Sermon Cloud

How to Win the Gold!
Philippians 2:19-30 (TNIV, p. 805)
Ray Befus August 17, 2008

1. Michael Phelps . . . he's our man. He makes us all feel like gold medal winners. Superstars!

2. This morning I'd like to talk with you about living for the gold, going for the gold, winning the gold . . . in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is one NT writer who references the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. In II Corinthians 9, Paul wrote to Christians in ancient Corinth: "You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got". (9:24-26, The Message)

3. This summer we've been reflecting on Paul's letter the Christians living in another ancient Greek city-Philipi (TNIV guest Bibles, p. 805). It's a short letter to some of Paul's best friends, and this morning we're finishing up the second chapter. Let me give you a little review of chapter 2, where Paul has already made reference to running a race (2:16).

I. WE'RE ALL IN A MARATHON RACE, AND THE COURSE HAS A LOT OF HILLS!

A. Every day is a work out (READ 2:12).

1. Do you know Greek? The NT was written in Greek, and the pronoun "your" in the phrase "your salvation" is plural. The pronoun "you" in the next verse is also plural. Paul is communicating that all of them-together-are to focus on working out their salvation as a group project. We work out our salvation together with fellow Christians.

Of course, we do some work individually and privately-we do some of our praying and Bible study and decision-making in our ‘alone time'. But that's not where most of the deep, life-changing, character shaping work takes place. The most important, the most valuable and fruitful work we do is when we are together, working on our relationships. That's where the hardest, most fruitful, spiritual growth is accomplished-in relationships with real Christians here in this community of faith.

2. Why does Paul say "with fear and trembling"? Because the lifelong process of loving and forgiving, serving and sacrificing for one another is so difficult. Look around at the people sitting near you! Don't want to be part of a home group? Don't have time to serve on a ministry team? Not sure about the church? Believe me, I understand. Everyone is normal until you get to know them! A lot of Christians are broken and wounded and stuck. Some are even sick. Bearing their burdens in a small group or on a ministry team is hard work from beginning to end. Why would anyone sign up for hard work?

A lot is at stake in working out our salvation with other broken people. Like what? Our growth: there are some things that only loving and forgiving and serving can teach you. Their growth, their faith, their children's faith, our witness to the neighborhood, our authenticity in representing Jesus, our ability to partner in Jesus' cause-the kingdom. For his part, Jesus invested his life in getting us started in this race. Now it's our turn, (its our leg in the relay), and Jesus set a pretty fast pace.

TRANS: How specifically do we work out our salvation with the other people in this room? READ vv. 2-4.

B. We make the greatest progress in our own lives when we (humbly) decide to serve and to sacrifice for others (2:1-11).

1. Jesus' example is our model for responding to all relational tensions, disappointments, breakdowns. If you're facing a conflict or enduring a disappointment, or you're recovering from some kind of relational blow, the way to work out your salvation and truly trust and follow Jesus, humbly value others above yourself and decide to look out for their interests rather than your own.

2. Do you see a problem with that? Are you already forming reasons why that won't work in your situation? Do yourself a favor and check your humility meter. The problem isn't time and energy; it's not really where we live (in jail or in Ada) or who we married or if we're single. The greatest challenge isn't health or stress or finances or school work. The biggest difference among people who are other's focused-serving and sacrificing for others-and those who are working hard, looking out for #1, is humility.

3. Some of you will insist, I just can't live that way . . . not with my boss and her attitude, my spouse and his rigidity, my health, my child and her rebelliousness, my church and its weaknesses, my finances and the stress I feel. Paul's response is (v. 13) . . . oh yes you can. God never asks us to do anything he doesn't also empower us to do. Christians can't say "CAN'T". You can decide not to trust and follow Jesus down the path of humble service and self-sacrifice. But, you can do it. If you say "Yes" to Jesus and decide to take the first step, God will carry you across the finish line.

ILLUS: Just like Dick Hoyt has been pulling and pushing and carrying his son Ricky across the finish lines of different races and triathalons for the past 25 years. On January 10, 1962, Judy Hoyt gave birth to her firstborn son Ricky. Tragically, the unbillicord was wrapped around Ricky's neck and he was born a spastic quadraplegic with severe cerebral palsy. Doctors advised Dick and Judy to have Ricky institutionalized. He would never advance beyond a vegetative state.

But Dick and Judy decided to take Ricky home and treat him as normally as they could. At 12 year old, Ricky entered public school and told his Dad Dick that he wanted to run in a short charity race, so Dick pushed him through the course in wheel chair. After the race, Ricky told his Dad that while they were racing, he didn't feel disabled. That was all Dick needed to hear, and he began to enter all kinds of races, pushing Ricky in a wheel chair. After 4 years of pushing Ricky through marathons, Ricky and his Dad took up swimming, running, and biking triathalons. I don't know of any better illustration of humble sacrifice and service-the kind God asks of us in our relationships-and the kind of strength our heavenly Father promises to give us if we will run the race he has marked out for us. DVD-CAN (I Can Only Imagine) 4.05 min

II. DO REAL PEOPLE TRUST AND FOLLOW JESUS LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL DOES? (2:19-30)

This is the question that enquiring minds want to know. Sure Jesus humbly came to earth as a servant and sacrificed his life for our sake. And yes, ancient spiritual superheroes like Paul, the Apostle. But what about real people. Certainly that kind of serving isn't normal. Surely God doesn't ask for that kind of humility, servanthood, and sacrifice from young mothers with babies and middle age guys with day jobs . . . does he?

A. Timothy has been serving us like Jesus (READ vv. 19-24).

Timothy was one of the younger, second string guys on the apostolic team. Do you care about the folks sitting in the row ahead of you? How are you going to show it? Timothy demonstrated genuine concern-not just good intentions-he regularly put other's interests ahead of his own. Timothy was always asking, "What would Jesus do?" and then doing it. Paul says that Timothy served with me like a son-like he had the same DNA running through his heart and mind. And Timothy was just a regular guy-as far as we know, he had no education, pedigree, calling, or supernatural experience comparable to Paul's apostleship.

B. Epaphroditus has sacrificed and suffered for us like Jesus (vv. 25-30).

Epaphroditus was one of the guys from Philippi who took time off from work and family to travel to Rome with a sizeable financial offering to take care of Paul while he was in prison. At some point on the journey to Rome, Epaphroditus became sick to the point of almost dying. But he didn't quit or go back home. Paul, the Apostle says of him: he's like a brother to me, a co-worker, a fellow soldier. He knows how to finish a job, how to keep on fighting even when he's wounded. The man shares my heart-like a brother. Honor him and guys like him. He almost died, and it was for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

III. SO YEAH . . . JESUS DEFINES NORMAL FOR ALL OF US. THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE IS AN INVITATION TO VALUE OTHERS ABOVE OURSELVES AND TO FOCUS ON THEIR INTERESTS (2:2-4).

A. Want a gold medal? It's not impossible. You'll have to work out. And your gym will be this group of people. You'll have to develop strength in loving strangers, forgiving friends, carrying other people's burdens along with your own, investing your heart, and contributing your gifts, going a second mile, finishing what you start. It won't be easy, but olympic champions don't ask for easy. They eat easy for breakfast and then head to the gym to work out-for four years at a time.

B. If you're ready to trust and follow Jesus in a life of serving and even self-sacrifice (with your spouse, your boss, your church, your parents, your teacher, your children), God is ready to pull you, push you, and carry you across the finish line. You and I are Ricky Hoyt (weak, broken, handicapped). But, we have a Heavenly Father like Ricky's father, Dick, who is ready to go with us and to empower us. All we have to do is decide that want to join the race for gold.

ILLUS: DVD-Ironman (Redeemer) 5.0 min

Questions for Small Group Discussion

1. What did the Team Hoyt video clips stir in you last Sunday? Has anyone gone online to check out the teamhoyt.com website? What did you learn there?

2. Ray's main point was that Jesus defines normal for all of us . . . the normal Christian life is an invitation to trust and follow Jesus in humble servanthood and even personal sacrifice among our fellow church members. This was the way Paul, the Apostle lived. And regular folks like Timothy and Epaphroditus followed in Paul's footsteps. LET'S READ ALL OF PHILIPPIANS, CHAPTER TWO, TOGETHER. What parts of this chapter stand out to you tonight? Have you underlined any of the verses in chapter 2? Why?

3. Not everyone who grows up in church sees trusting and following Jesus (in humble service and self-sacrifice) as the heart of their personal faith. Some Christians seem to think that this is beyond their reach or calling-probably the domain of priests, and pastors, and missionaries. Some see their calling as limited to going to church and trying to be good. What about you? What were your early impressions of ‘what the Christian life is all about'? How has your understanding of the Christian faith changed or deepened as you've made progress on your journey?

4. Paul urges the Philippian Christians to honor men like Epaphroditus (2:29). Is there a man or woman in your life who has demonstrated the kind of Jesus-like humility Paul describes? How did this person put greater value on your intererests than his or her own interests? How did this person serve or sacrifice for you? Honor him or her tonight by telling us this person's name and a little bit about how he or she touched your life.

5. Is there someone in your life or in Vineyard North Church that you sense the Holy Spirit stirring you to value above yourself, and look out for his or her interests instead of your own interests? What are you going to do with this stirring? What ‘first step' is God asking you to take? Is taking the first step going to be a challenge for you? Can we pray for you?