the main passage read and discussed throughout the sermon
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputes,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
16 holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.
18 In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.
19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.
20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.
21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.
22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.
23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.
24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.
25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;
26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.
27 For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.
28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,
30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.
Carl cited it as one of his favorite verses to illustrate Jesus as the light of the world
12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Carl walked through Philippians 2:12-30 on a Monday evening at First B Jackson, looking at what it means to work out your salvation, shine like lights in the world, and care for the people around you the way Timothy and Epaphroditus did. The thread running through all of it was verse 13: "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." Every instruction in the passage, Carl argued, is a response to what God has already done, not an attempt to earn anything.
What was said
Before getting into chapter two, Carl pointed back to the opening of that same chapter from the previous week. Paul's question there, whether there is any encouragement from belonging to Christ, any comfort from His love, any fellowship in the Spirit, sets up everything that follows. The instructions in verses 12 through 30 are not commands issued in a vacuum. They flow from the reality that God has already acted on our behalf.
Verse 12 tells believers to work hard to show the results of their salvation, and Carl was careful to note what Paul does not say. He does not say to work hard to earn salvation. The gift is already given through faith. What Paul is calling for is a life that shows the evidence of that gift, lived out in response to grace.
Verse 13 was Carl's anchor for the whole passage. The reason these instructions are not just a heavy load to carry is that God Himself is the one supplying both the desire and the power to follow them. When we yield our will to His, He does the work in us. That is the comfort underneath all of the "do this" and "live like this" language in the chapter.
Verses 14 and 15 press into what that life actually looks like: doing everything without complaining and arguing, living clean and innocent, shining like lights. Carl connected this to John 8:12, where Jesus calls Himself the light of the world, and said that shining like lights is really a matter of following Jesus closely enough that His light is visible through us. The more we complain and argue, he said, the less of God's transforming power is visible in our lives.
Paul then lifts up two people as examples, Timothy and Epaphroditus. What Carl drew out from Timothy was genuine care for the church, not as a personality trait but as a fruit of being filled up with the encouragement and love that comes from belonging to Jesus. Epaphroditus, who nearly died in service and was distressed that the Philippians had heard he was ill, showed the same posture. Carl found that detail quietly moving, comparing it to a mother who does not want to worry her children with bad news about herself.
The congregation joined in the reflection. One person shared that certain verses in Philippians carry weight even without knowing the surrounding context, and that Paul's image of being poured out like a drink offering was one of them. Another member thanked Carl directly, drawing a parallel between the patience and compassion he shows and what Paul describes in Timothy and Epaphroditus. Near the end of the evening, Carl led the group in prayer for Diane and Gary, whose family member Martha had passed away that morning, asking that even in grief there would be the kind of joy Philippians describes, the joy that comes from recognizing God's grace.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Carl came back several times to the idea that following Paul's instructions is a response to what God has first done for us, not a way to earn anything. How does that distinction land with you, and does it change how you think about the Christian life day to day?
Carl pointed to verse 13 as his favorite verse in the passage: 'For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.' When have you actually felt that at work in your own life, and what did it look like?
Alright. Hey. Good evening, friends. How are doing? Welcome to another Monday night.
And can we give Lexi and Bonnie just a big, big round of applause and a thank you. Thank you so much for that meal. It is absolutely delicious. And and and Mateo and Nick. And may I ask, is there are there leftovers that people wanted to bring home?
Okay. We we do have some leftover boxes back there. So if you wanna bring some home for a meal for tomorrow, please do. We're in the book of Philippians on Monday night, so I'm looking forward to chapter two. It is conversation style.
So remember that if there's a a verse that grabs ahold of you, please take note of it. The conversation time at the end has been real rich. Before we get there, can we sing together? If you're eating, keep eating. But if you can stand, let's sing God so loved.
Come lay them down at the foot of the cross. Jesus is waiting. God so loves.
God, thank you for this very, very real invitation. Thank you. Thank you. To taste of your goodness, to find what we are looking for, the well that doesn't run dry, the bread of life. God, would these things just, come to mind?
Holy Spirit, would you, speak to us right where we're at, tonight, through these songs, but also, through the word and and through our fellowship together. In Jesus' This verse has always caught me because this, right here is how we can approach God when we're here and anywhere. It's Hebrews. So let us come boldly, it says boldly, to the throne of our gracious God. There, we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Now thank you for that mercy and that grace that we can come to you boldly tonight, the cornerstone of our faith. Amen.
Christ cornerstone we made strong savior's love through the
Thank you, Lord. Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith. You told us anyone who listens to your teaching and follows it is like a wise person who builds a house on solid rock. God, would you give us wisdom, wisdom from above, that we'd be listening, an ear that's just ready to hear what you would have for us this evening. In Jesus' name, amen.
You can have a seat here for a moment. Anybody else liking Philippians these days? Me too. Me too. We're up to chapter two verses 12 through 30 tonight.
And the heading in my Bible is shine brightly for Christ. And I wanna share with you my favorite verse of this chunk of scripture, and it's verse 13. It's this one. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. To me, that was my favorite verse of this part, hands down.
That's my big takeaway this week, and I do wanna hear yours too. I wanna hear your favorite verse, as we read it as as well. Maybe another one grabbed ahold of you. And, whenever we see instructions in scripture, I find a lot of comfort in this verse right here. It is God, God who's working in us as we yield our will to his.
We're not just doing this on on our own and following instructions for the sake of following instructions. God is the one who's doing the work in us when there are these instructions to follow, giving us the desire and power. So let's take a look through it. It's Philippians two twelve through 30. I'll have the words on the the screen.
If you wanna read your version and your Bible, that's great too. But here is what it says, and this is the New Living Translation if you're wondering. It says, dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I'm away, it's even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
Here's my favorite verse. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. So he goes on. Verse 14. Believers, he's saying, Philippians, church, do everything without complaining and arguing.
Why? So that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life. Then on the day of Christ's return, I'll be proud that I did not run this race in vain and that my work was not useless.
Verse 17. But I'll rejoice even if I lose my life pouring it out like a liquid offering to God or a drink offering, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want you to all share in that joy. Yes. Rejoice, and I will share in your joy.
Verse 19. If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy for a visit. There then he could cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. I have no one else like Timothy who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus, but you know how Timothy has proved himself like a son with his father.
He served with me in preaching the good news, and I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what's gonna happen to me here. And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come and see you soon. Verse 25. Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He's a true brother, a coworker, and a fellow soldier, and he was your messenger to help me in my time of need when Paul was in prison.
26. I'm sending him because he's been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him and also on me so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. Welcome him in the Lord's love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn't do from far away. So there ends the the second chapter of Philippians. I'd like to pray first.
I'd like to share a few thoughts, then I'll open it up for all of us. But let's pray first. God, thank you for this word to us tonight. It is such a great reminder, God, that it is you working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases you. God, may your words speak to us and just right where we're at, what just what we need to hear.
In Jesus' name. Amen. So real quick, I I wanna put, this in front of us again. This was the scripture from last week, the first part of chapter two. And to me, this right here is the motivation for any instructions that we see in the remainder of Philippians.
Paul asks, is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Is there any comfort from his love? Is there any fellowship together in the spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? If indeed this is true, and I believe it is, then he's saying, Philippians, would you do these things?
So verse 12, here we start. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, he tells them, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. And notice, I just wanna point this out. Notice that he says in this verse what actually, notice what he doesn't say in this verse is work hard to earn your salvation. He does not say that.
No. No. No. To be clear, and we know this, but let's be reminded. Salvation is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus.
There's no doubt about it. He says, work hard to show the results after you have been saved by faith, by grace through faith. After, show the results of it. Show it. Live it out, he's telling them.
If indeed God has done this for you this is from last week's verse as well. This is what Jesus has done. If indeed Jesus has done this for you, not thinking of equality with God is something to grab hold of and cling to. Giving up his divine privileges, taking that humble position of a servant, humbling himself in obedience to God's will, and then dying a criminal's death on the cross. If indeed Jesus has done this for you, church, not just church in Philippi, but church at 1st Bee, church all over the world, then a very I believe a very natural response on our part is then to show it, carrying it out, show the results of you being saved, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
It's all a response. It's all a response for what God has first done for us. That's the theme I keep seeing over and over again in Philippians. Carrying out these instructions, it comes as a as a response, a natural response for what God has first done for us. And here is the good news.
Here it is again. Bold, highlight, underline for me. This is what was the most encouraging for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him, which includes these verses that follow, fourteen and sixteen, doing everything without complaining and arguing. Wow. Why?
I should say why so that no one can criticize you. This one this one really hit me, and and I think of it as this way, that the more that we would complain and argue, the less of God's transforming power can be seen in our lives. I I I feel like it's there the evidence isn't there. If we complain and argue and fight with one another, then it doesn't show the evidence of God's power transforming our lives. Would you agree?
And then we subject ourselves to criticism if we complain and argue with one another. So that's what he's telling the Philippians there. And I believe this is why he's saying, live clean and innocent lives as children of God. Shine like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. As God empowers you I believe this is what he's saying.
As God empowers you, shine like bright lights. And, again, look, Jesus is the example. Jesus is always the example for what we see. John eight twelve. This is my one of my favorite verses in all of scripture because there is light and there is darkness.
Jesus is light. He's the light of the word. If we follow him, we don't have to walk in darkness because we'll have the light that leads to eternal life. That's the shine like bright lights. Verse 16, hold firmly.
Hold firmly to the word of life. Hold firmly to the light. Hold firmly to Jesus himself. That's what he's saying here. Then when Jesus returns, Paul know he didn't run the the race in vain, that the church wasn't just doing this for Paul.
The church did this because they're living their life in Christ. Are you with me? It's good. It makes so much sense, this passage. Verse 17.
Check this out. I'm gonna rejoice even if I lose my life. He's saying, listen, church. I'm gonna be alright no matter what. I have Christ.
I'm pouring my life out like a liquid offering or a drink offering to God. I like this. It it's an Old Testament reference here where, like, Jacob, he marked the place where God spoke to him, and he poured wine all over that spot as an offering to God. I I kinda like that, but it's an Old Testament reference there. He's saying your faithful service is like that offering, that drink offering to God.
You're pouring your lives out, and I I want all of you to share in that joy. I want to share in the joy that we're doing this together. We're pouring our lives out together. We're serving together. We're recognizing the grace of God together.
That's the goal for the church. So then we get to Timothy and Epaphroditus. And I'm I'm not gonna dissect every verse here, but I wanna take a look at what he's commending them for. So let's start with Timothy in verse 20. What stands out to Tim about Timothy in verse 20?
It says, he genuinely cares about your welfare. Saying, hey. Timothy cares for you, church. And I think, why does Timothy care so much for the church? And what gives him that attitude to care so much for the church?
And I I go back to this again. I think this is it right here. I think Timothy cares so much for the church because of the encouragement from belonging to Jesus, the comfort from Jesus' love, and the fellowship together in the spirit. He's going, I love you because I'm filled with this. And that's what I see in Philippians.
I see Paul just filled up with joy in the spirit, and then he's just pouring out to the church. And he's going, now I want you to do the same, church. All response, again, all response for what first God has done for us. Check it out again. Timothy verse 22.
He proved himself. He proved himself like a son with his father. He served with Paul preaching the good news. He proved it. Then how about Epaphroditus?
What can we take from his example? These stood out to me in '25 and '26. He's a true brother. He's a coworker. He's a fellow soldier.
He's a messenger to help Paul in his need. He was longing, longing to see those Philippians. I I think there's the fellowship in the spirit. He goes, I love that church. That's where I wanna be.
Like and and catch this. He was distressed that you heard he was ill. That one actually kinda made me chuckle a little bit. Like, when you you call your mom and she doesn't wanna tell you the bad news because she doesn't want you to worry about her, that's that's a nephronitis. You know?
Oh, everything's fine. I didn't wanna tell you the bad news. Oh, I'm so you know? Anyway, 27, and he was ill. In fact, he almost died.
But God had mercy on him and Paul so they wouldn't have one sorrow after another. And my friends, I that one hit me square too this week is thank God for his mercies. That it's not always one mercy. Excuse me. That it's not always one sorrow after another, but rather one mercy after another.
I'm thankful that it doesn't all hit us at one time. Sometimes we do get a lot of bad news at once, but I feel like God is merciful in that. Sometimes it's we get it in smaller doses. All to say, I'm I'm thankful for God's mercy. I I really am.
I really am. Paul says about Epaphroditus, welcome him. Welcome him in the Lord's love with great joy, and give him the honor he deserves. Why? Verse 30.
Because he risked his life for the work of Christ. All to say, from Timothy and Epaphroditus, we get the impression here how much they really love Jesus and and how much they love the church, the the believers there. And I think that's something to take note of and something an an example for us to follow. We genuinely care for one another. We care for one another's wealth welfare.
And I wanna end with this just just one more time because I I believe this nails the the why from this from this chunk of scripture. Why work so hard to show the results of our salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear? Why do everything without complaining and arguing? Why live clean, innocent lives as children of God? Why love and serve the church even when it's risky like Timothy and Epaphroditus did?
And and I believe it's it's because of this, because of the encouragement from belonging to Jesus that we are adopted sons and daughters of the most high, the comfort from his love, that nothing in all creation could separate us from the love of God. That's why. The fellowship in the spirit and a heart that's tender and compassionate. Again, I see here is all response. It's all a response, following these instructions for what God has first done for us.
And let's not forget, this is key. I'm coming back to this full circle. It's God who is doing the work in us as we yield our will to his, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him. So that's what I've got for the rest of chapter two tonight. I would love to hear what what spoke to you, any any verse or word of encouragement for us in this room, but I'd like to to pray again first.
So, God, thank you. Thank you again for this word to us tonight, for the encouragement from belonging to you, from the comfort from your love, the fellowship that we have together in the spirit. And thank you for the tender mercies of Jesus, Also, for this much needed reminder that it is you working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases you. In Alright. So Philippians two twelve to 30.
Any thoughts? Little a word of encouragement? A favorite verse? You don't have to. It speaks for itself.
It really does. But if there is something, love for you to love for you to be able to share. You know, I typically look at
these books as Paul within a context. Like, Paul's writing to a specific group of people about a specific issue. He's writing to these people in Corinthians that have these specific issues, and you need to look at it in context. But it's funny when you read through the Bible or sit through Carl reading it. Sometimes you just get a different perspective,
that
really fills my bucket. Somebody does something encouraging, and that really fills your bucket. And later on, he talks about, but even if I'm being poured out like an offering, a sacrifice that that comes from faith, that fills other people's bucket. And I thought, you don't need any context. You can just every once in a while, there's just little nuggets without context that are so good.
When I first walked into First Bee for the very first time, I was in James, and it was the slow to speak. Or no. Quick to listen. Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. It's like, you don't need a context.
That's just good holy truth right there. So it's nice whenever you get some something that doesn't need the context, and it's just that simple. Just that good. So that was my Philippians takeaway from chapter two. Yeah.
Thanks for sharing that, Blake. That's good stuff.
Anybody else? And, Alan, I keep that's why I keep coming back to this right here, that if there is encouragement from belonging to Christ, there indeed is. If there is comfort from his love, we can keep adding to that. Is there is there comfort from his forgiveness? Is there comfort from him coming to serve us?
Is there fellowship in the spirit? Then doesn't that just help? Doesn't that just help so much?
Looks like you got a a microphone you weren't expecting. I need to start the way that I always start. And thank you. But I wanna say that thank you, Carl, for your ministry here and for all you have done. You know, at at Smith's, you guys, you know me as a happy, thankful little man.
And and and I am thankful. I'm thankful for the food that I have on the table. I'm thankful for the job. I'm thankful that I can put put on the table for my kids. They don't have to go to so many other hard things that I've been in my life.
And because of that, I am thankful. I'm literally thankful. Right? But spiritual side, it's a it's a different aspect. You can be thankful in life for things, but when it comes about spiritual, it's a battle.
It's a war. And and I can I I can say this with all my heart? Thank you for your patience like you show, like Timothy and like Ephesians. You show love and compassion to me in the moments when I was at the lowest point of my life, we help one another. We use how do you say what's the word that I'm looking for?
We lift we lift up one another, and then we go one day at a time one day at a time. And I wanna say thank you for your ministry and for all you do. I know you for so many, many years. I have never seen you upset once. I get there.
Trust me. I know you do because you you're human. But in in the ministry like this, you're like Timothy. You're like your puppies. God.
Again, I see it. It's all a response for what God has first done first showed us, then we and we do it so imperfectly, but we're we're doing our best in Christ. In Christ. Amen. That's the answer.
I'm thankful for all of you. Amen. And, my mom and dad my dad just went out, but that's that's Sandy, my mom. Yep.
Any other any other thoughts?
Yeah. Just kind of echoing what Florine just said and just some of my own thoughts.
Speaking of our staff, Diane, you know, Diane and Gary. Diane's mother, Martha, just she passed away last night this morning or or last night or early morning, and I just would like to to pray for them right now if we if we can. God, we lift up Gary and Diane, especially Martha's husband, babe. God, we don't need to pray for Martha. She is in your arms.
She is at home in heaven. Her work is finished. Thank you, God, for her dear sweet life. Just what what a a strong and faithful woman she is, and, God, that she is at home with you. And, God, we rejoice in that, but we also mourn with the family because we know, God, how difficult and how much grief there is in losing a family member.
And so we pray for them as they travel, as they gather, as they love one another, as they make plans here and what's next, as they care for babe and and how to care for him at this time as well, God, we ask for your grace, but, God, also for your joy, like the joy we're we see in Philippians, and that is your grace recognized. When we recognize your grace, your favor extended toward us, that's what fills us up with great joy. And I pray that for their family, that even in their grief, even through tears, there would be joy. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Hey. Would you stand with me, and we'll sing one last song together? Psalm 33, the word of the Lord. It's right, and it's true.
I believe there were wonders and signs you're still the same. I believe every word that you said. I believe there's scars in your hands, that your goodness is good without end, and you'll never change. And I will tell. I will tell of your wonders, sing of your grace.
God of creation knows me by name. The Lord is faithful. Yesterday, clouds. I believe you are here even now. In your presence, I know there is power power to save.
Knows me by name the Lord is faithful yesterday now and always your mercy is mighty
I have a little parting verse here. Above all, live as citizens of heaven. And I think what we just had read, though, all those instructions that he gives to the Philippians, here, I think this is what being a citizen means, conducting yourselves in a matter worthy of the good news, the gospel of Jesus' love and forgiveness. What he did for first for us, we do to others. Amen.
