Paul said to do all things without murmuring and disputing so that people will not have anything to blame you for.

Notice that Paul didn’t put a guarantee of this.  We will still get blamed.  Jesus got blamed even though He didn’t deserve blame.  Jesus was innocent of their charges yet they convicted Him of their sin.  Jesus never brought harm to anyone.  God was watching.  God is still watching.

Jesus was without rebuke.  That is to say that there was no legitimate charge that could have been brought against Jesus.  He was, is, and always will be the Son of God.  Paul said that if we do that which we are to do without fussing about it then we too will be the sons (and daughters) of God.  The world will always bring charges against us.  But we will continue without God’s rebuke even though we are in a crooked and perverted world where perversion is counted righteousness and righteousness is counted perverse.

We are to shine.  Shine Jesus shine!  There is a difference between a spotlight and an area light.  To bring a certain point to illumination only beings attention to that which is in the center of the light.  Paul said that we are to shine as lights in the world.  We are to be radiant lights that bring everything into view.  The brilliance of God will overcome the darkness of the world when we allow His light to shine through us again.

God’s word has been that light that broke through darkness and He is still with us.  Jesus still speaks through the written words of the Bible and through the spoken words of His followers.  We are His disciples and we will never cease to illuminate the truth that Jesus is Lord.

Prayer:  Let us pray

Invitation:  There have been many who have come through Merry Oaks Baptist Church.  The fact that we are still here standing for Jesus is not only a testimony for our faith, it is a testimony that those who came before us did not run in vain nor did they labor in vain.

This is what Paul said to encourage them in Philippi, “16 Holding forth ythe word of life; that zI may rejoice in the day of Christ, that aI have not run in vain, neither aalaboured in vain.” [5]

Paul reminded those in Philippi that they continued to be in lock step with him as they continued the journey of faith that he took with them.  That journey was not only while he was there with them.  It was as if Paul was their Spiritual Father and those in Philippi were following in his footsteps.

Today is Fathers’ Day.  We remember our earthly fathers and we honor them with our lives.  Let us also honor those Spiritual Fathers who set our ministry in motion.  Here we still stand in evidence to what so many who came before us started.  We see evidence of the touch they had as we see plaques and pictures.  Let us serve as living stones that they indeed walked this way on the journey that we are still walking today.

Next Sunday we will join in fellowship with other churches as we collectively enter into a time when we ask the Holy Spirit to come and revive us.  The invitation today is to pray without ceasing that there will be a revival in the hearts and souls as God brings us together again.

Let us replace fear of man with love of God as we join with our friends to remember that we are His bride and His church.  Consider as we sing…

r ch. 3:6. See Luke 1:6.
|| Or, sincere. See Matt. 10:16.
s So Matt. 5:45. Eph. 5:1.
t 2 Pet. 3:14 (Gk.).
u So 1 Pet. 2:12.
v Acts 2:40. 1 Pet. 2:18 in the Gk. See Deut. 32:5.
w See Matt. 17:17.
|| Or, shine ye. See 1 Pet. 2:5 marg. Comp. John 5:39.
x So Matt. 5:14, 16. Eph. 5:8. See Prov. 4:18. Comp. Rev. 1:20.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a See Luke 6:24.
b Wisd. 3:18.
c 2 Cor. 13:14 (Gk.).
d See 1 Cor. 3:16.
e Col. 3:12.
f John 3:29.
g ch. 3:16. & 4:2 in the Gk. See Rom. 12:16. So ch. 1:27.
h See ch. 1:16.
i So Gal. 5:26.
j See Eph. 4:2.
k See Rom. 12:10.
l See Rom. 15:2.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
m See Matt. 11:29. So Rom. 15:3.
n John 1:1, 2. & 17:5.
o See 2 Cor. 4:4.
p So Ps. 62:10 (Gk.).
q John 5:18. & 10:33. Comp. John 14:28.
r So Ps. 22:6. Isai. 53:3. Dan. 9:26. Mark 9:12. Comp. 2 Cor. 8:9. & 13:4.
s See Isai. 42:1. & Matt. 20:28.
t See Gal. 4:4.
|| Or, habit.
u 1 Cor. 7:31.
r So Ps. 22:6. Isai. 53:3. Dan. 9:26. Mark 9:12. Comp. 2 Cor. 8:9. & 13:4.
w Heb. 5:8. So Matt. 26:39, 42. John 10:18.
x Heb. 12:2.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:5–8). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c See Eph. 3:14.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
e See Eph. 1:10.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
e See Eph. 1:10.
d Rev. 5:3, 13.
f So Ex. 20:4. Comp. Rev. 20:13, 14.
ff See John 13:13.
g See Luke 2:11.
h Rom. 14:9.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:10–11). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
y So Heb. 4:12.
z See 2 Cor. 1:14.
a Gal. 2:2. See 1 Cor. 9:24.
aa 1 Thess. 3:5. So Gal. 4:11.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:16). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.