No thank you (Philippians 4:10-20)

As Asians, we are not great at saying thank you.

Think of Christmas. Someone gives you a gift and what goes through your mind? Haiya, next year, I must give a gift also. That is, our way of saying thank you is payback. You take me out for coffee, I buy you a latte. That sort of thing.

The book of Philippians is a thank you letter from the Apostle Paul to these Christians, to this church in Philippi, who send him money while he is under house-arrest in Rome. But it is only here in Chapter 4 that we find out it is a thank you letter.

The thing is: Not once does Paul say thank you. And not once does Paul say they have given him money (though they have and probably lots of it). Instead, Paul frames his thanks, and indeed, the whole letter, in terms of the gospel. You are partners with me, Paul says, in the gospel. And Paul frames their gift as an act of worship, pleasing and accepting before God (verse 18).

Why? Because Paul wants us to understand the difference between needs-based giving and grace-based giving. Needs-based giving that is prompted by needs, by our compassion in response to a sad situation, to a cry for help, is good. It is generous and good. But it is different to grace-based giving, which is the kind of giving we see here in Philippians. How so? In three ways: Contentment, partnership and worship.

1. Contentment

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:10-13

“Thank you for that box of chocolates. I enjoyed it.” That’s what we expect from a thank you letter (or WhatsApp message). Not, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.”

But concern lies behind the gift of Philippians. Concern for a pastor in chains. Love for a brother who is suffering. And that says a lot about their relationship, their motivation for sending this gift to Paul so far away. They want him to know that they are with him. He is not alone.

And that is what Paul thanks them for - their concern. But at the same time, Paul goes out of the way to reassure them: I’m OK. Do you see that? Verse 11: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” In response to their concern, Paul talks about his contentment. Question is, what does he mean? For most of us, I suspect, contentment means being OK with what we have. OK with the money in the bank. OK with leftovers in my fridge. OK with the relationships in my life. But notice, Paul talks about extreme situations - how to be brought low and how to abound. And he talks about the secret of contentment - facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Paul’s contentment seems independent of circumstance and he isn’t saying I’m OK with what I have, but rather, I will always have Christ. More than that, I will always live for Christ. That is the thinking the lies behind verse 13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

To put it another way: Paul is still a Christian. In any and every situation of life, Paul has learned what it means to be a Christian and to stay a Christian. To trust in Christ and to continue living for Christ. In plenty and in hunger. In abundance and in need. In any and every situation of life.
Now every single bible study group I’ve been in has focussed on the hunger and the want and the need. It is tough to be content when you are in need and probably that was the same concern the Philippians had for Paul. And there is that moment in every bible study everyone stares into the distance and you can tell they are imagining what it feels like to be in prison and what means to be content in that time of need.

If that happens, the way to snap them back to reality is to ask: Are you full or hungry right now? Are you in abundance or in need? (This works really well if they’ve just had dessert) And it is important to do that because Paul does that here in Philippians. Here he is, objectively in a position much, much needier than the Philippians, in chains for the gospel, telling them he has learned the secret of contentment in both plenty and want, abundance and need. Meaning, what? Meaning: You need to learn this, too. You need to realise that you who are living in abundance, in plenty, in fullness (of pudding); that you, too, need to learn what it means to be content in Christ. Not hankering for more. Not imagining what if I had more of this or that. But in the moment, trusting in the fullness of the grace of Christ to live completely for him and him alone.

Paul had to learn this himself. He says it twice. “I have learned…” (verse 11) and “I have learned…” (verse 12). Even the great Apostle Paul had to learn what it means to trust God when he had very, very little and when he had very, very much. And that is encouraging, isn’t it? Maybe you are in a tough situation in life and around you are surrounded by people who seem to have so much more than you. Learning to be content in such a difficult situation is hard, Paul is saying, but God taught him though that situation and God is doing the same with you.

And maybe you are doing well in life but you feel guilty telling your friends because they think you should be OK, you should have nothing to worry about, but the truth is: you are worried and you are anxious. Well, Paul says he knows that what that is like, too. Learn to be content. Learn to trust in Christ and Christ alone.

2. Partnership

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
Philippians 4:14-16

Imagine a friend trying to persuade you to go into business with them and they say, “This is going to be great. If you invest your money, if we work together on this, we will change the world. It will grow. In five years, we will be driving Teslas and flying first class.” Every start-up works that way, every new partnership works that way.

Imagine another friend coming to you saying, “Come join me in suffering.” That’s Paul’s invitation in verse 14. “It was kind of you to share (or have partnership in) my trouble.” It is the same word he uses back in Chapter 3 talking about Jesus when he says, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share (or have partnership in) his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”.

But you see, they did join him in this kind of partnership. “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.” Right from the beginning when no one else thought it was a good idea, they said, We are with you, Paul. And all through his ministry, they never gave up, not once. “Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.”

What do you call this? Faithfulness. Steadfastness. The bible calls this fellowship (the same word translated “sharing” in Philippians 3 and 4). Fellowship is not hanging out after church at Wetherspoons, it is not even meeting up once a week for a meal and bible study (as good as that is). It is partnership, not unlike business partnerships. You are invested in something. It costs you something. It has a goal. And what you are investing in, what you are working towards, what you are you partnering in is the gospel. That’s fellowship according to the bible.

Why is that important? It is costly. There is a reason people want fellowship to mean something other than the gospel. No one else wanted to partner with Paul, no one else wanted to have anything to do with Paul because it meant sharing in his trouble. Because it means sharing in Christ’s suffering. And that’s why we redefine the word to mean something else: chilling out, hanging out, getting to know one another over bubble tea. But for Paul and the Philippians it means sacrifice. It means togetherness. It means faithfulness even when no one else wants to be involved in this kind of partnership, in this kind of relationship.

But that is what makes their relationship so special. You know, the friends who are really your friends are the friends who were friends when no one else wanted to be your friend. (You might want to read that last sentence again)

Isn’t that true? The ones who were with you since the beginning. Who stuck with you through the tough times. Who are with you still today. Yes, they helped Paul out of concern but Paul wants them to know, We are equal partners in this. You and I have the same goal, the same mindset - the gospel. You see, fellowship is not seeing thing eye-to-eye but working together side-by-side. Paul is preaching, travelling, planting churches. The Philippians are sending money, sending people, praying for the mission. They are not even in the same country, they haven’t seen each other for ages. What kind of fellowship group is this? Yet theirs is a fellowship that is true to Scripture because theirs is a fellowship that is true to the gospel.

If that is true, it might be worth thinking about our fellowship groups in church. How is the gospel at the centre of those relationships? How is suffering for the gospel (not simply suffering in general or praying for difficult circumstances) at the centre of our relationships with one another?

3. Worship

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4:17-20

At this point, Paul has problem. Why do I say that? The Philippians have sent him money again and again, they are concerned for him again and again but what does Paul do? He says he is OK. He reminds them they are the most faithful bunch of all his friends. Now, either one of two things are going to happen. Either they are going to think: OK, Paul doesn’t really need my help any more so I shouldn’t be generous any more. Or they are going to think: OK, I’ve done enough. I’ve done my bit.

Whenever you watch one of those charity events on TV, there is always a segment when the presenter says, “Let’s get serious for a moment.” And the scene cuts to a village, to an impoverished child, to a real-life situation of need. Help us to help them. Your contribution will go a long way. Again, that is good, that is godly and it is generous to respond to such a real need.

But that is not Paul, is it? He goes out of his way to dispel any notion of needs-based giving. “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied.” I say that because need-based giving works here in church. We need to fix the toilets. You guys have so much talent, gifts, time, we could really use your help. It works. Using guilt, appealing to people’s generosity, highlighting real needs within our church and fellowship groups, well, it works. And I guess, there is a place for that (maybe not). But Paul doesn’t do that. What does he say instead?

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.” He wants them to be generous for their own sakes. For their own benefit.

And it is interesting how he uses worship language to describe their gifts. “The gifts you sent (are) a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” One friend said, “They think they are giving Paul but Paul saying they are really giving to God.” And that’s right. Elsewhere, he says, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Again, using worship language, Paul is saying his offering is just the cherry on top of their much larger, much more significant sacrifice before God.

What he is doing is opening their eyes. They think they sending a cheque to help a brother. (In Cantonese, we say, “Hou chamm, hou chamm ah!”) But Paul is saying to them, Do you realise how pleased God is with your generosity? One of the most uplifting, most encouraging thing you can do for a fellow Christian is simply to remind them how much God is pleased with their generous spirit because, friends, they probably don’t realise it themselves. Even Jesus says so in Matthew 25.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:35-40

They were surprised (When did we do this?) but Jesus says to them, What you did for them you did for me. And, you see, Paul wants them to see that. God is pleased with their giving. God loves their generous spirit, their grace-based giving that is so uncalculating that even they do not realise it but God sees and God is pleased with.

Now we have be careful sometimes when we ask people to “give back to God what God has given us,” because it is tempting to use this passage to justify that sort of thinking. It is our Asian tendency again, to pay back God as a way of saying thanks but I suggest to you, it is a poor way to be thanking God, perhaps, even, a selfish of thanking God. Why do I say that? Because of verse 19.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Give to God and God will give back to you. It sounds a bit like that doesn’t it? And sadly, we can use that to motivate Christians to be generous. If you give twenty percent, God will give you back two hundred percent! After all, my God will supply every need of yours, it says so right there. Of course, what happens is we give our money, time, gifts generously but at the back our minds think, God, I’m holding you to that promise you made. I’m expecting that payback of two hundred percent!

Rather, Paul is speaking again of contentment, of a mindset that trusts God in any and every situation. I say that because Paul says “my God” will fill up all your needs. Paul is speaking of his own personal experience of being in need, still in prison, still in chains, still in exile, but still in Christ, still content, still faithfully preaching the gospel of Christ. That is what it means for Paul and that is what it means for us to have all our needs filled up according to the riches of Christ Jesus. This is grace-based contentment, grace-based fellowship. This is grace-based giving.

Or you could say, simply: This is Christian giving. Giving simply to please God. Giving knowing that he is God, knowing we have received grace, forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Poured out

There is a pivotal scene from the 1997 movie “Gattaca” I have been replaying in my head all week as I've been reading Philippians. Two brothers, Vincent and Anton, compete against each other by swimming out to sea. It is a game they've played ever since they were kids, a game they called “chicken”. Essentially a test of strength and stamina, both brothers would swim out to sea and they would keep on going until one would give up and turn back to shore. That person was always Vincent. He was always the “chicken”. Born with a heart condition, Vincent repeatedly lost to his younger yet stronger brother, Anton.

Now as adults, Anton was still the stronger of the two. Vincent continued to struggle with his physical ailment. Still, something had changed. As they set out to open waters, each time Anton turned aside to look at his brother, there was Vincent, pulling ahead. “How are you doing this, Vincent?” the bewildered Anton asks. Vincent keeps pushing on. Only towards the end, as Anton tires from the strain and gives up does Vincent reply his brother, “You wanted to how I did it? That’s how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back.”

The apostle Paul, writing from prison, contemplating the possibility of execution because of his ministry in preaching the gospel, writes:

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Philippians 2:17

In considering the totality of his life, poured out for the sake of the gospel, Paul rejoices. He holds nothing back. Everything is spent for this one single purpose, towards this one single direction: to glorify Christ whether by life or even by death (Philippians 1:20). Finally, he calls upon us as Christians to do the same.

Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Philippians 2:18

Shine like stars (Philippians 2:14-16)

Yesterday at the Chinese Church, we looked at Paul’s encouragement to Christians to continuously work out our salvation. That means, as followers of Jesus we are to be (1) consistent in our obedience, (2) confident in Christ’s work on the cross, and (3) courageous in living for the gospel.

One thing we didn’t have time to look at was how God uses our work as a witness to the world.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:14-15

1. Do all things without grumbling or questioning

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul writes, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God.” That’s the positive encouragement. What we have here in Philippians is the negative discouragement, Do all things without grumbling or questioning. In the context of the letter, where Paul is separated from the church due to his imprisonment in Rome, it is likely that he is warning the believers from grumbling against their leaders. Notice how he immediately commends Timothy (verse 22: “But you know Timothy’s proven worth”) and Epaphroditus (verse 29: “So receive him in the Lord and honour such men.”) in the remaining verses of Chapter 2.

Yet Paul is also saying much more to us than simply, Don’t cause trouble, or Keep your complaints to yourselves. He uses a phrase from the Old Testament book of Exodus used to describe the nation of Israelites who have just been rescued from slavery in Egypt. In the desert, the Israelites repeatedly grumbled against Moses and questioned God’s goodness as they faced hunger (Exodus 16, where the word “grumbling” occurs six times) and thirst (Exodus 17 where the word “quarrel” or “question” occurs three times). In both cases, God responded to their grumbling and quarreling with grace and goodness - he sends the quail and manna for food; he instructs Moses to strike the rock releasing the water. Still, the tragedy of the Israelites’ dissatisfaction was this: They had so easily forgotten God’s salvation. Here were a people who been rescued from slavery, who had seen with their own eyes God’s power poured out upon Egypt, who had received the promise of even greater things - the Promised Land, the Tabernacle, the Law; but who had taken their salvation for granted.

Remember that the book of Exodus opens with the Israelites crying out to God (Exodus 2:23). God heard their cry, he remembered his promises to them, and he acted on those promises by sending Moses to save them. In times of difficulty and distress, we can call out to God who hears us, we should call out to Jesus who saves. But Paul is differentiates that sincere cry for help, that expression of helplessness, that call for justice, from an insincere heart that rejects God’s salvation and questions his goodness.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning, Paul says to us. It is a call to examine the attitudes of our actions, the motives behind our ministry, the sincerity of our service of one another and before God in whose kingdom we serve.

2. In the midst of a crooked and depraved generation

Paul contrasts the attitude of the Christian with that of a “crooked and depraved generation”. Who is he describing? At first glance, it looks like the non-believer. After all, he ends by speaking of Christians as lights shining brightly “in the world”. Yet that word “generation” should clue us in on the fact that Paul is still using the language of the Exodus (remember how Moses’ entire generation was excluded from the Promised Land), quoting a passage from Deuteronomy 32 known as the Song of Moses. Interestingly, this song echoes much of the language found here in Paul’s letter. Have a look:

They have dealt corruptly with him;
they are no longer his children because they are blemished;
they are a crooked and twisted generation.

Deuteronomy 32:5

Is Paul thinking of the non-believer? Yes, but I think a better name for it is non-receiver. The crooked and twisted generation was not a reference to pagans, to the Egyptians or to the Canaanites, all of whom did not know the God of the bible, all of whom worshipped other gods instead of the God of the bible. Rather, in his song, Moses is describing his own generation, his own people, the Israelites who knew God and yet chose to reject God. Rather than disbelieving God, they chose not to receive him as God.

It is in this sense that Paul is describing the world and contrasting the world against Christians, whom he calls, “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish.” Paul does not mean that Christians are blameless in and of themselves. No, the only difference between them and the rest of the world is that Christians have received God’s promise of salvation. They are blameless because of the work of Jesus Christ who took their blemishes, meaning their sin and shame, upon himself, and transferred his righteousness and acceptance onto them. Jesus is the spotless lamb, without blemish, offered up on the cross in our place to take the blame of our punishment, to bear God’s anger for our sin.

The difference between the Christian and the world, between God’s children and God’s enemies, between the blameless and the blemished is simply this: It is Jesus. You either receive Jesus or reject Jesus. And Paul says this world has chosen to reject Jesus as Lord. We live amongst a non-receiving generation.

3. Among whom you shine like stars in the world

How then does God use us as his witnesses in this world? I think the answer might surprise you because here, at the end of verse 15, when we finally get to the exciting bit about “shining like stars”, which might have caused us to conjure up in our minds powerful images of mission, evangelism, acts of service, tangible displays of love - we find that verse 15 is not actually a command from Paul, but rather the result of a command. Paul does not say to Christians, “Shine!” (Or “Let your light shine before others,” as Jesus commands in his famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:16). No, the command is not found in verse 15, but previously in verse 14: Do everything without grumbling or questioning.

In other words, it is not the impressiveness and the excellence of your lives as Christians that makes you shine like stars. The command is not to be the star - to win the X-Factor and sing “Shine, Jesus, Shine” at the finals in front of Simon Cowell and the unbelieving world. That isn’t what Paul has in mind. Neither is it to build a successful multinational company so that you can use all your profits to plant churches around the world. That is not the command.

The command is to do everything without grumbling, without questioning in submission to God as an expression of our dependence upon God and our faith in Christ. Friends, this means you can do this right now. The way you are revising for that Tripos in June. The way you speak to your colleagues at work. The way you serve the Sunday School kids in church. The way you provide for your family at home. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, and Paul says, the world is going to notice the difference in your lives. Do this, Jesus says, and the world will recognise and give thanks to your Father in heaven.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

Please don't mis-hear me. Of course you can and you should pursue excellence. Remember that Philippians 2:14 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 are flip-sides of the same coin. Do everything to the glory of God, Paul writes to the Corinthians. Yet in the pursuit of excellence, be wary of making excellence your god (Hence the context of 1 Corinthians 10 is idolatry). Be careful of turning your job, your ministry, your witness into your basis for righteousness before God. I think that’s why the bible gives us both commands as a safeguard. Do all things to the glory of God. Do all things without bitterness. And as we do this, we learn obedience. As we obey this, we learn grace. As we lean on God’s grace, we experience God’s joy.

In other words, God wants his glory to be seen in every believer. God wants all Christians to shine for him no matter where they are, no matter what job they are in, no matter what situation of life they are dealing with. This is not a call to be a celebrity for Jesus. This is a reminder of the power the comes from trusting completely in Jesus in your day-to-day lives as children of God.

This is all it takes for the unbelieving world to sit up and take notice: Live for Jesus, trust in Jesus and you will shine for Jesus. Having said that, it will never be enough to change an unbelieving world. As important as it is to live consistently with the gospel and as attractive as it is to behold a life transformed by the gospel, in the end what the world needs is the gospel.

4. Holding out the word of life

Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.

Philippians 2:16

The gospel must always be at the centre of our witness to Jesus. Otherwise, says Paul, it would all have been for nothing.

If you are a Christian, yes, it is important that you “live such good lives amongst the pagans, that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” on that final day (1 Peter 2:12). But at some point, you will have to open your mouths. You will have to talk about Jesus. The gospel is the word of life. Only by hearing and responding to the gospel can anyone be saved.

If you are a non-Christian, maybe you have noticed how your Christian friends go about their daily lives - in the classroom, in the workplace, queueing in line at Sainsbury’s. I hope you have seen a difference. I hope these Christians have been loving, patient, generous, kind. Perhaps you might say to me, “No, actually there hasn’t been a difference,” or, “Their lives haven’t been consistent with the bible.” Yet I do want to draw your attention back to what Paul is saying here: the biggest difference isn’t in a changed life (as amazing as that is), the biggest is seen in the word that gives new life. The difference is the gospel - which says we can never be good enough for God. It is the gospel - which frankly tells us we all stand under the judgement of God. It is the good news - that Jesus Christ has taken our judgement and given us his reward through his death on the cross. Do you see this difference in the gospel?

Friends, if we do not see the gospel - that the gospel is central, that the gospel is absolutely essential, that the gospel alone saves us and changes us, Paul says, we have missed the plot. No amount of labour, evangelistic programs, acts of kindness, church events, sacrificial giving can ever replace the gospel. And that is such wonderful news, because the gospel is all about Jesus’ work. Not ours. We witness to his finished work on our behalf on the cross.

Work out your salvation (Philippians 2:12-18)

The Jeremy Lin problem

About a month ago, the New York Times published an op-ed piece entitled, “The Jeremy Lin Problem”. In case you don’t know who this is referring to, Jeremy Shu-How Lin is a 23-year old Asian-American basketball player who went unnoticed for most of his career up until February this year when he started leading the New Yorks in a string of wins, sparking the interest of sports fans within the United States and worldwide, in a phenomenon that has now widely come to be known as “Linsanity”. He is a graduate from Harvard University with a degree in economics (which explains why he is such a hit with the Tiger Mums). Unlike many basketball personalities, Jeremy does not use coarse language on or off the court but comes across in interviews as courteous, polite and is often heard commending his team-mates rather than putting them down.

Yet according to columnist David Brooks, Jeremy Lin has an anomaly; by which he is not talking about Jeremy’s ethnicity, education or athletic ability. You see, Jeremy Lin is a Christian, and the article suggests that his biggest anomaly - Jeremy’s greatest problem - is this: “He’s a religious person in professional sports”. David writes:

“The modern sports hero is competitive and ambitious. (Let’s say he’s a man, though these traits apply to female athletes as well). He is theatrical. He puts himself on display...This is what we go to sporting events to see. This sporting ethos pervades modern life and shapes how we think about business, academic and political competition.

But there’s no use denying — though many do deny it — that this ethos violates the religious ethos on many levels. The religious ethos is about redemption, self-abnegation and surrender to God.”

Notice how this doesn’t just apply to basketball and sports: “The sporting ethos... shapes how we think about business, academic and political competition.” The conflict that is described here applies to you as a student, as a businessman. It affects the way someone runs for political office (or treasurer of ABACUS). In any and every situation where you will need to prove yourself and deliver on a set of goals, this article is saying that your belief in God is going to trip you up and hold you back. Trusting in Jesus is incompatible with achievement in the workplace, or so the article suggests.

Our passage today begins with humility but ends with glory. Paul, who wrote this letter to the Christians at Philippi, focuses on the obedience, the sacrifice, the humility of Jesus Christ but from that centre of Christian faith, he urges us to work out our salvation; in other words, to strive. Right at the end, he points to the athlete and to the hard-working farmer as illustrations of what it means to live to God’s glory. It is a tension that the bible insists is authentic and essential for every believer. We need both - to trust Jesus for our salvation and to work out our salvation.

We will approach this passage under three headings:

1. Be faithful: God is present

2. Be confident: God is working

3. Be all in: God is rejoicing

Be faithful: God is present

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

Philippians 2:12-13

Paul begins by telling his readers, This is something you already know. In fact, it’s what you have always been doing. Paul begins with their obedience, in the first instance, to him as their senior pastor. Paul looks back at the history he has had with these Christians and he smiles. “I thank God every time I remember you”(Philippians 1:3). While the NIV has “my dear friends” in verse 12, a better translation would be “loved ones.” This is the ultimate bromance. Here is a deep affection, a real connection, a partnership in the gospel.

Now, when Paul talks about obedience, he isn’t dealing with a church who is going, “Who does this guy think he is - telling us what to do?” No, he says You have always obeyed. But now, it is even more important that you continue in your obedience in my absence. Why? Because their ultimate obedience isn’t to Paul but towards God. “Not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence,” adding these words, with fear and trembling.

Obedience has a bad rap today. It is seen as foolish. It is considered dangerous. Our modern understanding of democracy and freedom encourages us to question any authority that sets itself up against popular opinion, to rebel against any power that suppresses the voice of the people. So when we read Paul’s words encouraging Christians to obey God with fear and trembling, it is possible that some of us imagine a harsh dictator oppressing his citizens using force and coercion. Yet what we need to realise is that Paul has just been describing Jesus Christ, exalted by God to the highest place as Lord and Judge because of his obedience - an obedience which verse 8 says, flows from humility and led to indignity, to a shameful death on the cross. His obedience is rooted in a loving relationship with God the Father. His obedience is empowered through a humble dependence on the Spirit of God. And Paul says, ours is the same.

That’s the why of obedience: we obey Jesus, who himself was obedient unto death. But now Paul deals with the questions of how and when. How are you obedient to God? When do you display your obedience to Jesus Christ?

The answer is not just when you’re in church. Not just when your leaders are around to give you a pat on the back for helping set up the sound system, for teaching the kids at Sunday school. If that is what you’ve been doing so far, Paul is saying, That’s good. Well done. But... But it is even more vital that you continue in obedience when there’s no one watching. “But now much more in my absence,” he writes.

In other words: Are you the same person on and off the court? If here in the Chinese Church with your brothers and sisters around, you are a gracious person, a loving brother, a caring sister, a helpful servant - would I see the same person on Monday morning, when you are in the office, when you are stuck in traffic, when you are revising for your exams at the Central Library, when you are at home with mum and dad, when clocks have switched over and you’ve had one hour less sleep. It is even more important for us as Christians to be obedient in the absence of authority because ultimately, we answer to God’s authority mediated through Jesus Christ. This is faithfulness. This is true obedience.

It is unfortunate when the topic of God’s authority is brought up only to justify rebelling against a human authority - like oppressive governments, dictators and the like. The bible teaches us as Christians to submit to authority; that there is no authority except that which God has established; and that he who rebels against authority, rebels against God (Romans 13:1-2). Some even find excuses within the bible to justify rebelling against church authority, citing passages like 1 Corinthians 4:4 (“It is the Lord who judges me”) while ignoring 1 Corinthians 5:12 (“Are you not to judge those inside?”), dealing with church discipline. Again, these troublemakers are not the ones Paul has in mind. Rather, Paul says of his friends in Philippi, You have always obeyed. Now do so even more in my absence.

The immediate context is authority over God’s church and accountability amongst God’s people. Paul as the founding pastor writes from prison, in chains. That is the reason for his absence. He is confident that he will be released soon (Philippians 1:25-26), but until then, he writes to this small congregation in the city of Philippi, encouraging them to remain faithful in the gospel.

How does that translate here in the Chinese Church? Two years ago, we had two senior pastors. Two years on, we have none. And it is tempting to put off our responsibilities as the Chinese Church until the next one is found. It is tempting to put off mission, prayer, devotion, evangelism, membership until a pastor is here, because really, some of us might think, That’s his responsibility. That is his job. Notwithstanding the importance the bible places on clear leadership within God’s church, especially with regards to the teaching of scripture, with regards to the accountability over people’s spiritual lives, isn’t this text saying to all of us - whether we are leaders or not - How are we being faithful to Jesus now? When Jesus returns on that final day and asks you for an accounting for your life, I sincerely hope you aren’t planning on giving the excuse, “Well, it’s not my fault. We didn’t have a pastor. That’s his job.”

Paul is telling us, Be faithful today. Learn obedience now. God is your sovereign judge. That phrase “with fear and trembling” recurs in the Old Testament describing man’s response to God’s final judgement (see Exodus 15:16). Most notable however is Psalm 2, where it is speaking not just of God’s enemies (though it does includes them as “the kings of the earth”), but calls them his servants; those who “serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). Psalm 2 is the same psalm spoken by God at Jesus’ baptism and at his transfiguration, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” It recognises Jesus’ authority as God’s chosen King, the Christ. Meaning, for Christians today, our obedience to Jesus is not simply motivated by the final day of judgement - in dread and fear - but rather more so because of Jesus’ death on the cross, where he was exalted as the Christ. Christians therefore serve Jesus in love tempered with obedience, in joy sustained by reverence. Serve the LORD, the Psalmist says, with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Which is why, Paul doesn’t say Watch out for judgement! Rather, what he says next is Work out your salvation!

Be confident: God is working

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act (literally, to work) according to his good purpose.

Philippians 2:12b-13

Have you ever had someone say to you, “Try your best and God will do the rest”? When you are at a crossroads in your life and you can’t decide which path to take; when you feel like giving up on a long and difficult situation that never seems to improve; when you are stressed out about facing a huge challenge - an assignment, an exam, an interview - it is such an encouragement to know that God is always in control. That you should just do what you can, try your best and God will take care of the rest.

Having said that, I don’t think that’s what Paul is saying. I think he’s saying something even more profound, and much more encouraging.

On the one hand, Paul says Continue to work out your salvation. Keep working at it. Don’t give up, that’s what it means. Give it all you’ve got. Two very important things to notice about what Paul is saying: (1) It’s continual; and (2) It’s personal.

Firstly, it’s continual. This needs to happen every day. Continue to work out your salvation. Whether you became a Christian twenty minutes ago or twenty years ago, Today, this needs to happen. Right now, work out your salvation. And tomorrow, when you get up, continue working out your salvation. The term for this is sanctification. It is a daily, continual, process of growth, renewal and relationship with Jesus Christ. Secondly, it’s personal. Your own salvation. I can’t do this for you. Your parents can’t do this for you. When it comes to prayer, reading the bible, giving, serving; especially when it comes to repenting of your sins and trusting in Jesus - you work out your own salvation.

That’s verse 12, speaking from our perspective. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling before God. The flipside though comes in verse 13. Here we find God’s perspective. For it is God who works in you. So on the one hand, yes, you need to work it out. You need to do the math. But actually God is the one working through you. Meaning this: It’s not 1% you and 99% God. That’s not what Paul is saying. Paul is not saying, “Try your best, God will take care of the rest.” Rather he is saying, God is the working God who enables you to join him in his work. It is 100% you. It is 100% God.

Where do I get this? From the second half of verse 13, “To will and to act according to his good purpose.” Whose will and whose actions is Paul describing? It’s yours. It’s not talking about God’s work, God’s will. Paul is saying your will and your actions are all determined by God. Try to wrap your heads around this: As you work out your salvation through your daily actions and decisions, the bible says that God is ultimately the one working, not just alongside you, but through you. He wills your will. He works your work. It is 100% you. It is 100% God.

What difference does this make? If you are in that situation of uncertainty and you are praying for direction. If you are in that situation of difficulty and you are praying for wisdom. If you are in that situation of helpless and you cry out to God for salvation. God help me. Please give me a sign. Please make a way. If you are stuck in difficulty, uncertainty and helplessness, I’ve got to tell you, that advice of “trying your best and letting God do the rest” will only work short-term. Now I understand why we give this advice - I’ve said the same thing to some of you in the past. But it really only works in the short-term at best, and in the long term, it may lead to even greater depression and disappointment.

Why do I say this? Because ultimately, the “1% me and 99% God” formula still draws attention to what I can do about that situation and what God expects me to do in that situation. It may just be 1%. It may just be that one thing. But when you’re stuck in depression and uncertainty and helplessness, that 1% is going to be the one thing that weighs you down. You are going to place all your eggs in that one basket. You are going to place all your chips on that one hand. You are going to spend all your energy and time finding that one key to success, that one magic prayer, that one special person and either it’s going to all work out beautifully, reducing God to a genie in a lamp who grants all your wishes because you said the right words, you came to church, because you did something right; or more likely what’s going to happen is you’re going to be disappointed with God and question your faith in him. What’s the alternative? The bible points us to a working God who work is seen in us and through us. And what Paul is saying to us as Christians is, “Join him”.

It boils down to our confidence in a sovereign, gracious God. Do you realise what Paul is implying when he says, God is the one who works “to will and to act”? He is saying, it’s not just what I do in terms of my actions, it’s not just how I do in terms of my performance, but even at the level of what I think in terms of my motivations - Why I’m doing that job, why I’m in that relationship, what I expect to get out of coming to church today. That is how sovereign and in control God is. And what that does is two things: Firstly, it frees me from second-guessing myself. Should I do this or that, does God want me to go this way or that way? - not that we should not pray over our choices - but rather it encourages me take risks for the sake of the gospel and to work out my salvation every day, How can I work on my holiness today? How can I work on my generosity today? It means I will fail. It means it is going to hurt. But that’s OK because God is in control. The bible says I can keep going back to God in repentance, asking him for forgiveness, knowing that Jesus Christ covers me with his righteousness. Secondly, it motivates me to press on with absolute confidence that my life is going somewhere. Katergazomai, translated here as working out, means to produce something, even to finish something. It means God wants my life to be fruitful, to display concrete evidences of Jesus work through my actions, words and thoughts. Earlier in the letter, Paul writes this:

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

When you look at Christian, you should a big sign that says, “Work in progress”. When you look at Christ, you see blueprint, the plans of what that finished work will look like. And God guarantees us that the construction will be completed on schedule.

Let me ask put it this way: Where is your life headed? What do you hope to do with your one life such that when you look back at it, there will be no regrets? In other words, what’s the plan? Get married? Be a successful entrepreneur? Win X-Factor? Some of us hear that question and get excited - Yeah, I’m going to do this and to be that. Some of us get depressed - I have been there, done that.

Do you realise what you have here in these verses? It’s a guarantee. God will finish his  perfect work in you and through you. It’s a guarantee the bible wants you to take out and to look at every single day of your life - Every action that I take, every thought in my heart - is being used by God to change me, to mould me, to transform me to be like Jesus. If we are honest, some of those actions we’d like to take back. Some of those thoughts we deeply regret. But if God is God, and Jesus Christ is Lord, it is especially those difficult circumstances in our lives that God uses for his glory. 100% means the good years and the bad years. 100% means the times of plenty and the times of want. All of it is under God’s control. Nothing falls outside of his plan. If you have this confidence, you can look back on your life, see something really painful or difficult and you can honestly say, “I messed up,” or “Oh wow, that was really awful”, but you are able to do so without bitterness, without regret, but instead with thankfulness in your hearts and renewed trust in the grace of God. That’s the guarantee God gives us through the cross. Jesus takes all our sin, all our shame. He gives us all his joy, all his reward.

Paul is urging us: Work it out. Keep on going. Why? Because God is 100% for you in Jesus Christ. God is 100% in you, working out your salvation in Jesus Christ.

Be all in: God is rejoicing

One of my all-time favourite movies is Toh San which is Cantonese for “The god of gamblers”, starring Chow Yuen Fatt. The final scene is a real cliche: Toh San, the hero sits across the table from his arch-nemesis, Chan Kam-Sing in a high-stakes game of five-stud poker and says, “Don’t waste any more time. Let's say we go all in - 26 Million!” (Mo sai si kan. Zhou wai Sai - Yee chin lok pat man!) What’s he doing? He is going all in. Toh San bets everything he has on one hand!

In these final verses, Paul says, “I’m all in!” He does so with no regrets. No hesitation. What is more, he does so with joy. I am glad and rejoice and with all you. Paul writes:

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. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Philippians 2:17-18

What would it take, I wonder, for you to go all in? To place everything you have on the line. To sacrifice everything you have spent your lives working towards. To risk losing it all in one go. What would it take for you to that - responsibly and willingly? We’ve looked at two possibilities so far. We looked at faithfulness: that knowledge that God owns all things and blesses us with all things. And we looked at confidence: that guarantee that God gives us through the cross. So for some, maybe what we need is to be faithful with the gifts God gives us; they are not our own; they are to be used for his kingdom. For others, it is the reminder that God is worth the investment, his guarantee is that he will bring every work to completion. His plan will never fail.

So, we’ve seen two motivations, two reasons to invest our lives fully in God. What Paul does here is give us a third: It is joy. Paul has put his life on the line. That’s what he means by the drink offering being poured out alongside the sacrifice. It’s a picture from the Old Testament temple. The sacrifice was the bull, the goat, the main thing that was offered up to God on the altar by the priest. The drink offering was the side event, almost like a toast (Yaaaamseng!) By analogy Paul is saying this: his life isn’t the most precious thing he has to offer. The most precious thing he wants he already has. It’s Jesus.

Or take this as another example. Next week, many of us will be celebrating M and L’s wedding. It’s going to be in a beautiful college here in Cambridge, there’s going to be amazing food, people are going to get all dressed up. Let’s face it, it’s going to be an elaborate, beautiful, joyful and frankly, quite costly thing to have, all on just one single day. But the two people who are paying for it all, who are bearing most of the cost - not just the money, but also the time, the effort, the preparation and the stress - for them, it is nothing compared to the most precious thing they will receive on that day - the promise to faithfully love one another in marriage as husband and wife before God. There is no comparison. The cost is real. The cost is significant. But they gladly spent it - they go all in - with fullness of joy because the most precious thing they want, they already have.

Paul says, “I am glad and I rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” He’s saying you have that reason to go all in. If you have Jesus Christ, you have found that joy. Through Jesus Christ, God is working in your life to bring you into that joy - For it is God who is works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure.

The Jesus Christ problem

According to the New York Times, Jeremy Lin has a big problem. He can either be religious as a Christian or he can pursue his joy in sports as an athlete. But according to columnist, David Brooks, he can’t do both. They are in conflict with one another.

And let me tell you, David Brooks is right but at the same time, profoundly wrong. It is a problem not for Jeremy Lin but for Jesus Christ. You see, how can Jesus bring glory to God and bear the punishment of God? How can Jesus save others and not himself? How can Jesus be absolute judge of the universe and at the same time be handed over to the judgement of men?

Through the cross. Don’t you see? Jesus Christ is able to do both and he did accomplish both through the cross. Mercy and wrath. Love and justice. Glory and ignominy. Life and death. They meet at the cross where Jesus Christ was crowned and crucified.

Go to the cross. Give your all to him. And receive from Jesus Christ full forgiveness, full restoration, fullness of life and fullness of joy.

Brokenness (Philippians 2:5-11)

An old video sermon from last year's Solid Rock music event at the Chinese Church entitled "The humility of Christ and the glory of God".

I am more than my stomach

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:19-21

I am more than my stomach
I crave more than my shame
I long more than the present
I want more than the same

I look more to the future
I see more than this earth
For the cross of my Saviour
Gives me hope and new birth.

It is not the end (Philippians 3:12)

It is not the end

I used to be a teacher in a school called ITE – The Institute of Technical Education. Sounds fancy. The students had a different name for it.

They called it, “It’s The End.” ITE.

That’s because you went to this school if you couldn’t get into any other school. If you had failed all your exams, if you got into serious trouble with the law; you went to ITE. “It’s The End”.

Every week, I spent 30 hours with 30 students, teaching them computing skills. By the end of the term I was lucky if two-thirds were still in class.

One guy was always late because he had to report each week to an officer in the local police station. Another guy would be late because he would be up all night working in a pub as a bartender.

I particularly remember two young men. One was R. R was actually older than me, his teacher. He left school as a teenager to join the army. After ten years, he was now an instructor – he trained soldiers to operate armoured tanks. He was a model student - hard-working, disciplined, well-behaved. R was focussed - his plan was to graduate, go on to study part-time for a diploma and save up money for a flat to get married to his girlfriend.

The other guy’s name was J. J had a punk hair-style, wore black leather wrist straps with metal studs. I remember one day after school, we had lunch together and as he left he said, “Bye, sir. I’m off. I am going to bible study!” As far as I could tell, this short-tempered, chain-smoking, 17 year-old with a Gothic-fashion sense, was the only Christian in the class.

Half the class smoked. Most were poor and many saw school as a luxury. Their families pressured them to drop out, to find a job and to bring home some money. Many of them did. Sadly, it was always the ones with the most potential who never got a chance to realise that potential.

Today I am going to tell you what I told them. I am going to tell you - postgraduates, academics – future leaders and businessmen and professionals – graduating from the most prestigious university in the world – I am going to tell you the same thing I told those 30 teenagers in ITE every day.

“It is not the End. It is not The End. You have everything still to live for.”

Not perfect...yet

Let me read you these words from a man named Paul in the bible. He writes:

But whatever was to my profit,
I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things.

I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ –
the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

I want to know Christ and power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

(Philippians 3:7-11)

And here the words I wanted to look at this afternoon:

Not that I have already obtained all this
or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

(Philippians 3:12)

What Paul is saying is this. If you want to see the value of what I have achieved, look at what I have lost.

Don’t just look at the trophies. Don’t just ask me about my accomplishments. Let me tell you about sacrifices I have made; about the risks I have taken.

He says, whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

Paul is saying, you can’t tell if someone is a Christian - You can’t tell if someone is a Christian by looking at his CV. A person’s background, his education, how many extra-curricular activities he took in school, how much money he got paid at his last job, what kind of car he drives – all this does not impress God.

If we are honest, it doesn’t impress us that much either. Everyone expects you to succeed – to move up in life. Your college will write to you asking for success stories – that new discovery you made, or that great contribution to society. Your friends will keep tabs on your Facebook page – checking to see who your new employer is, how good-looking is your wife, how many kids you have.

What if you didn’t take up that well-paying job? What if, instead of moving back home, or to a big city like New York or Sydney – you packed your things and went to Thailand, Burma, to Pakistan – to teach English, to run the Sunday School programme, to work in an orphanage?

What if you lived your life so radically different, what if you were willing to risk the expectations of your friends, your parents – and (like Paul) to consider everything a loss compared to surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord?

People would say how foolish you are. What a waste!

But... they will notice that you are different, that your life is different. And they might just start to notice that there is something different about Jesus.

Pressing on

Paul says:

Not that I have already obtained all this,

or have already been made perfect,

But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

This isn’t just for some people – type-A personalities, those who live life on the edge,

You know… Singaporeans:)

Paul says, I’m not perfect. Far from it, I’m struggling and it is hard. It’s hard.

But the reason I press on; the reason I keep on going; the reason I hold on to Jesus, is because Jesus is holding on to me.

Paul isn’t trying to be macho. He isn’t trying to prove something to God. That somehow he is more serious compared to everyone else, more sincere, or more sacrificial than everybody else.

The only reason Paul has the strength to struggle, the confidence to press on and the grace to take one more step living for Jesus alone – is because he isn’t trying to die for Jesus; Jesus died for him.

And that’s the question I really want to ask you today:

Not what great things will you do for God?

But what has God done for you?

If the only God you know, is the one whose job is to bless - To make the sun shine in the sky, especially on graduation day, to keep you healthy. I’m not talking about a rich, extravagant life.

No, I’m talking about thanking God for a good marriage, a middle-class life, nothing too fancy – just a safe environment for your kids to grow up in.

Then life would be about making this world a better place. Keeping things moving along. Being a good neighbour.

But if you have come to know Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped – the word means exploited – he didn’t take advantage of his situation.

But made himself nothing. Taking the very nature of a slave. Humbling himself to death.

If God paid a price for your life – was Jesus’ death.

Then maybe the right decision in life is not the most convenient but the most costly. Maybe opportunities are given you by God not to maximise your comfort, but to maximise your sacrifice.

God's will for your life in Jesus

Paul says:

I have not yet been made perfect

That word “perfect” is the Greek word “telos”. It can mean “mature”. It can mean “complete” or “finished” God is not yet finished with me, Paul is saying.

I am still work in progress.

But that word can also mean “The End”. “Telos” is where we get the word “telomere” – the end of a DNA sequence. Paul is saying, I have not yet reached the end – of this life; of suffering in this life.

Now depending on where you are coming from, that can sound cruel. To my students back in ITE, it sounds a lot like “Things are going to get worse!” You think this is tough, wait till you get to the real world.

I know a lot of people who think it’s the right thing to say – Put some backbone into their spines!

But that is not what Paul means, and that is not what the bible means.

Paul is not looking forward to an end,

He is looking backward

To a man dying on a cross,

He is looking to Jesus who gathers up all his energy, strains with his dying breath, to say one last word

Tetelesthai – Your English versions have “It is finished.”

But you could also translate that word: “It is the end.”

So when Paul says, I am not yet at the end, I am still pressing on

He is saying that God is changing me to be more and more like Jesus – That’s the End.

If you are a Christian – that’s the end – that’s the basis of deciding what to do next.

You know, We ask questions like “What’s God’s will for me?” “How do I know?” I wish he would give me a sign.

God’s will for your life is to make you look more and more like Jesus. It’s not hard to understand. It’s hard to do, but it is not hard to understand.

God’s will is to make you more like Jesus.

How has he done that?

o These last few years in Cambridge.

o Through your friends

o Through his word.

And how will God continue to do that for you, in this next stage of life?

Jesus says, “He who stands firm to the end – will be saved”

Paul says, “I am struggling to get to that end, to take hold of Jesus, because Jesus took hold of me.”

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You

There is no greater thing.

You're my all, You're the best,

You're my joy, my righteousness,

And I love You Lord.

The Shame of God

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:20