I suspect that there is part of all of us who want our lives to count for something. We all have our own ways for pursuing significances. Some of us will do this with our careers. We will devote immense energies and make huge sacrifices so that we may accomplish great things on the job. We keep score of our progress by tracking promotions, pay raises, and bigger bonuses. Others will use our social circles to achieve significance. We will cultivate and even craft relationships with people who make us feel good about ourselves. Some will be individuals of power and significance, so that through relationship with them, we may share in their significance. There are many, many other ways to make something of our lives.

How will you make your mark on this world? Fast forward to a few years after your death? That’s right after your death. Will anybody remember you? Aside from a few family members who will make annual visits to your grave, who else in this world will miss you? What lasting significance will your life make? In today’s message, God lays out a way for his people to leave His mark on this world.

 Philipians 2:12-18

12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold outa the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Turn your attention to the second part of the first verse “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

“work out” – how odd. Isn’t salvation supposed to be gift of God’s grace? Something that is free? If salvation is suppose to be free, then what is it exactly that we are suppose to work for? Well let’s be clear, the phrase is “work out”, not “work for.” There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation. Only Christ through his death and resurrection can provide us with the opportunity for an eternal relationship with God. In Paul’s day, the phrase “work out” would commonly be used in talking about a mine or a harvest. “work out a mine” – would mean extracting all the potential ore from the mine. “work out a harvest” would mean harvesting the full potential of produce from a field.

Similarly, “work out your salvation” is call to pursue your life in such a way to get the most out this gift of salvation. Through Christ we can now have a relationship with God. We can now know God and live according to his purposes. The potential of our lives is only limited by our willingness to follow Him.

You know one of the hardest things for a parent is to watch your kids rob themselves of their potential. As a parent you have a great unending love for your children and you want the best the world has to offer. But no matter what you provide for your child, their growth is to some extent is still in their own hands. When Grace was two, we signed her up for “little gym classes.” For those who don’t know, these are small gymnasiums, where parents and children can play on equipment and the kids can learn different skills like tumbling, swinging, and balance. There were some days, that Grace would have a lot of fun. She would try all kinds of different equipment and participate in all kinds of activities the instructor had prepare for the class, But there were other days, she wasn’t interested. She didn’t want to try some new. She just felt like walking around and wasn’t willing participate with the rest of the class. As a father it was frustrating, the classes are kind of expensive and for that day it was a waste of money.

God has given us a tremendous gift of salvation. We have a calling to work out its full potential. Don’t waste this gift. No, instead pursue it will all of your might. If you need some motivation, skim through the scriptures and take a look at the kinds of great things God has accomplished with faithful men, women, and children. Entire nations were saved. Life was brought back from Death. Giant enemies were conquered. There is no limit to what God can do with one who is committed to pursuing his purpose. This leads us to the next part

12 continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

“with fear and trembling.”. Like the previous part, this too seems unusual. “Fear and trembling” seem to have no place in a relationship with a loving God. Why would Paul encourage a fearful attitude toward God? One would never ask children to be afraid of their parents. That would interfere and distort the relationship. How can one fully love anyone when there is fear? “Fear and trembling.” I had hard time with this. Sometimes it helps to go to the original language. The Greek translation of Fear is “Phobos”. Trembling translates into “Tromos.” I found that the definitions were quite varied. For fear, there were two categories of definitions. In one, Phobos translates into terror, dread, and intimidation. In the other category, Phobos translates into sense of awe, worship and respect. This second definition of fear seemed appropriate, but then there is still the matter of the word “trembling.” Tromos translates into quaking, trembling.

To be honest, I didn’t think the Greek definitions really helped me grasp the significance of what Paul is asking for. What did help is that once I had identified the Greek words for this, phrase, I could look at other places in the bible to see how they were used.

In Matthew 28:8 Jesus has been crucified. The next morning the women go the tomb to tend to his corpse. Instead of finding his body, they encounter an angel who tells them that Jesus has risen.

Matthew 28: 8

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

The women had just encountered an Angel. An angel who had told that their crucified Savior was not dead, but he had risen from the dead. These women leave the angel with fear (yes), but also with great joy. The fear is a reaction, a response to being in the presence of a magnificent miracle.

There was another reference where the fear and trembling did not describe an encounter with God, but rather and encounter with the Corinthians.

1Corinthians 2:1-3 reads

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I adid not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you bthe 1testimony of God.

2 For I determined to know nothing among you except aJesus Christ, and Him crucified.

3 I was with you in aweakness and in bfear and in much trembling,

and my 1message and my preaching were anot in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of bthe Spirit and of power,

In this passage, Paul is describing his attitude toward preaching to the Corinthians. He did not come with attitude of authority or of a teacher, but rather, he came with an attitude of “weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” Here the word fear seems to describe attitude rather than a reaction. The motivation for this fearful posture is described in verse 4, for my 1message and my preaching were anot in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of bthe Spirit and of power, For only in this Spirit was it possible for there to be a true demonstration of the Spirit’s power.

Let me give you one more. In this example, Paul is commending the Corinthians for taking care of Titus.

[1]1Corinthians 7:15

And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of bTitus, because his cspirit has been refreshed by you all.

14 For if in anything I have aboasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before bTitus proved to be the truth.

15 His 1affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the aobedience of you all, how you received him with bfear and trembling.

16 I rejoice that in everything aI have confidence in you.

[2] Paul commanded the Corinthians to take care of Titus. By this time, the Corinthians had develop such a respect for Paul that when he asked them to do something, they truly sought to fulfill his wishes, so much so that Titus describes his Corinthian reception as one marked by fear and trembling. Titus recalls his welcome with warm affection.

Why go to so much effort to understand what these words mean? Because a proper understanding of this Holy Scripture will elicit the proper response from God’s people. If we read the words “fear and trembling” to mean that we should be afraid of God and the integrity of our salvation is somehow questionable, then we misinterpret the scripture. We walk away thinking that we now need to worry that our salvation may somehow not be intact. That we need to walk through life with some nervous sense of dread that maybe I’m going to heaven, maybe I’m not. No, that is not the correct interpretation of this passage. When you are saved, it will never be taken away from you. You can trust, you are guaranteed to spend eternity in heaven.

Yes fear means terror. But there is a context for this terror. It is not the terror of being threatened. It is the terror associated with magnitude of what is involved.

When I was in college, I had a complete fascination with motorcycles. I remember thinking that on my 21st Birthday I was going give myself a birthday present, a $300 motorcycle helmet. I had found a company that would not only prepare you to earn a motorcycle license, but they actually provided the motorcycles for the student to train on. The students just need to provide their own helmets. But money was tight, and it seemed kind of silly spend hundreds of dollars on helmet, when I didn’t have a bike. However, that summer I had an internship at Comsat and one of my colleagues owned a motorcycle. So being a big fan, I was completely fascinated by what it must be like to own a bike. I had all kinds of questions for him.

At the corporate picnic, he brought his bike, and I had an opportunity to ride the motorcycle solo in the parking lot. It was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. Did you know that motorcyclist have a very different driving experience from the rest of us on the road? My friend was telling me that when he gets on the highway, he is not only looking at tail lights of the cars around him to watch out for a car that may be making a fast lane change, he is looking at the heads of drivers. He is watching how their head turns, because most people will turn their heads to check their mirrors, before they turn their turn signals on. Because he is so vulnerable on the highway, he wants to have as much warning as possible. So he looks inside the car for clues to what the driver is doing, because he knows a large number of drivers don’t use their turn signals when they change lanes. He knows that if someone is eating something, changing the radio, or putting makeup on, that person has no idea what is going on and as result he will back off or pass the driver as quickly as possible.

I once asked him, why he doesn’t ride his bike to work every day. It is summer time, the weather is perfect for motorcycling. His answer is that he is afraid of becoming complacent. He won’t ride a motorcycle everyday, because he is afraid he will get use to it, that it will become a normal experience. Instead of a very special event where all of his senses are fully engage, he is afraid that riding a motorcycle will become something he takes for granted. And in losing respect for the motorcycle, he knows his chances of getting hurt or killed dramatically increase.

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” – When we put these two phrases together it starts to makes sense. “Continue to work out.” Work out like working a mine for all of ore or working a field for all of its produce. Work out your salvation so that all of its potential may be realized in your life. Don’t be a disobedient child. Don’t cheat yourself out of all that God has planned for you.

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [3]

Work out your salvation to get the most out of your life. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This is not something you want to approach with a cavalier attitude. Do not take this for granted. My motorcycle friend limits his rides on his bike to cultivate a sense of respect for the great dangers associated with riding that machine. To do otherwise would risk his life. We too must constantly seek to cultivate a respect for the salvation that is only available to us through Christ. Because to do otherwise would risk wasting the great potential that God has for our lives. There is simply too much at stake.

Why is this so important? We are given the reason in verse 13.

13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

The only reason that today’s teaching is so vitally important is because it describes how God will use a life. When we talk about the Christian faith, we often focus on how Christ is the one who has made salvation possible. And now it is up to the people to make a choice as to whether or not they will accept this precious costly gift. However, the story doesn’t end there. The Christian faith is not a matter of single transaction. It is not merely a matter of God making an offer and the people accepting. The Christian faith is also a matter of the people responding to God’s offer, which then provides opportunity for God to move.

A parent can’t give a child a gift they are not ready for. I will never give my daughters a car until I’m fully convinced that this gift will not destroy their lives. I want to make sure they have the maturity and wisdom to use the great potential associated with a car without harming themselves or others. God may have all the blessings of heaven ready to give to us, but He can’t give them until we are ready. So where does that leave us? Just like verse 13 reads 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Know that God has a personal, active interest in the lives of each and everyone of us. Is that a little intimidating, yes of course. But it also a great source of hope and joy. No matter how difficult or disappointing life may become, we can cling the hope that God is working in our lives. We can live with confidence that our lives matter to God.

In remaining versus of this passage, we find a key transition. Up this point, Paul has been laying foundation to answer the “why” and the “how” questions of life. In this next section, Paul comes out and tell us the “what”. He tells us what to do.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold outa the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

If you want to leverage the full potential of God’s salvation in your life, Paul says you can start by doing everything without complaining or arguing. When I first read this scripture a couple of weeks ago, my first response was “ouch.” I realized, I can’t preach on this scripture. It’s a little humbling to realize that perhaps I need this message more than the people I will share this message with. For you see a couple of weeks ago, I had gottened reamed by my senior management for how I was handling an account. A senior executive VP just lashed out at me, “Tim, senior management should be involved in all of these meeting and decisions that you are pursuing. Senior management should be notified at every step. This amount progress achieved in this account to date without senior management involvement is completely unacceptable.”

I just sat there glaring at him. It took every thing inside of me to keep my mouth shut. I was screaming for the opportunity to respond. I would have said, “Are you insane? Do you realize what I have done. I have taken been on the road week after week to make this happen. I don’t need this garbage. It’s not worth the time I’m missing with my girls. You have got to be kidding me. “

Fortunately, what came out was simply, “OK.” OK, OK, OK, A few more OKs and I was out of office. Of course after I left his office, “OK” was not enough. I started complaining. There were other VPs who were also in the meeting. They were as stunned as I was. One told not to worry about it. Management is just a little nervous. I have never been so disgusted with my company.

Then I came home that evening, and of course I took the opportunity to regurgitate my frustration with my wife. But then later than night, it was time to work on the sermon. And after reading this verse, I felt a little ashamed. For at that moment, I began to grasp the significance of what Paul was asking for.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing

Just think about how significant a difference faithful obedience to this instruction would make. At times, this world can be a rather disappointing place. How many people do you know who are less than satisfied with their lives. When people are hurting, they are looking desperately for answers. Who do you think a hurting world will turn to for answers? Will it be those who are successful and “happy”? Perhaps, but on the other hand, isn’t it easy to cope with life when things are going well? We would all love to enjoy the kind of riches of a Donald Trump, but his success has no relevance to our lives. When people are are looking for answers to their problems, the more effective resource is to turn to those who are like them and have experience with the same problems.

While people may have a curious interest in our lives of the rich and famous, I believe people are very interested in how ordinary lives respond to life when it is hard and difficult. It is in those moments that we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around. It is in those moments, where people are watching to see if we have a better way of dealing with life. Anybody can propose some theory on how we should live life. But real life has is quite effective at demonstrating the substance and credibility of such ideas.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing”. Why? Verse 15 is why.

15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold outathe word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

This world can be a very disappointing place. The world is in bad need of heroes. It is in this context that God call his people to shine like stars in the universe. When we “do everything without complaining or arguing,” people will want to hear about how they can have that same kind of power in their lives. People will want that same strength for themselves. God wants us to shine like stars, because that is only way the lost will be able to find him. There is so much at stake.

Look at verse 16.

“as you hold out the word of life.” If you have ever been confused about what is most important type of work anyone can do, the answer is here. We need to shine like stars, so that we can share the “word of life” with a hurting world. There is nothing else that compares in significance. There is nothing you can do in business, in medicine, in social work, in anything that can approaches the eternal significance of sharing God’s gift of salvation. Medical science may one day cure cancer, but if even if they do someday the patient will still die. A social worker or teacher may be able to help child improve the quality of their lives, but then what? What happens when the child grows old and dies? The sin of mankind still carries an eternal damnation in Hell. Does it really matter that we have made a child more comfortable in this world only to suffer for eternity in the next?

It is only in the sharing of God’s gospel that we have the chance to make a difference in peoples live not just for the hear and now, but for all of eternity. Seventy or eighty some years of life is relatively insignificant in contrast to millions and billions of years that make up eternity. The world as it we know it may be a rather disappointing place, but heaven will not be. Heaven will be perfect. No flaws, no hurts, just a perfect existence with Almighty God forever.

We may not be able to change all the hurt, unfairness, and disappointments found in this world, but God can use us to lead others to a perfect paradise in eternity.

When I began preparing this message, I started thinking about the title. Two came to mind. The second idea was the title I ended up with, “Shine like the stars.” That does a decent job of summing up what God wants us to do. But the first idea of the title was far less interesting, but far more meaningful. The first idea for the title was the first word of today’s passage. “Therefore”.

“Therefore” – the word implies that there is some cause, some rational for all what we have been talking about today. That reason is Christ. Versus 5-11 read

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very naturea God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7 but made himself nothing,

taking the very natureb of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

[4]

Will you please bow you heads?

Please consider today’s scripture one more time. Let the words sink in and make difference in our lives today.

12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold outa the word of life