Celebrating Servants

“I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has bend distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me” (Philippians 2:25-30).

Everybody can’t be on the front lines. Everybody can’t ditch their day job and throw themselves headlong into the mission field. Some of us simply aren’t in the position to chuck it all and head down the highway for cause of Christ. Paul makes it clear to those of us on the home front, we should support and celebrate the sacrifice and service of those who do hit the road for Jesus. That’s his message for the folks back in Philippi. Their man Epaphroditus made the trip from Macedonia with a care package from the church. But a funny thing happened to him while he was on the road. (Not funny “ha ha” but funny “weird.”) He almost died. (I told you it wasn’t funny “ha ha.”) The Philippians sent him to help the apostle behind bars in Rome. It nearly cost him his life. Now he’s headed home. Paul tells them to throw a party for Epaphroditus and give him the honor of a returning war hero.

You may be wondering how Paul ended up in the slammer all the way over in Rome. And why would folks in a Macedonian seaport send help to him while he’s in the joint? It seems the apostle got tossed in jail a while back when fellow Jews accused him of stirring up trouble at the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36). Roman officials keep Paul locked up for years even though it sure seems clear he’s an innocent man (Acts 23:9; 25:7, 18-19, 25; 26:30-31). After twiddling his thumbs and waiting for somebody to rule on his trumped up charges for several years, the apostle eventually appeals to Caesar to hear his case (Acts 25:11-12; 26:32). He’s eventually transferred to custody in Rome, a trip that would make the movie “Con Air” look like something from Pixar (Acts 27:1-28:16). While Paul waits for his hearing, he writes letters to churches in Ephesus, Colossae, his buddy Philemon, and lastly to the Philippian followers of Jesus. 

The relationship between the Philippians and Paul goes back a few years before that. The apostle is on his second Gospel tour of the Mediterranean rim, taking the message of Jesus to everyone who will listen. Paul and his posse cross from Asia Minor into Macedonia and their first stop is the seaport of Philippi. You can read all about it in Dr. Luke’s sequel we call the Book of Acts (Acts 16:12-40). The Good News which Paul brings to this Roman colony turns the city upside down. There are huge riots as a result. Think Ferguson. Think Baltimore. A lynch mob finally gets their mitts on the apostle and his sidekick Silas and drags them to a local shopping mall. “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:20-21). It’s not long before God begins growing a church from a fashionista named Lydia, another young lady freed from human trafficking and the occult, as well as the local jailer and his family. Crazy stuff. In Philippi as in other cities, the Gospel was shutting down worship of gods and goddesses like Aphrodite. Epaphroditus’ name literally means “devoted to Aphrodite.” There’s a good chance Epaphroditus was one of those Jesus got ahold of on Paul’s trip to Philippi. Because Paul devoted himself to sharing the love of Christ with these folks, they devote themselves to his care when he’s in jail. 

The apostle thinks its time for Epaphroditus to head back home (v25). The Big E is some sort of authority figure in the church. Maybe an elder. Possibly the pastor. He made his delivery of supplies to Paul. “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” (Phil 4:18). But he doesn’t return home empty handed. The apostle pays him the great compliment by calling this man “my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier” (v25). When the dude who wrote most of the New Testament drops those titles on you, it’s kind of a big deal. As one who’s made similar sacrifices of service for his Savior, Paul knows it when he sees it. 

The man from Tarsus also refers to Epaphroditus as “your messenger and minister to my need” (v25). It’s interesting to note that the word we read in the ESV as “messenger” is the Greek word we often translate as “apostle” (Gr. apostolos). This doesn’t mean we should add E’s name to the list of the Twelve. There are only a dozen of those. But back in the Greco-Roman world, an apostle was a pretty common position. The term describes a representative with the full rights, privileges, and authority of the one who sends them. Just as Jesus gave each of His twelve apostles His full authority wherever they went, Epaphroditus is the official rep of the Philippian church. Since they couldn’t all go, they sent him to go for them. That’s what Paul means when he talks about how Epaphroditus was able “to complete what was lacking in your service to me” (v30). We should all want to go. But we all can’t go. Let’s look for opportunities to represent our local church for the cause of Christ. However when the Lord opens the doors for fellow believers to take His message to faraway places, we should step up and help them. All of us can pray for them. Some of us should pay for them. Remember, we give because He’s given us SO much. This is an incredible privilege to do give back since they are repping Jesus on our behalf. 

As I mentioned earlier, the Big E nearly D-I-E-D when he got to Paul. “Indeed he was ill, near to death” (v27). But here’s the crazy part. While Epaphroditus nearly croaked on this mission of mercy, his biggest concern was for this friends back in Philippi. “For he was longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard he was ill” (v26). The apostle writes that Epaphroditus is “distressed” and uses a verb in the original language (Gr. ademoneo) which literally means to be very heavy or full of heaviness. It’s the strongest Greek word for depression. He’s deeply depressed. He’s very upset. He’s overcome with anguish. NOT for his own situation. The brother may be on his death bed but he’s completely bummed that folks back home are so worried about him.

Paul can’t wait to send him so they “may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious” (v28). The apostle will be relieved when Epaphroditus is finally back home safe and sound. He also knows the Philippians won’t be able to wipe the smiles off their faces when the Big E walks through the front door again. Once again, this little letter drips with joy. Despite all that’s happened to him, the man from Tarsus has joy in the joint. And he can’t wait to spread that joy to the folks in Philippi by sending their rep back home. Happiness is based on our circumstances. Jesus gives us His joy that’s WAY beyond our situation. Nothing can steal our joy. 

There’s going to be quite party back in Macedonia when Epaphroditus rolls back into town. Paul gives them two commands. One, “receive him in the Lord with all joy” (v29). Sure sounds like a party to me! Think ticker tape parade. Somebody book a DJ or live band. Two, “honor such men” (v29). God’s people should celebrate the humility and self-sacrifice demonstrated by guys like Epaphroditus. One trip through the checkout counter shows us who our society honors. Check out the covers of People and Us magazines. Turn any episode of “Access Hollywood” or “Entertainment Tonight.” We hold high the beautiful people. We lift up the rich and powerful. Instead of keeping up with the Kardashians, we should be shining the spotlight on those who sacrifice and serve in the name of our Savior. 

It’s a theme all throughout the Bible. There’s a little church in the town just down the road from Philippi in Thessalonica. The apostle had similar orders for them. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13). Paul wanted the Corinthians to honor Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus “for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people” (1Cor 16:17-18). The apostle tells his protege Tim, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1Tim 5:7). In other words, take practical steps to give your preacher honor, like a good salary. Here’s the big idea. When someone is a rock star in their service to Jesus, make sure everyone knows. When a volunteer sells out for the Gospel, honor them. When a small group leader builds into the lives of others, honor them. When an associate pastor devotes himself to a grieving family, honor them. Get the idea? 

Not everybody can go, so let's honor those who can. Every time someone rocks the joint for Jesus, it’s time to let everyone know. 

Soul Brothers

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also” (Philippians 2:19-24).

Who’s your 911 call? Who’s the one person you would buzz when you’re up against the wall? Who’s the one you can’t wait to talk to when you get great news? Who’s your phone-a-friend when you absolutely, positively need something done? Who do you have on speed dial when you need someone to speak some sense into your crazy world? Okay, I know the Sunday School answer is Jesus. But the Lord also calls us to have close friends we can lean on. Following Christ is a team sport. Nobody should be flying solo. We need soul brothers. We need soul sisters.

For Paul, that’s his buddy Timothy. Here in his letter to the church in Philippi, he tells them about his soul brother. Tim’s right there in visiting the apostle in his Roman prison cell while he writes to them (Phil 1:1). He tells the Philippians how he plans to send his best bud to Macedonia ASAP (v19). He can’t wait to hear all of the stuff Jesus is doing through them. If he can’t be there himself, he’ll send the one person who’s most like him (v20). The Timster has no hidden agenda. Unlike some other so-called ministers, he’s not working any kind of angle. He wants God’s best for others (v21). Tim’s legit (v22). He’s the real deal. And Paul hopes his legal troubles are soon in his rearview mirror so he can also join the party in Philippi (v23-24). 

Let’s be honest. If you’ve been anywhere near a church in your life, you’ve heard all about Paul and Timothy’s relationship. Paul is Tim’s mentor. Tim is Paul’s protege. We’re not exactly going biblically where no man has gone before. But it’s never a bad idea to take a fresh look at such a powerful example of one of the great relationships in the entire Bible. It seems like time your turn the page in the NT, you read about the former Pharisee and the young Turk. Let’s look at what the apostle writes to the church in Philippi and how that fits together with what we know about Tim and Paul’s friendship as soul brothers.

The apostle plans to send Tim on his merry way from Rome to Philippi if it fits in Jesus’ agenda (v19). Paul pulls no punches and boldly declares “I have no one like him” (v20). The original text literally reads that he and Tim are “equally souled” (Gr. isopsuchos). It’s the only time word appears in the Bible. It’s Paul’s way of saying they have the same feelings, the same attitude, and the same mind. He thinks like Paul. He’s wired like Paul. They are so much alike, when Tim’s around, it’s like Paul is there. When Paul’s around, it’s like Tim is there. Tim is Paul’s brother from another mother. They are soul brothers. It’s awesome whenever God brings someone into your life who you feel like you’ve known forever. 

So who is this rascal and where did he meet Paul? Let’s start with his name. Names in the Bible have a boatload of meaning and our boy Tim is no exception. Timotheos literally means “honoring God.” He grew up in Lystra, a mid-sized city in Asia Minor, what we now know as Turkey. Dr. Luke tells us that his dad was Greek and his mother Jewish (Acts 16:1). Paul first Tim him during his second tour of the Mediterranean rim. Tim had a great rep among the believers in the multi-site churches of Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium (Acts 16:2). As a result, the apostle asks Tim to ride shotgun on his trip (Acts 16:3). Because of tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers, Paul asks Tim to get circumcised. This was not exactly a same-day surgery in the first century. Wow, talk about commitment to the Gospel!

Timothy is member of Paul’s posse which crosses the sea from Asia to Macedonia and Philippi, taking the Good News to Europe for the very first time (Acts 16:11-12). He has a front row seat for those crazy days in Philippi (Acts 16:12-49). Later Paul trusts Tim and Silas stay behind in Berea telling folks about Jesus when a gang of thugs from Thessalonica hit town looking to rough up Paul (Acts 17:14). Tim is such a trusted dude that Paul sends him on to Macedonia as part of an advance team with Erastus (Acts 19:22). God continues to build relationships between the young Turk and the Philippian church. He’s a key member of Paul’s crew when they discover some Jews have put a hit on the apostle in Macedonia (Acts 20:1-6).

Paul and Philippians “know Timothy’s proven worth” (v22). Time and time again, the apostle taps his protege for important assignments like this trip to Philippi. He sends the Big T to Corinth “to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1Cor 4:17). He gives the Corinthian believers instructions to open their hearts and doors to his associate. “When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am” (1Cor 16:10). When the Thessalonian church needs help, guess who hits the road? “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith” (1Th 3:2). Who has Jesus placed in your life that’s proven their worth? Do others look to you in crunch time? Can you be counted on with critical assignments when the chips are down? 

Another awesome example of Tim’s value to Paul is his presence and input in several of letters to local churches. Near the conclusion of Romans, Paul writes, “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you” (Rom 16:21). He’s with his mentor when he writes to the church in Corinth. The apostle sends them greetings from “Timothy our brother” (2Cor 1:1). They know him well because Tim was with the apostle and Silas when they first heard the Good News (2Cor 1:19). He’s right there again when his spiritual dad knocks out letters to Jesus’ followers in Colossae (Col 1:1), Thessalonica (1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1), and his old pal Philemon (Phm 1). It makes perfect sense that these soul brothers would team up on such important projects.

Paul tells the Philippians how Timothy is “as a son with a father” (v22). The man from Tarsus clearly sees him as his spiritual son. There’s a good chance Paul is the one who first told him about Jesus. The Corinthians read all about Paul’s “beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1Cor 4:16-17). He addresses two different notes to young associate speaking of their father/son relationship. “To Timothy, my true child in the faith” (1Tim 1:2). “To Timothy, my beloved child” (2Tim 1:2). Check out Paul’s other descriptions for him. Tim is “our brother and God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ” (1Th 3:2). “Our brother” (2Cor 1:1; Col 1:1; Phm 1:1). The apostle passes along greetings to the Romans “Timothy, my fellow worker” (Rom 16:21). Paul certainly assembled an amazing team in his career with folks like Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, Dr. Luke, Titus, Tychicus, Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila. But his go-to guy was clearly his soul brother Timothy. Who are the fellow believers you can lean on when the bottom falls out? Turn it around. Can people rely on you? Do folks look to you? Are you on anyone’s speed dial when things hit the fan?

Paul hands the leadership of the growing mega-church in Ephesus off to Timothy. The book of the Bible we call 1 Timothy is the apostle’s instructions to the young pastor (1Tim 1:3). This note is chockfull of all sorts of important guidance of the local church. But Tim is also the last person to hear from Paul before his execution. In 2 Timothy, the apostle pleads “Do your best to come to me soon” (2Tim 4:9). Like a proud papa, he commends the young Turk that he has “followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness” (2Tim 3:10). Paul’s last words in the Bible are his sign off to Timothy. “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2Tim 4:22). We have no idea whether these two soul brothers ever saw each other again on this side of heaven.

The only other mention of Mr. T in the NT is at the end of Hebrews. The author lets his readers know “Timothy has been released” from the slammer. After that, Scripture has nothing else to say about Paul’s protege. There are accounts that he returned to lead the church in Ephesus and was eventually stoned to death when he opposed a festival to honor the Roman goddess Diana. Like his mentor, Timothy stood strong for the Gospel until the end of earthly life. That’s no surprise really. Paul and Tim had were “equally souled” (v20). They began as soul father and son and grew to become soul brothers.

So what do we take away from this amazing relationship? First and foremost, who’s your Paul? Who’s your mentor? Is there someone in your life who is intentionally building into you? If not, is there someone you can reach out to personally? Don’t overlook folks who can coach from a distance. There are loads of authors and pastors available to you through books, podcasts, and other online resources. You don’t stop with simply finding someone to teach and lead you. I need to ask who’s my Tim? Who’s my protege? Look around. Who has the Lord led into your life that you can serve and lead? Make a point of reaching out. Meet for coffee. Read a book together. The next thing you know, you’ve got a soul brother. 

Worship and the Empty Glass

“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. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (Philippians 2:17-18).

Most of the time, an empty glass is not a good thing. It usually means the fun is just about over. The last sad slurp from the straw in the milkshake. An evening with friends at the local watering hole has come to a close. The end of a flight after testing craft beers. The last sip of a wine tasting. The final swig of coffee before heading to work. We normally see the empty glass as a sign that the party is over. Forrest Gump and his momma think life is like a box of chocolates. Not Paul. For the apostle, life is like a glass filled to the brim, and an empty glass is an act of worship. The sight of a mug poured out in service to Jesus a joy to behold. The party is just getting started when the glass is empty. 

The apostle’s joy drips down the pages of this epistle. You might read this little letter from Paul to his friends back in Philippi as some sort of “wish you were here” kind of postcard. There’s just one little problem with that. He’s in jail. And he’s been behind bars for several years. After firing off a few other notes to put out fires among other followers of Jesus (Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon), the man from Tarsus writes a letter to a funky little church he planted back in Macedonia. No crisis to deal with. No problem to solve. He’s just catching up with some of his favorite people on the planet. They stoke his fire for Jesus and vice versa. His relationship with the Philippian followers of Jesus are a big reason he has joy in the joint.

From his cell in Rome, Paul sees his life as an empty glass. “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering” (v17). He uses a Greek verb (Gr. spendo) which describes letting liquid flow. The apostle paints a picture of emptying himself like a frosty beverage. He’s not sipping. He’s chugging. But a closer look lets us know he’s not drinking but pouring himself “upon the sacrificial offering of your faith” (v17). What in the world is this dude talking about? Why would he waste a perfectly good drink by dumping it out? This image goes right over our heads. But his first century readers would know exactly what Paul’s talking about. In just about every form of worship at that time, you would pour wine on or in front of a burning animal sacrifice, wine would be vaporized. The writers of the OT describe drink offerings several different times (Ex 29:38-41; Num 15:10; 27:8; 2Ki 16:13; Jer 7:18; Hos 9:4). For worshipers Yahweh, the steam rose symbolizing the offering to God. But the Philippians come out of a pagan religion which bowed down to a boatload of minor league deities. While they didn’t have a clue of ancient Hebrew worship, they know all about pouring drinks like wine as something done at their temples.

So Paul sees the Philippians living a life of sacrificial worship to Jesus. It’s the same kind of “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable” he wrote to the Roman church about (Rom 12:1). These believers are giving themselves as “a sacrificial offering” for their trust in Christ. This “offering” is the Greek term leitourgia, which means an act of worship. It’s used to describe the service of a priest in the temple. It’s the source of our word liturgy. The big idea here is we’re all priests. Paul’s buddy Rocky goes out of his way to let us know that the followers of Jesus are a “royal priesthood” (1Pet 2:9). It’s not just folks wearing one of those weird collars. It’s not limited to dudes in pointy hats. Once Christ comes to our rescue, we’re all priests. We don’t need any sort of religious middle man to make it happen. That’s why Jesus personally ripped the drapes in the temple from top to bottom at His crucifixion (Mt 27:51). There’s no longer any separation between us and God. We’re all worshipers. As a result, my life is as an act of worship. The only problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps wiggling off the altar. 

So here’s the picture Paul wants us to see. The Philippians offer themselves as an act of worship to Jesus. The apostle joins in to complement their sacrifice. He pours himself onto the altar of their surrender to our Savior. Paul’s point isn’t about Paul. It’s not a “hey, look at me” moment. He’s so stoked about what Jesus is doing in and through the lives of the Philippian followers that he wants to enhance their offering. Who is pouring into your life? Who is spending a tremendous amount of their energy to enhance your worship of Jesus? Who is spilling into your life and giving of themselves on your behalf? But the pour doesn’t just stop in your glass. It doesn’t just end with my mug begin full. Who am I spilling into? Who am I emptying myself to intensify and amplify their relationship with Jesus? This is about sacrifice. It’s about pouring ourselves out for others. We’re simply doing for others what Jesus did for us (Mt 26:27-28; Lk 22:19). Worshiping is about being an empty glass.

Paul tells us that an empty glass is actually a thing of joy. When he’s poured out, “I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (v17-18). Don’t be sad when your glass is empty. This is a time to celebrate. This is a time to rejoice. It means we’ve poured out our lives for the Gospel in the lives of others. The party is just getting started when the glass is empty.

A Spiritual Snipe Hunt

“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 labor in vain” (Philippians 2:16).

Ever been on a snipe hunt? If you have, you’ll never forget it. And you’ll never go again. A snipe hunt is essentially a wild goose chase…minus the wild goose. You take some unsuspecting sucker into the woods and spend the night looking for the rare and elusive snipe. It’s so rare and so elusive that it doesn’t exist. After several hours tromping around in the wilderness at night, the victim realizes they’ve been duped. They’ve wasted time and effort (not to mention a good night’s sleep!) for nothing. 

Paul is hoping his trip to Philippi hasn’t been a colossal waste of time. From his prison cell in Rome, the apostle writes to his Philippian friends encouraging them to keep telling everyone who will listen about Jesus. If they don’t, he worries that his trip to the Macedonian port city has been a time suck. He encourages them to keep “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 labor in vain” (v16). Dr. Luke describes those crazy days back in Philippi in his sequel to the Gospel that bears his name (Acts 16:12-40). People trusting Jesus. Demon possession. Citywide riots. Angel-led prison breaks. Yeah, it was a whole scene. Eventually Paul and his posse left town for Thessalonica. While God used the apostle to do some amazing things during his time there, the man from Tarsus hopes the message of the Gospel continues on. Otherwise, this was a waste of time. Otherwise, this was a snipe hunt.

After dropping the lyrics of a first century hit worship tune about Jesus (Phil 2:6-11), Paul motivates his readers to continue their lives of obedience. Explore what it means to be saved by God by realizing it’s God who gives you the desire to obey (Phil 2:12-13). Stop whining and instead stand out from the rest of society like lighthouse on a dark night (Phil 2:14-15). An important part of obeying God is “holding fast to the word of life” (v16). At first glance this might appear to be orders to choke my Bible with some sort of MMA submission hold. A closer look at the original language clues us in on something just a little different. When the ESV translators give us “holding fast,” Paul uses the Greek verb epecho. It can mean to hold on to something. But the term can also mean to offer, present, or be ready to respond with a particular item. It’s a compound word that literally means “to hold across.” Picture holding out and offering something of tremendous value. In this case, that something is the incredible news of Jesus’ invitation of a relationship with God.

The apostle knows if these believers continue spreading the Gospel his days in Philippi weren’t wasted. “In the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (v16). Once our Savior makes His jaw-dropping encore, He’ll reveal once and for all what really matters. We’ll finally see if what we chased in our lives lasts in the eyes of God. One day Paul knows he’ll see Jesus face-to-face again. He’ll never forget the time the Lord supernaturally ambushed him on his search-and-destroy mission to capture and kill Christ’s followers in Damascus (Acts 9:1-5). That was the day God transformed Saul from the number one enemy of the church into Paul, the number one spokesman for Jesus. The apostle longs for the “day of Christ” (v16) when Jesus returns. 

When the resurrected Christ comes back, Paul wants more than anything to be proud of what God did through him among the Philippians. Their passion to hold out the message of Jesus to their friends and neighbors lets him know he “did not run in vain or labor in vain” (v16). “Vain” is the Greek word kenos, which means empty, void, containing nothing, futile, worthless, or of no purpose. Did apostle and his team work their tails off for the Good News to simply stop with Lydia the fashionista, a former slave girl, the jail warden, and his family? Not to say these lives weren’t important in God’s eyes and celebrated in heaven, but it would be empty for the rest of Philippi if the message of grace stopped with them. Otherwise it would be in vain. A complete waste of time. A snipe hunt.

Several Bible translations bring out this beautiful imagery of offering the Gospel to a lost and dying world. “Holding out [to it] and offering [to all men] the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labor to no purpose” (v16 AMP). The Message paraphrases Paul and reads, “Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing” (v16 The Message). Hold out the wonderful word of life. Offer it to everybody. Carry it in such a way that it shines brightly in a dark world. Don’t be greedy. Don’t be selfish. 

The application of this verse sits in the corner like the proverbial elephant in the room. (This makes me wonder, how did the elephant get in the room to begin with? How did it even get into the house? Is it sitting on the couch?) Okay, I digress. Paul’s point to both the Philippians and to everyone else who opens this little letter is obvious. I need to continue telling others about Jesus’ amazing message. Continue offering the Good News. Continue holding out the Gospel to those around me. Continue carrying the light-giving grace. Don’t let it stop with me. Keep living a life of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Keep telling others. If I don’t, those who were kind enough to hold it out to me will have wasted their time. Back in the seventies, the great theologian Freddie Fender sang about "wasted days and wasted nights." I can't let the investment others made by telling me about Jesus simply be a waste of their days and nights. I need to do everything I can to make sure this wasn’t just a spiritual snipe hunt.

Leaving the Whine Country

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 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).

Wine is booming right now. Folks hang out at wine bars, attend wine tastings, and go on wine tours of the wine country. I love a glass of Merlot as much as the next guy. My Savior has been known to keep the party going when the Cabernet runs low. However whine is also everywhere these days. At home. At work. At church. It seems like we’ve taken complaining and snark to an art form. There’s just one little problem. Believers shouldn’t bellyache. About anything. It’s one clear way we stand out in a world full of moaners. Paul lets us know once Jesus comes to our rescue we leave the whine country. 

Hey, if anybody had a reason to grumble it would be the man with the pen in his hand. The apostle writes to his friends back in Philippi from behind bars in Rome. He’s in Caesar’s Supermax after being wrongly accused of stirring up trouble among the Jewish people back in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36). He’s spent the past several years in the joint just waiting for his case to be heard and eventually appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:11). Along the way, he’s survived a hurricane at sea, been shipwrecked, bitten by a venomous snake before being thrown back in the slammer once again. What he’s been through makes “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” look like a walk in the park. But take a listen outside Paul’s cell for just a moment. What do you hear? Not one bit of grumbling. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Now he writes to the followers of Jesus in Philippi. The best way to stand out from the rest of the whining world is to quit complaining.

I’m pretty sure the apostle left us a little wiggle room when it comes to grumbling. There must be a handful of things we can still gripe about. Let’s take a closer look, shall we? “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (v14). Did he really write “all things?” Really? I can’t even complain about going to the DMV office? Surely he doesn’t mean calls from telemarketers. He must leave a loophole for those times I’m stuck in traffic and the interstate transforms into a parking lot. Nope. Sorry. “All things” (v14). A closer look at the Greek tells us Paul is talking about “all things.” As the old saying goes, “‘All’ means ‘all’ and that’s all ‘all’ means.” Trust me, I wish there a way around this too. We may have every reason to kvetch and moan. But we’re to follow the example of the One who came to pull us out of the mess we made. If the sinless of Son of God didn’t mutter under His breath as He was betrayed and murdered, what right do we have?

Just in case we’re unsure what “all things” we’re not to do, the man from Tarsus spells it out. “Grumbling or disputing” (v14). The first word is goggusmos, which means murmuring, muttering, or a complaint not openly shared complaining. This when we crank up a whisper campaign for those around us. We’re not grabbing a bullhorn and announcing to the world how jacked up the situation is. No, this is much more subtle and subversive. To paraphrase Governor Pappy O’Daniel from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, we’re not mass communicatin’. We’re one-and-a-timin’. We grumble to the person in the next cube about what’s going on. We whine to the folks in line at Starbucks. We rant on Facebook or Twitter. I’m looking for sympathy and support because I’m a victim. Look at poor, poor pitiful me. But maybe I’m the only one who does this. There’s no way you would stoop to anything like this, is there?

Paul tells us to steer clear of “disputing” (Gr. dialogismos). Notice how similar it is to the word “dialogue.” He’s talking about two people in an open argument. No whisper campaign here. This is blatant arguing. That’s EXACTLY the kind of garbage we shouldn’t find among God’s people. The apostle writes to his buddy Tim, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling (Gr. dialogismos)” (1Tim 2:8). He tells the church in Rome not to get into silly fights with folks who are immature (Rom 14:1). When it comes to arguing, remember that it takes two to tango. There are times to take a stand but does this dispute bring glory to God? Does it bring people closer to Jesus? Or is it simply throwing mud on the wedding dress of the Bride of Christ? More often than not, I need to let it drop. Or in the words of that great theologian Elsa, “Let it go!”

One huge reason for the followers of Jesus to drop the grumbling and disputing is to stand out from the rest of society. We avoid muttering and arguing “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you will shine as lights in the world” (v15). Once we’re kids of the King, we have NOTHING to whine or complain about! When we stop griping, we’ll stick out from everybody else. Why doesn’t she bellyache about her boss? Why won’t he beef about his situation? Suddenly, we shine brightly in a very dark world. Jesus called us to be light shiners and salt spreaders (Mt 5:13-16). One key way we do that is stuffing a sock in mouths instead of calling the wambulance. Let’s be “the light of the world” and “a city set on a hill” (Mt 5:14) instead of Debbie Downer or the sultan of snark. Remember, once Jesus comes to our rescue we leave the whine country. 

God's Work Zone

 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

There are few things I hate more when I’m driving than work zones. Hey man, how in the world am I supposed to make good time when I’m suddenly faced with a giant flashing arrow, a sign warning “Left Lane Closed Ahead” and a line of orange cones disappearing into the horizon? There IS one thing worse. No workers in the work zone. Few things get my undies in a bundle more than a construction zone on the highway when the crew has the day off. Hey, I’m not opposed to anybody getting a day off. But why am I merging into one lane when there’s not a single hard hat along the highway? 

There’s one work zone that’s fully staffed 24-7-365. That’s the life of every follower of Jesus. Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that God never stops, never takes a break, never takes a day off when He’s working in our lives. There are no cones. No orange barrels. No Jersey barriers. But this is God’s work zone. It’s non-stop. He’s always up to something. Nothing is wasted. As a matter of fact, He even works to gives you and me the desire to and energy to please Him. Once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

The apostle reassures his readers that it’s not up to each of us to save ourselves. We may have gotten just a wee bit worried that it was up to us after reading the previous verse. We’re told to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). I don’t know about you, but I would be shaking in my boots if God left it up to me to earn my way into heaven. It would not end well. Instead, Paul tells us to explore what it means to be on the receiving end of God’s grace. If salvation were a car, we wouldn’t really enjoy our new ride until we took it out on the road to see what it will do. We work out our faith by exercising our faith muscle through obedience. It’s only when we do what Jesus commands that we truly experience the abundant life He has for us. 

One verse later, the man from Tarsus reassures us “it is God who works in you” (v13). We’ve already read what God starts in us, He will finish (Phil 1:6). God’s the ultimate closer. He’ll wrap things up every single time. Just as sure as He’s always closing is that He’s always working. Paul uses the Greek verb energeo, which means to be powerfully effective, be active, produce, cause, or be in action. It focuses on the energy, power, or force involved. God doesn’t just punch the clock. He simply mail it in when He’s on the job. He works and works HARD. He gives it His full supernatural attention. The verb form of energeo is in the present tense. You can easily read this as “God who is currently working in you right here, right now.” His work isn’t a one-time event. He’s not a short-term contractor. He’s doesn’t just punch the clock 9 to 5. If you’re a follower of Jesus, our Savior has His supernatural sleeves rolled up at this very moment. “It is God who works in you” (v13). And He’s working while you read this.

All throughout the Bible, we read how our God isn’t afraid to get His hands dirty. He pulls the first full six-day work week in the history of the universe and then takes Saturday off (Gen 1:3-2:3). Paul tells the folks over in Corinth, “There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1Cor 12:6). The writer of Hebrews prays that God would “equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:21). And the apostle says he wouldn’t be where he is without heaven’s descending one-way love. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:10). All awesome examples of our God at work.

There’s interesting aspect of God’s work is His impact on our desire to do what He wants. He’s plugging away “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (v13). The translators of the NLT do an awesome job of getting this idea across. It’s God who’s “giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him” (v13 NLT). He does simply just leave you and me swinging in the breeze after coming to our rescue. Who would blame Jesus for kicking back and waiting for us to get off our tails to obey Him? Hey, He did go out of His way to leave paradise, live the perfectly obedient life we failed to live, died a bloody death on the cross we should have died, and rose to a glorious new life we don’t deserve. That sure sounds like a full career to me. But He doesn’t stop there. He works overtime to give us the want-to. 

But wait, there’s more! Kinda like one of those cheesy Ginsu knife commercials where they throw in the Bamboo Steamer. God doesn’t stop there. He stokes us with the power to also do what He tells us. This is where His Holy Spirit does what He does best. The Third Person of the Trinity is the power behind Christ’s resurrection (Rom 8:11).  Jesus tells His followers not to make move until the Spirit powers them up for the mission of spreading His Gospel (Acts 1:8). God’s Spirit is a total game changer. Once the Spirit falls, the Good News washes across the Mediterranean like a supernatural tsunami. Imagine what the kind of power the Holy Spirit gives you and me.

So what in the wide world of sports do we do with all this? First, we’re God’s work zone. He saves us and keeps on saving us. Second, remember God is always up to something in your life. It doesn’t always feel like it but He is. Third, the Lord is working away in each and every one of His followers. I have to admit there are a few believers  I find it difficult to believe. And I’m sure there are a lot of folks who look at me and scratch their heads too. Anywho, He’s doing His thing no matter what we see. Fourth, His Spirit gives each of us the desire and the ability to do what God wants. Do you have any desire to obey Jesus’ commands? Well, you can thank Him for that. He also gives you the ability to actually obey. That’s because once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

Working out Our Faith Muscle

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Let’s get this on the table right out of the chute. I do NOT like to work out! There, I’ve said it (Okay, really I typed it but you get what I’m saying, uh, typing). I would much rather flop on the couch and binge watch a show on Netflix than exercise. Sure I have arms with biceps and legs with quads. But without working out, I don’t get the most out of my body. I waste my health as my waist creeps over my belt. Paul tells his friends back in Philippi to keep exercising the incredible salvation God has given them in Jesus. Like Hans and Franz, he’s here to pump…you up! Because we need to continually work out our faith muscle.

Before Paul gives us instructions as our personal spiritual trainer, he reminds his readers just why they’re headed to the gym for Jesus. “Therefore, my beloved” (v12). As  Pete Briscoe likes to say, “Every time we see ‘therefore,’ we need ask what is it there for?” So glad you asked, Pete. The apostle is pointing back to the amazing rescue mission of our Savior. He doesn’t want us to forget the truth we’ve just read in Philippians 2:6-11. We work out in light of the truth of all that Jesus has done for you and me. We’re motivated because of His service, His humility, His humanity, His sacrifice, His resurrection, His ascension, and His exaltation. 

Paul is head over heels about his friends back in Philippi. He calls them “my beloved” (v12). There’s no doubt he’ll ever forget his first visit to the Macedonian port city. It’s the first time the message of Jesus made it to Europe. And this was the craziest church planting effort you’ve ever seen. Dr. Luke dedicates nearly an entire chapter to the Philippian startup in Acts 16:12-40. It involves a fashionista, demon-possession, human trafficking, riots, and a jailbreak led by an angel. Yeah, you really need to read your Bible. There’s some wild stuff in there. But after all they went through together, Paul and his Philippian friends have a deep love for one another. Do you have someone that you were once close to but the circumstances of life and work don’t allow you to see each other much anymore? Paul and Philippians are feeling you.

One reason the apostle loves these folks so much is because of how they love Jesus. They loved and obeyed their Savior when he was in town. And they continue to grow in their love and obedience long after he left. “As you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence” (v12). The Philippian followers Jesus have a rep for their obedience to Jesus. Paul saw that first hand during those crazy days of his first visit. There’s no doubt in his mind that they never stopped after he hit the road. How about me? Am I only obedient to God’s Word when my mentor’s around? Do I need certain people around me in order to do what Jesus commands? Do I take the weekend off from attending worship when the lead pastor is not preaching? I readily admit there are certain people God has placed in my life who truly encourage me live with a passion for Christ. But my faith isn’t dependent on anyone EXCEPT Jesus. I only have one Savior. Let me live a life of obedience to my Lord no matter who’s around or who’s in town.

Just because he’s behind bars in a Roman prison, Paul never stops being the personal spiritual trainer to the Philippian church. He commands them to “work out your own salvation” (v12). A closer look at the grammar tells us this is no suggestion or recommendation. This is a command. The verb here is also in the present tense. That tells us this is not just a one-and-done workout. We must work out and keep on working out our salvation. What can you and I do on a consistent basis do get in our Gospel reps and work up a Gospel sweat? You probably guessed what some of them are. Read your Bible. Pray. Get involved in the lives of other believers. Tell others about Jesus. But it’s SO much more than regularly checking a few items off the religious to-do list. God continues to stretch our trust in Christ. He continues to do whatever it takes to grow our faith muscle. And that comes through obedience.  

As a personal spiritual trainer, Paul tells us to “work out” our faith. He uses the Greek verb katergazomai, which means to accomplish, achieve, do something with results, perform successfully, produce, or bring about an outcome. It’s all about getting results. The man from Tarsus reminds the Corinthians how “the signs of a true apostle were performed (Gr. katergazomai) among you with utmost patience” (2Cor 12:12). This isn’t about looking good in the gym. You’re not getting yoked so you look cool to everyone else. It’s not about flash and trash. It’s not about image. My goal isn’t to look like Arnold, Channing Tatum, or Vin Diesel. We exercise in order to grow to look more like Jesus. According to Mike Lee, we do that by pumping up our faith muscle. Some people have days to work on their legs, another for their upper body, and another for their core. Nothing wrong with that. But as followers of Jesus we must continually work out our salvation with day-by-day obedience which stretches and grows our faith. Jesus kid brother writes, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces (Gr. katergazomai) steadfastness” (James 1:3). In other words, when our faith muscle gets swole we’re able to better take on what life throws our way. 

Let’s be VERY clear what Paul is NOT telling us. This is NOT salvation by works! He’s NOT saying that I must save myself through a dedicated conditioning plan that focuses on a total body and soul workout. I can’t exercise enough to safe myself. There aren’t enough ‘roids to do the trick. That’s because salvation is God’s amazingly gracious gift to us which we did nothing to earn or deserve (Eph 2:8-9). We have absolutely no reason to brag or pose. We trust in what Jesus did for us that we could never dream of doing on our own. He lived the perfect life that I fail to live. He died the death for my sin that I should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life that I don’t deserve. Jesus’ crew wanted to know exactly what sort of work they needed to do in order to get God’s stamp of approval. “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (Jn 6:29). Trust in what Christ has already done on my behalf. I don’t work FOR my salvation. What I need to do is work OUT my salvation.

Once Christ comes to my rescue, I don’t just sit there. Think of it this way. One day my neighbor invited me to come over and see her new computer. When I walked in the door, she pointed to a pile of boxes in the corner of the room. “There’s my computer!” Did she have a new computer? Absolutely. Was it doing her any good? Absolutely not. We work out our salvation by opening it up and pursuing what God has for us through active obedience. This is no workout for wussies. Following Jesus can be hard. But you’ve heard the expression “no pain, no gain.” First of all, He gives us the strength to obey as the Holy Spirit indwells each believer (1Cor 3:16). Through willing submission and obedience to the Lord, we get the most out of this overflowing, overwhelming, abundant life (Jn 10:10). Working out our salvation means leaning into and living out all  we have in Christ. Paul tells us what that looks like in a letter to the Colossians. God raised us with Jesus and we’re “seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). Tell me THAT doesn’t stretch your faith muscle! It almost makes me pull a spiritual hammy just thinking about it!!

Our personal spiritual trainer gives us some important instructions for working out our salvation. If we don’t have “fear and trembling” (v12) we’re doing it wrong. Have you ever had someone explain and demonstrate the proper technique of an exercise to you? Keep a flat back doing this. Your hands need to go here when doing that. Well, that’s what Paul does here. Two of the key indicators of proper technique in exercising our faith muscle is “fear and trembling” (v12). He’s talking about a proper view of the One who came to our rescue. This is worship and awe of God. We keep in mind exactly who He is. He is God and I’m not. No matter how jacked we get our faith muscle, He’s still Almighty God. Never forget that. Ever.

What a GREAT reminder that Jesus has SO much more for me after He comes to my rescue than to kick back like a couch potato for Christ. Once He saves me, it’s time to “work out my salvation” (v12). It’s time to do what He tells me to do in order to fully enjoy the life He has for me. Following Jesus won’t be all rainbows and unicorns. No pain. No gain. But it’s worth every stinkin’ bit of effort. It’s time to get out of the La-Z-Boy and start working my faith muscle.

Living Out Loud

“and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11)

Ever heard that often quoted line from St. Francis of Assisi? You probably know the one I’m talking about. “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” There’s only one itty bitty problem with that little ditty. Frankie didn’t say it. It’s not in any of his writings. Nowhere. His first biographer quotes the monk as actually saying just the opposite. Words and actions go hand in hand. That’s the point Paul is trying to get across as he sings the closing line of lyrics to the worship song we read in Philippians 2:6-11. We not only live a life of obedience and worship of Jesus but look for opportunities to tell everybody who will listen that He is our Leader. We say it out loud. We live out loud.

From behind bars in Rome, the apostle writes a letter of incredible encouragement to his friends back in Philippi. Over the past couple of years, he’s had to send notes to put out theological fires in churches in Ephesus and Colossae. But this epistle is different. VERY different. Paul is so overwhelmed with the joy of Jesus while he’s in the joint that he’s got to share it with the amazing followers of we call the Philippians. A few years back, the man from Tarsus and his travel team rolled into the Macedonian port city with the message of Jesus. God used Paul to open the heart of a fashionista named Lydia, save a young woman from demon-possession and slavery, and convert a brutal prison warden and his entire family. You can read all about it in Dr. Luke’s sequel (Acts 16:12-40). 

Here in chapter 2 of his letter, the apostle can’t contain himself and bursts out into song. We’re not sure if Paul wrote it or if he was simply quoting one of the hot worship tunes of the time. But the structure is in the form of lyrics or poetry. Folks like Chris Tomlin and David Crowder compose some fantastic praise music, but this golden oldie is a classic. This little number is all about Jesus, who He is and what He’s done for us. Christ is 100% God and then added 100% humanity in order to serve and save us (Phil 2:6-7). He left His palatial home in heaven to live as one of us and then die in our place on the cross (Phil 2:8). Because of Jesus’ mind-blowing humility His heavenly Dad escorted His Son to the place of honor and gave Him a name greater than any other (Phil 2:9). The result of our Lord’s new name is the worship and submission of every person who has ever lived (Phil 2:10). We’ll not only humble ourselves before Him but tell everyone that the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth is the ultimate authority in the universe (v11). All that leads us back to making His Father famous.

After painting a picture of how “every knee should bow” before our Savior, Paul writes, “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v11). The apostle is singing about the Who behind the why. Just about every Bible translator uses the word “confess.” This is from the Greek verb exomologeo, a word that describes the words proceed an inevitable action. It’s to openly and joyfully acknowledge, agree, profess, or affirm a fact to be the reason you’re about to do something. This particular song reminds me of one we sing at our church, “This Is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham. It goes a little something like this. “This is amazing grace, this is unfailing love. That You would take my place, that You would bear my cross. You would lay down Your life, that I could be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that You’ve done for me!” We can’t help but sing and shout about our Savior. We confess to everyone who will listen who He is and what He’s done. We say it out loud as we live out loud.

If you think this phrase “every tongue confess” looks familiar, there’s a reason. It’s sprinkled throughout the Bible. God announced to Isaiah, “To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance” (Is 45:23). When you combine that with Paul’s words in Philippians, it connects the biblical dots between the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth and the long-awaited Messiah of the Jews! In other words, Jesus isn’t just an awesome Teacher but the One God has promised would come to our rescue since our first parents listened to the lies of a satanic snake (Gen 3:15). The apostle sings about the Hero of the entire Bible! He sings about the Hero of the Big Story! All of the great movie heroes have a theme song. One day we’ll ALL sing Jesus’ song.

That tune is the a big part of the soundtrack of the New Testament as well. We’ll belt out that “Jesus Christ is Lord” (v11). It’s our acknowledgement that He is the rightful Ruler and unquestioned Boss of the Universe. When it’s all said and done, we will announce that Jesus is God and the sovereign authority of the whole shooting match. Some of you might have some doubts and are hedging your bets on this idea. Meet Thomas. You may remember him by his nickname Doubting Thomas. He had missed the meet-up with the resurrected Jesus and wasn’t buying what his buddies were selling about a resurrected Jesus. When Christ appears to His posse in the  bonus room, Tommy’s doubts disappear just as quickly. “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 21:28). He confesses with his tongue just exactly who Jesus is. Tommy and the rest of the apostle live the rest of their lives saying it out loud. They live the rest of their lives living out loud.

Telling others that Christ is in charge of your life is a sure sign that He’s come to your rescue. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Chances are if my mouth is confessing Christ and my heart is trusting in what He’s done for me, I’ll be living out loud for Him. Let’s be clear about what Paul is NOT saying about being a tongue confessor. Chances are he’s not telling you to buy a bullhorn, wear a “Jesus is Lord” sandwich board, and go for a walk at the mall. But he IS saying we can’t be shy about Who we worship. You don’t have to force anyone to believe in the One who came to your rescue. On the other hand, our love for and trust in Jesus should be a regular part of our conversation. Paul’s buddy Peter says as followers of Jesus we’re “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1Pet 3:15). Be ready. But NOT to pound your next victim into the kingdom with a 20 pound King Jimmy Bible. Be ready to share the Good News of Jesus (don’t miss this!) gently and respectfully. Put down the bullhorn. Take off the sandwich board. Simply say it out loud and live out loud.

But the worship of Jesus is NOT the last word of this worship song. This is all about “the glory of God the Father” (v11). All the Son has done shines the spotlight of praise back on the Father. As charter members of the Holy Trinity, there’s a incredible relationship there that’s hard to wrap our human minds around. During His time on our planet, Jesus continually made the supernatural connection between Him and His Dad. “All may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (Jn 5:23). There’s this crazy ricochet of glory that happens between the Father and Son. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once” (Jn 13:31-32). Yeah, it makes my head hurt when I try to figure it out. The bottom line is when we make the Father famous, we make the Son famous. And vice versa. So the glory doesn’t just pile up in front of Christ. I know what some of you are thinking right now. There’s all this talk about the Trinity but why are you talking about the Holy Spirit. Every Member of the Big Three is fully involved in the glory ricochet. Check out what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1Cor 12:3). The Spirit is the One behind every confession that Jesus is Lord. This confession is “to the glory of God the Father” (v11). 

So what do we do with the truth found here in the last line of Paul’s first century worship song? Don’t be afraid to tell others that “Jesus is Lord” (v11). He’s the One who’s truly in charge of my life. He’s the ultimate authority. Put it this way, you’re one of His direct reports. Not begrudgingly. Not unwillingly. It’s an act of love and gratitude for all He’s done for you. We say it out loud. We live out loud.

Take a Knee!

“so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10)

“Take a knee!” Coach Richardson shouted those words at football practice back at dear ol’ Farmington High to get our full attention. Honestly, if he REALLY want our full attention, he would have us running wind sprints, but that’s another story. We would take a knee around our coach listen carefully to what he had to say. Everybody kneels. Nobody talks. It didn’t matter if it was before practice, during practice, or after practice. It didn’t matter if you were a quarterback, running back, lineman, receiver, linebacker, or kicker. At that moment, there was no doubt who was in charge. 

Here in Philippians 2, Paul lets us know at some point every single person will take a knee before Jesus. “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (v10). If you can fog a mirror, you’ll eventually bow in worship in front of Jesus. Christ gives us the choice. We can do it willingly and gratefully on this side of eternity. Or we’ll reluctantly realize on the other side of the grave we’ve made a huge mistake by turning down His gracious offer of a relationship with the most awesome Being in the universe. As they say in the movies, we can do this the easy or we can do this the hard way. It’s not a question of who will worship. Man, woman, boy, girl, short, tall, skinny, or portly. Ethnic background won’t matter. Your income can’t buy you out. Your church attendance doesn’t exempt you. Every. Single. Person. We’ll all bow. It’s not a question “if.” There’s only when and where. In heaven? On earth? Under the earth? The choice is yours. The apostle’s bottom line: take a knee. Yeah, there will be no doubt Who’s in charge.

It would be easy to fly right past those two little words at the beginning of the verse. “So that” (v10). This is the tiny but powerful Greek word hina. It describes the purpose of a particular situation. Think of phrases like “in order that,” “as a result,” or “for the purpose of.” If that’s the case, we need to look back to the previous verse for the “so what” of the “so that.” We see Father God has lifted His Son to a place of honor and handed Him “the name that is above every other name” (Phil 2:9). So now we read there’s a method to the Father’s madness in what He’s done. Here’s the reason for all the commotion.

The result of this divine lifting and naming is the worship of Jesus. “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (v10). Paul tells us that every single person will “bow” (Gr. kampto) in recognition of Christ as the ultimate Ruler of creation. It literally means to bow down or bend. This is a picture of worship and submission. This particular verb only appears four times in the NT. The apostle tells the church in Ephesus, “I bow (Gr. kampto) my knees before the Father” (Eph 3:14). Paul quotes Elijah’s description of an army of Israel’s best and brightest, “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed (Gr. kampto) the knee to Baal” (Rom 11:4). In his letter to Jesus’ followers in Rome, the man from Tarsus quotes the prophet Isaiah, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow (Gr. kampto) to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Rom 14:11). This is almost a direct cut-and-paste from the book of Isaiah where Almighty God graciously invites our rebel-filled planet to enjoy intimacy with Him. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn from My mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Is 45:22-23). God invites everybody to take a knee.

Just in case you didn’t catch the “every knee” part, Paul gives zip codes that cover every corner of the universe where these knee benders are living. “In heaven and on earth and under the earth” (v10). If you’re keeping score at home, that’s everybody. “In heaven” or where the Second Member of the Trinity was before heading to Earth on His supernatural search-and-rescue mission. “On earth” or every person currently residing on the third rock from the sun. And “under the earth,” which would include not only those humans who gave Christ a stiff-arm before heading to the funeral home as well as Satan and all his demonic posse. Think of this as a sort of biblical junk drawer term that covers anybody and everybody. Everybody living or dead fits into one of these three categories. And if you’re wondering about intelligent life living on other planets, Paul includes them too. Take a knee, E.T. Don’t worry about phoning home.

So what does this mean for you and me? What does it look like when we take a knee before the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee? We’re to recognize that He’s not just our Savior but our Lord. He’s not just our Rescuer but our Master. He’s not just our Hero but our Boss. That means we do what He says. For the longest time, I thought Christ was this cosmic killjoy that cooked up a Bible full of commandments just to make sure I didn’t have too much fun. It’s actually the other way around. He has an overflowing life of goodness ready for me if I just obey His rules for life. You want joy? True fulfillment? True freedom? Submit to Jesus (uh oh, there’s the dreaded “S” word!). We don’t humble ourselves before Him because we have to. We humble ourselves because we want to. Or as has it’s been said, we can either humble ourselves or be humiliated. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll take a knee.

Descending into Greatness

“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (Phillippians 2:9).

I always hated Opposite Day. It’s a ridiculous (and completely made-up) holiday where everything you say and do is the reverse of what you think it should be. Oh, it’s not on anybody’s calendar. Hallmark doesn’t waste their time coming up with sappy or snarky cards for it. No, Opposite Day usually rears it’s nonsensical head when one of your goofy friends in middle school announced it out of nowhere. Suddenly everything gets flipped on it’s head. Yes is no. Up is down. Pretty is ugly. It made my head hurt. I guess it’s one of the many reasons I’m glad middle school is in my rearview mirror.

But what if everyday was Opposite Day? What if we lived on a planet where everything we did was backwards? What if down is really up? The more I read the Bible, the more it sure seems our world is actually running opposite of the way God designed it to work. Here in Philippians 2, Paul writes about how the Heavenly Father actually lifts up His Son because He went down. “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (v9). He lifts Him up precisely BECAUSE He dropped down. Apparently in God’s original plan, they way up is actually down. Bill Hybels coined the phrase “descending into greatness.” Jesus leads the way for us as we descend into greatness.

One cool way to think about Philippians 2:6-11 is as a mini-biography of the Second Person of the Trinity. The apostle pulls back the curtain heaven and gives us a sneak peek at Christ before He left paradise for the third rock from the sun. “He was in the form of God” (Phil 2:6). But here’s the goofy thing. From this point, Christ continually descends. Long before He hit the road for Israel, the Son of God didn’t exactly have a chokehold on His own divinity. He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). Jesus “emptied Himself,” added 100% humanity to His 100% divinity and dove headfirst into the hot mess of our sin and rebellion. He descends. In Philippians 2:7-8, we read a super condensed version of His life as the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus does what we could never do. He descends to live a life of perfect obedience to His Dad. He descends further to take our place on the cross for our sin. He ultimately descends into the grave as a dead man. 

It’s at this point everything reverses. Instead of the downward trend, the Son walks out of the graveyard when His Dad raises Him to life. If that’s not crazy enough, the resurrected Jesus actually ascends back home to heaven riding a cumulonimbus cloud (I honestly have no idea what kind of cloud it really was, I’ve just always wanted to type the word “cumulonimbus”). Things continue to rise faster than internet start up. “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (v9). Jesus’ humiliation (Phil 2:5-8) results in His exaltation (Phil 2:9-11). In God’s economy, down is up. Our Savior leads the way to descend into greatness. 

Paul tells his friends back in Philippi how “God has highly exalted” His Son (v9). What we see as two words in the ESV (“highly exalted”) is actually one word in the original language (Gr. huperupso’o). It’s a compound Greek term that literally means to “hyper lift.” Forget cranking up the hyperdrive and traveling faster than light in the Millennium Falcon with Han Solo and Chewie. That’s playground stuff compared to God the Father giving His Son the hyper lift! That part sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? You may be down with the whole greatness deal, but not so hot on hitting the down button of humility. Could it be that Jesus did all that humble stuff so we don’t have to? I mean, my best life now certainly can’t include something as messy as humility, can it? I hate to break it to you, homey. Christ did all that humble to show EXACTLY what we should do. If we’re to follow Jesus, we’re to follow Him as He descends into greatness.

Just in case you think I’ve lost my ever-loving mind, check out just a handful of passages from both the Old and New Testaments on God’s view of humility. Do you want God’s attention? “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word” (Is 66:2). Jesus tells His posse, “For he who is least among you all is the one who is great” (Lk 9:48). Not once but twice, Christ makes the point, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11; 18:14). Apparently His boys weren’t quick on the uptake about this idea so He had to repeat Himself. And both Jesus’ kid brother and the leader of His apostles drop a quote from Proverbs 3:34. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1Pet 5:5). Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, anyone who goes up against God loses. Every. Single. Time. Jesus calls us to follow Him and to descend into greatness.

Meanwhile back in heaven, we read how Father God “bestowed on Him the name that is above every other name” (v9). So just what name is Paul talking about? God already told Joe and Mary to name their oldest boy Jesus some 30 years ago. That can’t be it. It’s not Christ. That name means “Anointed One” and is equivalent to the promised Messiah we read all about in the OT. Let’s be clear about one thing. Jesus’ last name isn’t Christ. He’s not the Son of Joe and Mary Christ. Christ is His title. Are you tracking with me? 

So just what name is His heavenly Dad handing the resurrected and ascended Jesus? I think Paul solves the mystery for us down in verse 11. “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2:11). There’s a boatload of stuff going on when the Father gives the Son the name “Lord.” The Greek word kurios means master, ruler, and the one in charge. Christ returns to His Father’s side and takes the reigns of Creation. He’s the Boss. But “Lord” is also the word the translators used in an ancient Greek version of the OT called the Septuagint. As an act of reverence, they couldn’t bring themselves to actually write out God’s personal name Yahweh. Instead they substituted Lord. Ever wonder why you see “LORD” in all caps in your Bible? That’s where it all started. I think there’s a very good chance the Father calls His Son “Yahweh” once He’s back home in heaven. 

So what do we do with all this? First of all, we can be confident of Jesus’ current location. He’s with His Father. Second, He’s not just boosted up a couple of inches. He’s hyper lifted! Third, we can be sure that He’s now fully in control of everything that’s going on in the universe. Fourth, Christ has led the way for us as His followers as we are to descend into greatness. In God's economy, down is up.

Oh, the Humanity!

“And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

“Oh, the humanity!” Herbert Morrison shouted these words into his radio microphone as the Hindenburg crashed and burned on May 6, 1937. He struggled to find the words to describe the disaster which killed 37 people in Elmhurst, NY. From his prison cell in Rome, Paul uses his pent to paint a picture of the earthly life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. The Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee sure looked like every other person. Yet there was something VERY different about Him. He was incredibly humble. He was obedient to His Father. And He paid the price for that obedience with the most humiliating form of execution the world has ever known. Oh, the humanity!

The Apostle Paul is writing to his friends in Philippi. Despite being behind bars, you can’t wipe the smile off his face. He’s stoked about what God is doing in and through the goofy little church he planted back in Macedonia. He has incredible joy in the joint! In the middle of his excitement, Paul breaks out into song. Yeah, you read that right. A song. A boatload of really smart folks believe Philippians 2:6-11 are the lyrics to a popular worship song in the early church. It’s a modern day preacher quoting a line from “The Stand” in his message. Since Hillsong United wasn’t even a gleam in anyone’s eye, the apostle drops these lyrics to make his point. 

In the previous verses, Paul pulls back the curtains of heaven and gives us a picture of what folks call the preincarnate Christ (Phil 2:6-7). We learn that the Second Person of the Trinity has been around forever. The Son of God is seriously old school. Before anyone on earth ever laid eyes on Him, He was in heaven, just as much God as His Dad and the Spirit. But there was a crisis in God’s Creation. We rebelled. We broke His perfection. Something had to be done. Somebody had to come to the rescue. That Someone is our Savior Jesus. He dropped all the rights and privileges of being Almighty God and came to serve and save us. That’s what happened in eternity before Christ jumped into the river of time in a place called Palestine.

Here Paul uses one line of lyrics to sum up Jesus’ earthly life. “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v8). One sentence to sum up a sinless, selfless life of sacrifice. If you squint really hard, you can see teenage girl named Mary and her husband Joe the Carpenter giving birth to their first Child in a cave behind the Motel 6. He would grow up to be known as Jesus. Humble. Obedient to His heavenly Dad. But eventually crucified as criminal. If you’re looking for a thumbnail summary of Christ’s life on earth, you’ve found it here in verse 8. Oh, the humanity!

The first thing we see about the Son of God is He was “found in human form” (v8). Paul uses a Greek word (Gr. schema) that means outward appearance. The ESV translators have already talked about Jesus in the “form of God” (Phil 2:8) and “taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). But this is a different term that describes what can be known about a person by just looking at them. At first glance, you’d think Joe’s Son is just like every other young Jewish man in Israel at the time. Can we stuff a sock in the picture of Jesus as with blonde hair and blue eyes in the middle of a brown world? There’s absolutely no basis to believe He looked any different than any other Jewish guy at the time. He was “found in human form” (v8). That would be Middle Eastern form. Jewish form. Oh, the humanity!

Jesus may have looked like every other man but He was so much more. “He humbled Himself” (v8). The original language (Gr. tapeino’o) describes how the Second Person of the Trinity readily and willingly got low. Nobody forced Him. Nobody tricked Him. He didn’t draw the short straw. He WANTED the assignment to come to our rescue. Paul’s point is that the One who is 100% God has done something miraculous. He’s now become 100% Man at the same time. The math makes my head hurt. The truth makes my heart soft. Picture the one and only Son of God leaving the heavenly palace and making a swan dive into the dumpster fire of our sin and rebellion here on Earth. It’s almost impossible to wrap our minds around what He left to where He went. Christ willingly left a perfect paradise to walk with us here in our broken world. To save us, He became one of us. “He humbled Himself” (v8). Oh, the humanity!

Jesus added humanity to His divinity in order to live for you and me. The apostle talks about how our Savior was “obedient” (v8). The Greek word here is hupekoos, which means to listen for and respond to a command when called. Picture a butler waiting for the knock at the door. The Son is happily obedient to His Father. As a result, He lives the life of obedience and sinless perfection that you and I couldn’t. Jesus is turning around all the crap that started in Eden when Adam bought the lie of a satanic snake. “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Rom 5:19). But His obedience didn’t stop there. Jesus was “obedient to the point of death” (v8). He died the death for our sin that we should have died. In the hours before His own murder, the Lord pleaded with His Dad. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Mt 26:39). If there’s no other way, He’s ready and willing. There was one and only one way. And that road ran right to Skull Hill. Oh, the humanity!

Jesus added humanity to His divinity in order to die for you and me. The radical Rabbi/Carpenter died the most humiliating death our planet has ever seen, “death on a cross” (v8). The Romans didn’t invent crucifixion but they certainly perfected it. It was horribly painful. It’s where we get our word “excruciating.” It was hours if not days of torture. Bloody. Suffocating. If that’s not bad enough, it was meant to embarrass and shame the victim. Romans saved this form of execution for the worst of the worst. Rebels. Revolutionaries. Terrorists. It was a very public deterrent to anyone who got the bright idea of trying to overthrow the empire. One look at the dead Messiah from Galilee would certainly send a chill up the spine. 

But the Bible doesn’t stop after Philippians 2:8. Sunday’s coming. Something crazy is about to happen. Somebody is about to come walking out of the graveyard. Oh, the humanity!

Servin' on Empty

“but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7)

Jackson Browne sings about “Runnin’ on Empty.” The lyrics his hit tune describe how his gas gauge is on “E.” In the song, he’s lived his entire life with his foot on the floor and he now realizes it’s been a total waste of time. In Philippians chapter 2, Paul drops the lyrics of what many believe to be a first century hit song. It’s also about running on fumes. But this tank belongs to Jesus. This track tells of how our Savior emptied Himself to serve us. It tells of how our Lord emptied Himself by serving us. Jesus is the ultimate example of servin’ on empty.

The year is AD 61. Paul is serving time in Caesar’s SuperMax in Rome. Four years ago, his enemies falsely accused him of stirring up trouble in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36). After sitting behind bars in Judea, the apostle appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:11-12). His voyage to Rome makes recent cruise line disasters look like a wimpy (Acts 27:1-28:14). While he waits for his hearing, Paul writes a series of letters to various churches, places like Colossae, Ephesus, and Philippi. The letter to his Philippian friends in the only note he wrote where the apostle is not trying to put out a fire. This epistle drips with joy. He mentions some form of his joy 16 different times in the note. Think about that for moment. He’s doing hard time because of telling others about Jesus. Yet, he’s got joy in the joint!

Here in chapter 2, Paul is so stoked about what the God is doing through the Gospel that he busts out in song. A lot of really smart folks believe Philippians 2:6-11 is a first century worship tune. It’s structure has all characteristics of lyrics or poetry. Could this have been on of the ditties Paul and Silas belted out the night they were locked up in Philippi (Acts 16:25)? Makes you wonder. The first line of describes how Jesus is 100% God (Phil 2:6). He had all the rights and privileges of divinity. But this is where things get interesting. I don’t know about you, but I would have put a hammer lock on any document calling me a deity. As they say on the golf course, grip it and rip it, baby! Hmm, Jay Almighty has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Thankfully, God the Father was smart enough to avoid that particular theological pothole. Instead, Christ is God. But His divinity was something the God the Son held loosely. 

You see, Jesus dropped His Godness because He was God on a mission from God. Jake and Elwood Blues have nothing on our Savior. As part of releasing His divinity, Christ “emptied Himself” (v7). Paul uses the Greek verb keno’o. It means to divest, give up, lay aside, drain, make void, or remove the contents. It paints a picture of taking away the power of significance of something or in this case Someone. The Second Person of the Trinity voluntarily strips away His prerogatives, His status, and His position.

Preachers, scholars, bishops, monks, and ministers have been scratching their noggins for centuries over just what Jesus emptied. The best answer seems to be His constant access to His divine attributes. To go on the ultimate rescue mission, Christ divested Himself of regular and ready use of things such as His all-powerful nature, His ability to be everywhere at once, and His glory. The Son of God only had access to such attributes when His Dad felt it was appropriate. In other words, God voluntarily accepted the limitations of humanity. So Jesus emptied Himself. Can I be frank? That’s just the opposite of what I do most of the time. Most of the time, I’m completely full of myself. He emptied Himself of His real and deserved glory. I fill myself with false glory. My Savior can only fill and use me when I empty the tank of my ego and pride. 

Jesus emptied Himself because He had a very specific mission on His supernatural agenda. He laid all of that aside “by taking the form of a servant” (v7). Paul first says that the Son of God “was in the form (Gr. morphe) of God” (Phil 2:6). To make His divine dumpster dive into our sin, took “the form (Gr. morphe) of a servant” (v7). We see this idea of God as our Servant as part of the Big Story of the Bible. God uses the prophet Isaiah to predict the coming of a Suffering Servant who’s on the way. “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom My soul delights” (Is 42:1). Isaiah 52 and 53 paint one of the most beautiful and accurate portraits of Jesus you’ll ever see. “Out of the anguish His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous One, My Servant, make many to accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities” (Is 53:11). And that was more than 600 years before Joe and Mary turned a feed trough into a bassinet! Jesus emptied Himself to serve us.

All throughout the life of Christ, He demonstrates that the King of Kings has come as the Servant of Servants. Jesus told His crew, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). In one of the most amazing scenes you’ll ever see in Scripture, our Savior washes the filthy feet of His disciples the night before His murder (Jn 13:3-20). Don’t miss the fact that Jesus actually scrubs the feet of the infamous Judas Iscariot knowing the dude will sell him out in just a few hours. God doesn’t serve those who deserve it. He serves the criminals, rebels, and enemies. In the words of Tullian Tchividjian, God serves and saves bad people because bad people are all He has to work with. In case you’re wondering, that includes you and me.  

The fact of Jesus’ service to us has a couple of important implications. First of all, it does NOT mean He’s some sort of genie in a bottle that we call on to fulfill our wishes. He’s NOT a supernatural vending machine who responds whenever we insert the proper payment. He’s NOT a heavenly butler who answers to our beck and call. He’s God. We’re not. Don’t let His sacrificial service out of His love for you and me confuse us. Got it? Good. Second, the Servant of Servants motivates us to do for others because of all He’s done for us. We’re served to be servants to those around us. We’re blessed to be a blessing. We don’t serve do He will save us, we serve because He has saved us. It’s an act of gratitude and thanks to Jesus. Now get off your blessed assurance and start serving others!  

Jesus empties Himself as part of “being born in the likeness of men” (v7). Christ served us by becoming one of us. Don’t make the mistake of seeing our Savior like Superman pretending to be human. The Rabbi/Carpenter isn’t a first century Clark Kent with powers and abilities far above those of mortal men. According to Robertson, His humanity is as real as His diety. He’s 100% God and 100% Man. How does that work? I don’t have a clue. Jesus’ best bud John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Christ is so human that He bleeds when Roman executioners drive nails through His hands. He’s so human that He dies when they pierce His heart with a spear. He empties Himself of life as an act of love for you and me.

The Son of God is “born in the likeness of men” (v7) to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. There’s absolutely no way we could ever fulfill God’s law and meet the requirement of perfect obedience in order to be saved. Jesus does what we can’t. “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom 8:3-4). Martin Luther liked to call it the Great Exchange. Paul writes about it 2Corinthians 5:21. Jesus gives us His complete perfection and obedience. He takes our total rebellion and disobedience. That’s what happens when we place our trust in Him. We trust in that He lived the perfect life that we completely failed to live. He died the death for our rebellion that we should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve. By being “born in the likeness of men” (v7), Jesus totally pours out everything He has to do for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. 

Now I love me some Jackson Browne. I crank it up when “Runnin’ on Empty” comes on. But that’s nothing compared to how Christ drained His tank on our behalf. Our Savior emptied Himself to serve us. Our Lord emptied Himself by serving us. Jesus is the ultimate example of servin’ on empty.