yeah. Open your Bibles up you
would to Philippians chapter 2. Putting this message together
was very convicting. We will look at a verse today,
a verse actually that's been taken out of context and applied
to at all times, which of course we shouldn't murmur against God's
providence and we shouldn't murmur about things. But we do, because
we're sinners. But I want us to, I want to preface
the message with this. The context of this portion of
scripture is within the body. Because there'd been some disputions. There'd been little things that
are been happening within the body of the Philippians. Everybody
says, oh, this was a book of total joy and there's nothing.
No, Paul's going to head on hit something. And we're gonna see
how that's brought forth in the upper part of chapter two, down
through the humility of Christ becoming a man, because he showed
us, right, humility, true humility. And again, you've heard me say
this, and Vicki brought it up, and I didn't even realize I was
saying it all the time, but unity in the body comes through humility,
it does. it does. Because we don't esteem,
we esteem each other better than ourselves, we don't put ourselves
up here, which we're not supposed to do, and we vault Christ up,
don't we, together. And it creates unity and humility
go hand in hand, and they create, they create love and joy within
the body. Because we realize, Brian, I'm
just a safe center like you, and you're just a safe center
like me. Sister Mary Jane, we're, we're on level ground. We're,
We're safe sinners, all of us here. Right? Isn't that wonderful? You know? We're all the same,
washed in the same blood, brother. Cleansed from all our sins and
iniquities. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. So open your Bibles to the book
of Philippians chapter two. We'll continue our study in this
chapter. We're gonna read verses 12 to 18. where we see, again, Paul's continuing
his exhortation to the Philippians to live their lives looking to
Christ. You want to talk about practical
Christianity, people talk about that. Practical Christianity
is just living your life before the people in this world and
living for Christ and looking to Christ. I like what some guys
I listen to call the ordinary Christian life, looking to Christ. living every single day, dependent
upon our King for everything, eh Brian? Because as we saw last
week, without Him, we can't do anything. He energizes us to
do His will and purpose. Oh, it's amazing, beloved. It's
amazing. So let's read verses 12 to 18. Wherefore, my beloved, look at
that, we're called beloved. Beloved of God. As you have always
obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now, much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For
it is God which worketh in you. Remember, which worketh is energized
in the Greek. He energizes us. And in you,
notice God's doing this in us, both to will and to do his good
pleasure. Isn't that wonderful? Now here's verses 14, 15 are
our verses. Now verse 14 has been used to
whack people on the head all the time. And you know what?
People who are whacking the saints on the head, they can't even
do it themselves. Right? But look what it tells
us. And this is an exhortation for
us. And remember, this is within the body, right? We're going
to see that. This is within the body. Once
there's murmuring in the body and disputations which are disagreements,
something's gonna happen. Something's gonna happen, right? So we don't murmur and cause
disputes because we, how do you say? We care more
about the unity within the body than ourselves. My opinion, right,
if it's not biblical, doesn't matter. Mine, as your pastor. Right? Opinions are like coats. Everybody has a different one,
right? Okay, but scriptures is what's
most important, right? What does the word say? We bow
to that, don't we, George? We bow to that. I'll tell you,
I meet folks all the time. They give me their opinion on
what they think scripture says, and I say, well, what does the
scripture say? And see, unity comes through
that, doesn't it? If we're united in what the scripture
said, Brother Brian, in Christ, right and and we humbly submit
ourselves to the word of God we're going to have unity we're
going to get along great because we're both submitting to the
word of God right so it says here do all things without murmurings
and disputations look at this why that ye that ye may be blameless
and harmless the sons of God look at that title the scriptures
here by inspirational holy spirit God sister we're called the sons
of God This is amazing. Without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked and perverse nation, that's the world, among whom
ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life,
that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run
in vain, neither labored in vain, yea, And if I be offered upon
the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice
with you all. For the same cause also do ye
joy and rejoice with me." So they're living in unity, beloved.
They're united. And they're united in Christ,
aren't they? They're united in Christ. Last week, again, we
looked at verse 13, which is amazing. For it's God which worketh
in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. We learned
that, again, we're energized by God. He's the one who, without
him, we can do nothing, he tells us in John 15. You tie that in
with that verse, that's absolutely incredible. And that's self-explanatory,
isn't it? We have no power to do anything
for God, unless we're energized by Him.
And it's Him who's working. You ever think of that, sister?
He's working out His will and purpose in us. We don't even,
we don't even, we're just, we're, we're, we're just living our
lives, aren't we? Every day. And sister, right? He's working out, He's working
His will and purpose in us. It's amazing. It's absolutely
amazing. Now Paul here exhorts the Philippians,
look at this, verse 14, do all things without murmurings and
disputions. It's easy for us to murmur, isn't
it? You know, yesterday, oh my, my wife asked me to vacuum
the stairs. I didn't get to it in a timely
manner, so she reminded me, right? You know what I was doing on
the stairwell while I was cleaning it? And I'm doing that, and I'm getting
convicted, beloved, going, I'm murmuring, man, what am I doing? It's so natural for us, isn't
it? It's so natural, just like that
for us. Oh my, oh my. Oh. Now, what's being bought forth
here is within the body we shouldn't be murmuring. We shouldn't murmur
about one another and we shouldn't murmur about, right, we, if we
have, if we have an issue with something that a brother or sister's
doing, number one, the scripture tells us to go to them privately. Right? And then if that doesn't
work, then we go to them with a deacon or the pastor. And if
that doesn't work, then you take it before the church. Thankful
we never had to do anything like that here. So what a blessing,
because we're in unity together. But this is just a guideline
to keep unity within the church, beloved. If I don't murmur about certain
things, then they won't be an issue, will they? Oh, and I've seen it in church
where somebody starts murmuring, and look out, man. Look out. Next thing you know, it's starting
to spread. It's horrible, beloved. And not to be, but that's what—
See, and remember, this exhortation is here because we're prone to
it. Right? It can happen. Lord, guard us, please guard
us. Keep the unity that we have in
thee. And evil things, we know evil things are to be shunned
and avoided in all appearances of them. They're to be avoided
under all circumstances. But we see here we're to avoid
within the body of Christ murmurings and disputes. We are to put and esteem others better
than ourselves. And I guarantee you when we do
that, there'll be peace and love and joy. I believe we have that.
I really do. I believe we have that in the
body here. It's amazing. Someone told me that was here
and they said, it's absolutely incredible what's going on there.
And I said, well, it's all the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit
that's doing the work. It's not us, is it? We're just
living our lives, loving the Lord, loving each other. And
look what he's done. You're my family. Right? My, oh my. And we have that feeling
here of a family. And it's all by the grace of
God. So if we look at the edification of our brothers and sisters,
if we keep that in mind, that if I say this, it may be in danger
of hurting them. Hurting them even in their feelings,
right? Not physically, but in their
feelings. It's like we have liberty to
do things. Remember that portion in scripture
where Paul, he says, I can eat meat offered to idols. It's just
meat. But if I am with a brother who
just came out of idol worshiping, A weaker brother, he called him.
And he just called him weaker. It doesn't mean that he's got
no strength. It doesn't mean he may be, you
know. What it means is he just hasn't
come to the realization that that meat is given to us by God. But Paul said, if it's going
to cause my brother to stumble, I'm not going to do it in front
of him. Now, that's exactly what they're talking about here. This
looking and esteeming others better than ourselves. And really,
when we think about it, we have no reason to think we're better
than anyone else. Sister Barb, you're saved by
the same blood, born again by the same Spirit. Brother Jim,
you too were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We're on the
same level. We're saved sinners, praise his
mighty name. And I'm no better than anyone
else in this body or anyone else out in the world. I marvel that
God saved me. Isn't that amazing, Brother Charlie? He washed us in his precious
blood. It's absolutely incredible. So
let us not murmur against God and Christ, because what did
Christ say? He said, my yoke is easy. My
burden's light. Right? Religion, it'll weigh
you down. It'll weigh you down. Bunch of
do's and do's and do's, and we look at Christ, it's already
done. I was talking to Jake last night, and he said he was listening
to a sermon by Donny Bell with his dad traveling, and he said,
He said his dad, he heard Donny Bell say that his salvation
was completed 2000 years ago. And it's not based upon anything
he does. He said his dad's heart was singing. He was praising the Lord with
Jacob. They were, he said, man, he says,
I love that, Jake. And that's the truth, isn't it?
Christ saved us 2,000 years ago when he died on the cross. And
he tells us to have this mind of Christ, right? Do you know
that one of the ways in which this
lack of harmony among the Philippian saints was manifesting itself
was in murmurings? and disputations when that stuff starts to happen
that's a manifestation of a greater problem oh my and paul had somehow he'd gotten
from epaphroditus whose love for the brethren back home he
was there was was the preacher His love for the brethren back
home had led them to cover up their sins, but somehow he got
it out of them. And so Paul is writing to them,
and he brings this up. The word, the Greek word for
murmur means this, to mutter, to murmur. Just what I was doing
on the stairs while I was vacuuming. Murmur, murmur, murmur. Right? That's when our wives say, what
was that? And we go, nothing. Or vice versa, right? Nothing. We all do it. Oh my. Here's an interesting fact that
this word in the Greek refers not to loud outspoken dissatisfaction. It's not somebody blowing their
stack and going off. The Greek word here brings forth
an undertone murmuring, which one sometimes hears in clicks. When a click is having a disagreement. You know, when I came here, there
were some clicks. Happens everywhere, right? We
don't have no cliques anymore, do we? Isn't that wonderful? We're just a bunch of saved sinners
rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the Lord's work. That's
the Lord's work, beloved. It's not anything we've done.
It's amazing. The word refers to an act of
murmuring against men, not God. That's the interesting thing
too. The underlying Greek word is the fact that they're not
murmuring against God, but they're murmuring against
fellow men, believers, because it's in the context of the church. See, people, now you notice how
people can rip verses out of context? Say, well, this applies
to this. Know the context. That's why
I always say context is so important. When we're reading the scriptures,
read the context of the scripture. It's so vital. Because men, we
are wired by our natural state, right, to take something and
whack, whack, whack, whack, whack somebody else over the head with
it, but not ourselves. That's why I said this was very
convicting, putting this together even. Even though we don't have
a lot of this in the church right now, but it's still convicting
personally because I can murmur real easy. It isn't hard. And I can murmur without uttering
a word. I can murmur in my mind. Not hard, is it, brother? Man,
oh man. I don't think we're going to
get to the second verse today. I think we're just going to be on this
one. But isn't that amazing? Also, this word refers to the
act of murmuring against men, not God. And the use of this
word shows us that there were divisions among the Philippians.
Starting to happen. Because why would it be said
otherwise? Right? So, and this book is a
book of joy, it is. There's rejoicing the Lord always,
and again I say rejoice. But like any church, there was
something else going on too. Oh my. Oh my. And this division, these divisions
among the Philippians had not yet risen to the point of loud
dissension, but they were stirring. Loud dissension, it becomes manifest.
That murmuring, disputing starts off, just starts off small, doesn't
it? Hey, Charlie, that Pastor Wayne, there's something wrong
with that fella. Is he preaching the gospel? See,
it just starts off little wee, little wee, little wee things.
Little wee things. And then someone else goes, I
don't know. Wow. It's pretty clear if you
listen to the messages that that fellow's preaching the gospel,
right? Oh my. Oh my. And you know this word,
this is another aspect that blew my mind away. This word, murmurings,
the underlying Greek word, is used of those who discuss secretly of those who are discontently
complaining in secret. Beloved, we are exhorted here
to avoid that evil within the body. And this is God the Holy Spirit
exhorting us, isn't it? It's not my opinion, it's not
your opinion. It's God exhorting us within
the body to not do these things because they will lead to dissension. Oh my. And how do we avoid these
things? I'll tell you how we do. We acknowledge that we're just
a bunch of sinners. saved by the grace of God in
Christ and through Christ and through his perfect, one-time,
complete and satisfactory atonement for our sins. And if we start
looking at each other just as sinners, We will quickly. And if I look
inward, and I know my sin, it's not hard when looking at my own
self, because, see, the world tells us not to look. You know,
look out for number one, right? But when we look inside, we see
ourselves as undeserving, hell-deserving, right? Mercy beggars who found
grace in the eyes of the Lord only because He chose to do that
for us, right? And it makes me realize that
it's not hard for me to esteem you all better than myself. Because
I know what I am. Sinners are saved by grace, and
so do you. See? See, trouble in religion, everyone's
looking at everybody else. What are you doing? Hey, did
you hear this fellow's doing this? Did you hear that lady's
doing that? And who's looking to Christ?
And then the preacher in religion, he's looking at the whole crowd.
Oh, there's trouble there. Oh, there's trouble there. We're
a bunch of sinners, right? We need Christ, don't
we, Brother Brian? Every day, every second, brother.
Amen, man. And we just keep that in the
forefront for us, right? I need Christ. Oh my. So let us remember we're just
sinners saved by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now see the word disputions? This is a translation of a Greek
word that carries the idea of discussion or debate with the
under thought of suspicion. Oh my. You see how subtle the
enemy is? He can pit believers against
each other. And we know that to be true,
because this is what the Scripture is talking about right here.
It's not talking about the world. It's not exhorting the world,
unsaved people, to do everything without murmur and dispute, because
they can't. And we know that for a fact,
because even the saved people, we can't. Right? I'll tell you what, I murmured
even more before the Lord saved me. Now I'm cautious. I'll catch myself saying something
even about the weather. I'm like, oh Lord, I don't want
to murmur against your providence. That's your providence. I don't
want to, you know. Did I do that before the Lord
saved me? I didn't care at all. Ah, snow again. Right? Now it's like, oh, look
at the beauty in the snow. And I'm not talking weird either.
This actually happens to us. We see everything in a different
light being in the Lord. It comes from His hand. This
snow puts water into the ground. And in evaporation, it goes up,
back up, and it comes down as rain, doesn't it? Or snow again. It's amazing, beloved. But so
this word dispution, it carries the idea of discussion or debate
with the under thought of suspicion or doubt. So we see that those
things done in secret turn into a discussion or a debate with
suspicion. And then you're in trouble. Oh, it's tragic. Let's read verse
15 now. Look at verse 15. We will get
to 15. That ye may be blameless and
harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
Weiss brings this forth about these words, maybe, in the Greek.
He says it's more properly translated, may become, implying that they
were not blameless. This was occurring. At that time,
they were not harmless. Things were starting to happen.
And so what's Paul doing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Bring it forth. This has got
to stop. Oh my. The Greek word blameless
brings forth the idea of blameless deserving no censor free from
fault or defect. Now we're blameless in Christ,
right? This is just talking about in
the context of the church, again, murmuring, disputing. A little
bit of division starting to happen. Oh my. Harmless in the Greek,
listen to this, brings the idea of unmixed, unadulterated. It
was used of wine without water and metal without alloy. It means guileless. Guileless. Weiss brings forth
again that sons can be translated children or born ones. We're born again, beloved, by
the Holy Spirit of God. So this is an exhortation to
God's people within the church. Again, it's not for the world.
It's for us. Because we are easily beset by
these sins. Oh my. Without Rebuke brings forth the
idea of without blemish, faultless, unblameable. So if we avoid murmuring,
disputing, right? These things will not
occur. Right? We will be, or they will
occur. We will be without blemish and
faultless and unblameable before each other. Because we're seeing
each other in Christ. It's wonderful. See the word crooked in the Greek?
It brings forth the idea of crooked, perverse, wicked, in the sense
of turning from the truth. That's what the world is. They've
turned from the truth. Because we're born dead in trespasses
and sins. We don't want to hear the truth.
Charlie, we're talking about death this morning. We don't
want to hear about death. The unsaved men don't want to
hear about death. That's why they don't like preaching. Tells
us we're all a bunch of sinners and we're going to die. The world
don't want to hear that. Tell me good things. Tell me positive things. I'll tell you positive thing
is you're positively gonna die Everyone Every human being is
gonna die And you're either gonna be in heaven or hell and the
only difference is the blood of Christ The precious blood
of Christ. Let's read verse 15 again That
ye may be harmless and are blameless and harmless. The sons of God
relate rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation
among whom he shines lights in the world. See the word perverse
there? It brings forth the idea of distorted or having been twisted. It's a stronger word in Greek. It's a more stronger word in
Greek than crooked. So there's our natural state. See the word shine, this refers
to the fact of appearing, of appearing, not the act of shining.
The word for lights is a translation of the Greek word used of heavenly
bodies, stars. Marvel at how appropriate it
is to speak of the born-again, blood-washed saints of God as
luminaries. We're heavenly people, beloved,
living on this earth. Isn't that amazing? We're born
from above. My, oh my. Let brethren all agree
in peace among them spread, old and young, rich and poor, are
one in Christ their head. Among the saints on earth let
fervent love be found, sons of our great God with common blessings
crowned. Let pride, that child of hell,
be banished far away. Those should in humility dwell
who the same Lord obey. Let's look up to the top of this
chapter. Let's read verses 1 to 5, and
we are going to see here, this is how we know something's going
on. And this is why we see the exhortation
that's before us today. Look at this. How do you become
of one accord and of one mind? do all things without murmuring
and disputions. Isn't that amazing? That we might
shine as lights. Because God's working in us,
isn't he? We're going to continue this next week. But isn't that
amazing? We are who we are now by the
precious blood of Christ. We've been redeemed by the blood
of the Lamb. let us always remember that we
are no bright better than any of our brethren we're all just
a bunch of sinners saved by the grace of God in Christ for the
glory of God in Christ and isn't it amazing brother Brian you
close