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HOW TO MAKE OUR LIGHT SHINE
Philippians 2:14-18
Bob Bonner
June 15, 2008
From day to day, there are many things that truly encourage my walk with the Lord and remind me to remain faithful to Him and His calling regardless of whatever else is going on in our world. Here are just two of them. First, in a time when so many say they know Christ but take Him for granted and don’t share Him with others, my heart rejoices when I hear that one of you is doing just that. You tell me of an opportunity you had to speak of Christ to others, how someone you know has recently come to Christ as a result of your prayers, or how God is working in and through you and others to bring them to Christ. To join with you in praise to God and in your excitement is so very encouraging to me.
A second thing that really excites me is to hear of the transforming work of the Spirit of God in a new believer’s life. So often I hear of people who have claimed to trust Christ, but I never see any confirming change in their lives. They have had an emotional experience or performed some religious act, but there has been no born-again evidence of the Spirit of God at work in their lives. “Spiritual still births” discourage me. But to see a person’s heart and life change as a result of Jesus Christ’s working in their lives--now that fires me up! God is all about forgiveness and changing the lives of those who seek His face, regardless of their past failures. To me, that’s what life is all about: seeing people meet Jesus Christ and witnessing His transforming power in their lives. Nothing beats it. That is, unless you move from just one member of a local church who is actively impacting lives around them for Christ to the whole church family living in such a way to cause others to take notice of Christ.
As I continue my own personal in-depth study of the Apostle Paul’s life, I’m convinced that the same thing was true for him. After years of leading people to Christ and watching many of them go on to lead productive and transformed Christian lives, nothing was more encouraging to Paul than to see a whole church family function as one in their commitment to introduce others to Christ and in their commitment to encourage fellow Christians to grow in Christ. On the other hand, there was probably nothing that grieved the Apostle Paul more than to see churches he had planted or at least had strongly influenced turn in on themselves and become divided over personal issues that matter little in the bigger scheme of the one main thing, the gospel.
As such discouraging situations occurred daily around the Apostle Paul, we will see this morning in our study of God’s Word what it was that drove him to continue on in his ministry to his beloved fellow Christians in the church at Philippi. If you have your Bibles with you, I invite you to open them to Philippians 2:14.
As you may remember, Paul is writing this letter from prison to his dear friends back in Philippi, over 600 miles away as the crow flies. Depending upon the winds, the shipping dates, and the difficulties of traveling over land, Paul remained a two-month journey away from his friends. Without a phone or internet, for all intents and purposes Paul was pretty much alone. Hence, when he received any news from home, it was accentuated. If it were good news, it was really good news that he would savor for months. If it were not so good news, it would be something that would concern and grieve him, probably driving him to his knees to pray for his friends.
Recently, the reports out of Philippi were not good news for Paul. I imagine that after a great deal of prayer and seeking the Lord for wisdom in what to say, Paul wrote this church (the closest thing to a home church for this Apostle) to encourage them to return to what had made them great: their love for Christ which was first manifested in their love for one another and in their aim to challenge each other to grow spiritually, and secondly, their joint commitment to reach their world for Christ.
During the past few years, something was happening in the church at Philippi that was not good. We don’t know the specifics, but from the letter we can tell that there were reports of disputes, self serving actions, and possibly, as we will see, Christians becoming disgruntled with their leadership. This had all led to a lessening, if not bringing to a total standstill, their acts of love toward one another and concurrently, their reaching out to the lost. It’s almost like a marriage when, after seven to ten years pass, reality sets in. The bloom of newness is gone, financial woes or the hardships of life set in, couples take one another for granted, and pretty soon communication, if there is any going on, is not very healthy or positive. But the Apostle Paul knows that, just as any marriage that struggles for a season can be turned around to be even healthier and richer in the end, so can a struggling church family be healed. He therefore writes this letter to encourage them to take the appropriate steps to bring back spiritual health and life to the church family, so that the gospel will continue to impact their lives and their culture.
Previously, Paul had exhorted these dear friends to turn away from their prideful approach to living and to serve one another. He now tells them in 2:1-4 to put on humility, considering others’ interests every bit as important as their own. Then, to show them what he had in mind, he lifts up Jesus Christ as an example of humility, in 2:5-11. There, Paul points out to what great extent Christ went to to humble Himself before us, even to the point of death, so that we might be saved. He did not do it for Himself, but for us. His humble service was the example of what Paul is calling all his friends to at Philippi.
But where does a church in trouble begin? Paul answers that question in 2:12-16, with two commands. The first command tells them to start doing something, and the second command tells them to stop doing something. The first command we looked at last time in verses 12-13. It was to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Without repeating all that we previously covered, we remember that I showed you that those verses do not point to personal salvation or spiritual growth. Rather, this command is to an ailing church family that needs to work together toward corporate spiritual healing. Hence this command, when correctly understood in light of its context, points to the necessity of them all recommitting themselves not just to Jesus Christ, but to the spiritual health and building up of one another out of respect for and reverence for the value that each member in the church family has before Christ. The purpose behind this command is that the Apostle Paul knows that only as the church family is spiritually healthy and valuing one another, can they fulfill the purpose of getting out the gospel.
The second command, like the first, is wrapped up in one long sentence made up of verses 14-16. It is a command for them to quit doing that which breaks up the unity of the church family. Let’s begin our reading of God’s word at this point, to see what it is that God says destroys the spiritual health of the local church family. Paul writes:
14Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15so that 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, 16holding fast the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not
run in vain nor toil in vain.
The command as to what the Philippian Christians were to stop doing is clearly stated in verse 14. Literally, this command is not just “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,” but more accurately, it is a command directing them to “Stop or quit doing all things that represent grumbling or disputing.”
The “all things” refers to everything that makes up their common and corporate life in Philippi. Everything is all actions and words that could affect their relationships with one another for the good or the bad, from the positive uplifting of one another to the negative discouraging of healthy relationships. They are to stop that behavior that works against bringing spiritual healing and health to their church family. And Paul specifies two actions that encourage spiritual sickness rather than healing to the church family: grumbling and disputing. Dr. Hawthorne states that this command to “do all things without grumbling and complaining” is part of Paul’s continued appeal for harmony and goodwill within the Philippian community.
This word “grumbling” points to the words that come from the hearts of disgruntled people. It is used to describe displeasure expressed in murmuring, secretive talking, or whisperings about someone. It is a negative response to something unpleasant, inconvenient, or disappointing; and it arises from the self-centered notion that something is undeserved or doesn’t fit with one’s expectation of how things ought to be.
Interestingly, this word “grumbling” is used only here and in one other place in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 10:10. There, the Apostle Paul is instructing the very spiritually immature Christians in Corinth not to act like some of their Jewish forefathers did during the period when the entire nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness. To be more specific, the historical context is found in Numbers 14, and is referred to again by Moses in Deuteronomy 32:5. In that historical context, like this one at Philippi, Moses was speaking not to individuals but to the whole nation of Israel, and he was rebuking them for how they had responded to the human leadership God had placed over them. Fast forward to the church at Corinth. Paul is imploring the Corinthian believers to stop provoking “the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer.”
Remember that the church at Philippi had been built on the backs of Jewish believers as compared to other churches that were more predominantly gentile in mixture. Hence, Paul is very deliberate in using this term “grumble” among Jews who remembered the historic setting in which it was used in the Old Testament. His less-than-subtle point to these Jewish Philippian converts to Christianity is, “Don’t be like your self-centered ancestors who caused problems for each other and their leadership in the desert.”
Since the people were not directly murmuring against God but against Moses in this Old Testament historical illustration, Paul’s point aimed at these Philippians may be that they are grumbling or murmuring among each other, and in particular, against their church’s leadership, who like the leadership in the wilderness, although frail and human, still were God’s representatives on earth and to be honored and obeyed. In the Old Testament situation, their grumbling proved not only to be unhealthy but deadly to the nation of Israel. Likewise, Paul is suggesting to the church at Philippi that their grumbling and disputing, especially toward the church’s leadership, would also prove destructive to their church family. This grumbling action promotes only ill will instead of harmony and goodwill. It comes from people who act towards others as if the others are not good willed or well intentioned. Hence Paul’s instruction to stop it. Because of their grumbling, Israel had become a “crooked and perverse generation.” They had become like those around them--just what Paul does not want for them if they are going to be “lights” in their world, as he states in verse 15.
The second word, “disputing”, supports this possibility. “Disputing” is passing judgment on another believer’s opinion. In 1 Timothy 2:8, it is rendered “dissension” because it usually leads to divisiveness in the body. To expand the definition so that it makes more sense to us, it means to “stop complaining” and to be accepting of the ways and efforts of others in the church. This is not to say that church members can’t go to their leadership to point out areas they may have overlooked or actions with which they may disagree. Leaders need to be open to criticism and suggestions, listening and considering all the data. But when they make a decision, it is to be followed. That’s true of all positions in which we are to follow authority, whether it be children with parents, wives with husbands, or students with teachers. Obviously, the only exception to this is when their direction asks you to clearly disobey God’s word.
To respond to church leadership with grumbling and disputing would go against Paul’s warning found in 2:3-4 against self-seeking, which sometimes is characterized by the attitude of, “Look, if they don’t follow my suggestions or do it my way, I’m going to leave!” That kind of attitude never is healthy for the individual or the church. It is wrong and needs to change. If it doesn’t, leaving the church or staying with a negative attitude will only adversely affect the moral and spiritual health of the church and in turn, its witness to the world. Hence when those in authority make decisions we don’t like, and our attitudes are bad, God says, “Your attitude must change. Come to Me, and (as verse 13 promises) I will not only show you what my will is, but I will supernaturally enable you to do what is right.”
Let me offer one last insight about these two words, “grumbling” and “disputing.” In the Greek these two words are in the plural form, which points to the reality that the complaining which had led to dissension in the church was a deep problem. This is where the individual Philippian Christian’s pride and arrogance, that thing which God absolutely hates, had been particularly obvious to Paul. Humility had to come into play for the spiritual health of the church family.
Why did a humble attitude, reflected in the ceasing of grumbling and disputing, have to be exercised in Philippi? Paul answers that in verse 15: “So that 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.” Notice that the terms “yourselves”, “you”, and “lights” are plural. By using the plural, Paul is emphasizing that, as a group of people living as a family, these things are to be true. These instructions are not geared so much to the individual, but they are a charge to the church family as a whole.
To whom were they as the church family to prove that they were “blameless, innocent children of God?” To the unbelieving world, where grumbling and disputing which leads to dissension was the order of the day. If their lives were characterized by self-assertiveness, conceit, grumbling, and argumentativeness, they would be viewed as no different than those non-Christians around them. In turn, the non-Christians would be led to believe that the gospel is ineffective and doesn’t really make any practical difference in a person’s life. But Paul wants them as a believing family to prove that as “children of God,” they are indwelt by God, and their lives are different because He is real and worthy to know.
Allow me to pause just a moment to expand on Paul’s words before moving on. Grumbling and complaining or disputing anywhere is negative; whether at school, work, or at home. But realize, in those secular situations, grumbling and disputing is typical. These are not actions that are to be carried on within the local church family. When it does happen, when other non-Christians see or hear about it, it brings shame to Christ’s name and certainly does nothing to draw others to Christ. You might wonder, “How would non-Christians in Philippi become aware of the grumbling and disputing that is going on in the church?” The answer is more than likely the same way it happens for most people outside the local church today. The Christian kid comes home to a non-Christian family and when asked why he is moping or downcast, he starts grumbling and complaining about his church youth group. Or, maybe it is an unhappy Christian who shares with a non-Christian friend with whom they work out at the gym, as to how frustrated they are with their church or pastor. Believe me, when our arrogance and pride displays itself in grumbling and disputing, the world will take note and say, “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need the church or Jesus.” When that happens, right there, we as a church have shot ourselves in the foot; we have crippled our calling to reach the lost with the gospel.
A while back, I was eating a meal in a local restaurant, when a couple I didn’t recognize came up to my table. They introduced themselves and told me what an interesting thirty minutes they had had in this restaurant. Apparently, they had been seated between two tables made up of two groups of strangers, all from Grants Pass. On one side of them, they couldn’t help but overhear four people complaining about their world, politics, and then their church. These disgruntled people didn’t have one positive thing to say about their church or its leadership. However, this stranger went on to say, on the other side the people were laughing and then they started talking about their church. They mentioned how thankful they were to have found such a friendly church, where the leadership took seriously their responsibilities, and the pastor actually taught the Word of God. At this point, he said, “Pastor, I just thought you would like to know that the second group of people we listened to go to Calvary Crossroads.” Wow! I thought you needed to know that, and that you would be encouraged. Sometimes we focus on our failures but don’t see what good things God is doing in us and through us. Even though we have our issues to work through as do all churches, others have heard that you are a caring family. Keep it up!
With the words, “As lights in a crooked and perverse generation,” Paul further explains that we are to continue in verse 16 “holding fast the word of life.” Some think that the “the word of life” refers to holding on to or teaching the word of God. But in light of the context, most scholars agree that Paul does not have the Bible in mind here. This is a reference to the gospel, of which Paul had so much to say in this epistle. Up until recently, the Philippian church had been living in such a way that they were “holding fast to the gospel”--they were positively promoting it. But if their divisiveness continued, they would no longer be holding fast to the gospel. Hence, Paul was charging them to keep the main thing the main thing.
And then with the latter part of verse 16 through verse 18, Paul gets more personal with his dear friends. He speaks to them of how much it would mean to him personally if they would put their pettiness aside and return to making the furtherance of the gospel their number one priority as a church family. He writes, “So that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”
All Christian workers have wondered about the value of their work in the lives of others, especially when those people persistently refuse to follow their leadership.
Few things caused Paul, sitting in jail, more personal turmoil than the grim prospect of reviewing his life and feeling it was all a wasted effort because those in whom he invested his life chose not to walk obediently to Christ, but would rather promote themselves than promote the gospel. Hence, he uses two images to express this wasted effort: that of the athlete, to “run in vain,” and that of the laborer, “to toil in vain.” No athlete wants to see his endless hours of training go down the drain due to someone else’s error disqualifying him. No laborer who puts in exhausting hours of work, maybe making a tent, wants to see a preventable fire burn up his efforts. So it is for those who sacrificially give of themselves to be spiritual shepherds or mentors of others. John MacArthur writes:
The best thing believers can do for their pastors is faithfully to live out
the truths of God’s Word that he has preached and taught, so that he can
say with Paul, “I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” Every pastor desires
that the reward of his efforts will be full, that the people under his care love
and obey the Lord without grumbling or complaining and with their lives
and words effectively demonstrate the gospel to be true and believable.
But lest they should think that Paul is too pessimistic about them, he hurries to add this statement in verse 17:
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. 18You
too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Here, Paul recognizes their past sacrificial service to him was proof that they had held on to what was most important and probably would do what he has encouraged them to do to return to being a spiritually healthy church family. They had sacrificially offered themselves to God by caring for him while he was in jail. So even if he were presently suffering in jail, he was glad because his sufferings were like a libation offering (typically wine poured over someone else’s sacrificial offering in order to complete a joint honoring of God).
One other commentator completes this thought:
Thus, whatever further sacrifices they make, to keep harmony at the church
so that the gospel can go forth, Paul rejoices to place his sacrifice of his life
on top of theirs as this “libation.” They have done the right thing in the past,
as to participating in his ministry . . . and now he is encouraging them to keep
it up by making sure they are doing all things to make sure their church family
is functioning in a healthy manner.”
The Apostle Paul has shown them his selfless sacrificial submission to the Lord by doing what is hard, by remaining in jail for the gospel. He is challenging them to continue to follow his example of putting what is most important ahead of personal wishes.
Really, when the Philippians and we stop to seriously consider what Paul is writing here, it is all about who really is master over our lives. Whether it be in our relationships with people at work, school, home, or in the church, are we going to obey the Lord? Are we going to continue to make our personal interests, goals, and expectations most important? Or in obedience, are we going to submit to the Lord and make our priority what is most important: the health of the team, the salvation of our fellow workers, the best for our family, or the health of the church family?
Ask yourself this question: “Is there anything that I am presently grumbling about at home, school, work, or church?” Then ask yourself, “Why am I complaining?” It is not wrong to observe something and see a better way to do things, or to observe an injustice and call it so. But what does ongoing complaining and grumbling demonstrate? It says, “God, I don’t believe you really hear me. God, I don’t believe you really care. Or, if you do care, you simply don’t know what’s best in this situation.” In the end, a grumbling spirit is an arrogant spirit that does not recognize or wish to submit to God’s manner in handling a situation. A grumbling spirit is a spirit that denies God His right to do things His way. But a humble spirit, after having asked questions or shared ideas that might enable leadership to change direction, steps back to allow God to do things any way He chooses, without grumbling. To do anything else is to arrogantly demand that God move over and let you handle things. The end result of that will bring dissension in the ranks, produce disunity, and eventually destroy team, family, work, or church unity. It will dowse any light of the gospel that we as Christians were created to produce.
Lord, help us to be humble and let you be God. Convict us of our prideful, grumbling attitudes. Help us to produce healthy outcomes in our working relationships with others.
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