Philippians 2:12-18 "Shining as Lights in the World" "You shine as lights in the world--so act like it" What is Paul referring to when he talks about grumbling in verse 14? The language he uses is drawn from the Greek translation of the Old Testament-- and would draw the attention of his readers to the story of Israel in the wilderness. Israel had a long and distinguished history of grumbling, which led Moses to call them a "crooked and perverse generation," -- the very term Paul uses in the next verse, and Paul elsewhere, in I Cor. 10 makes reference to the story of Korah in Num. 16, so it is quite likely that here in Philippians he is drawing their attention to the grumbling of Israel in the wilderness. So just for a moment let us reflect on that story. I won't read the story, but it might help to turn in your Bible's to Num 16 so that you can follow along. Israel had been brought out of Egypt by the direct intervention of the Lord, through his servants, Moses and Aaron. Yet in the wilderness, Korah and two hundred and fifty other leaders grumbled against Moses and Aaron, complaining that since the entire congregation was holy, any leader should be allowed to offer incense before the Lord. Rather than just overrule Korah, Moses challenged Korah to a sort of contest. Korah and his followers would offer incense, and Aaron would offer incense, and they would let God determine who was in the right. Moses was so secure in his position, and was so confident in God's calling upon his life, that he did not fear an upstart who sought to take away his authority. Moses recognized that his authority came from God, and believed that God would vindicate him. God had promised that he would be with Moses and would deliver Israel through Moses: so Moses trusted God. The next day they gathered before the tabernacle to see what the Lord would do. But the wrath of God was kindled against Korah and his followers. How could they do such a thing?! These men had seen his mighty acts, and had received his law from his servant Moses. They had seen the Red Sea parted; they had eaten the manna and seen God provide water from a rock. Yet they still grumbled against God's chosen leaders and finally rebelled! So God commanded all those who believed in Him to move away from Korah. Then he opened the ground and Korah and his followers were destroyed. But even then the Israelites grumbled that Moses and Aaron had caused their death! Due to this grumbling, God sent a plague which killed more than 14,000 Israelites. And this is only one incident. There were many other times when the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, but it was not merely against Moses and Aaron: God declared in Numbers 14 that when the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron, they were really grumbling against God, because they were refusing to follow God's appointed leaders. In other words, grumbling is actually idolatry, because it places your selfish wants and desires above those-- not only of others--but also of God, and indicates that you think that you know better than God. It is no wonder that just before his death, in Dt. 31, Moses said to the people: "I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death?" Israel had been called by God to be his pure and blameless children-- faultless in the midst of the pagan nations surrounding them. They were to be a light shining in the darkness of the Ancient Near East. Yet Moses saw that their rebellion would only get worse. He went on to prophesy in Dt 32 that a time would come when it would be said of Israel, "They have acted corruptly toward the Lord; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a perverse and crooked generation." The whole history of Israel is a history of grumbling and rebellion, with occasional times of obedience. It kept getting worse and worse until Jesus Christ declared that Moses prophesy had finally come true, when in Matt. 17 he calls the Jews a perverse and unbelieving generation. The Jews, in keeping with their infamous ancestors were now grumbling against Jesus, the Son of God, who was not merely a servant in the house like Moses, but was a son with authority over the house-- they grumbled against him and he reminds them of the Israelites' experience in the desert, hinting that those who grumble receive God's judgment. Once again, God's people--who were supposed to be the light of the world, the pure and blameless children of God, refused to listen to God's appointed leader-- and became a crooked and perverse generation. So here, in Philippians 2, when Paul commands the Philippians to do all things without grumbling or disputing, he is probably addressing a church which has a tendency to grumble and dispute. Paul was well-steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures, and he saw a connection between the Philippians' grumbling and the grumblings against Moses in the wilderness. But although Paul is using the Israelites of Moses day as a warning to the Philippians, here we have a different twist: You would expect Paul to say, "You are grumbling! Therefore you are a crooked and perverse generation!" But Paul does not say, "you are a crooked and perverse generation," but rather that they are to be "blameless and pure, children of God, faultless in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." Something has changed. The Israelites in the wilderness were a "crooked and perverse generation"; but Paul does not see the Philippians as a crooked and perverse generation-- despite the fact that they too were grumbling and disputing-- rather they live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. What has happened? For this we need to look back to Pentecost. In Acts 2, Peter preaches his first sermon and urges the crowd to "Be saved from this perverse generation!", indicating that the church has been called out of the world to become the pure and radiant children of God, shining brilliantly in a fallen and sinful world. But how can the Philippians-- who are sinful grumblers and disputers-- shine brilliantly? As Paul has told us earlier in the chapter, it is because Christ Jesus has become a man. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, the Eternal Son of God was blameless and pure, and lived a perfectly righteous life; obedient to the point of death on a cross. It was through that obedience--and through that death-- that it became possible for us to be children of God. It is because of that perfect obedience and that atoning death on the cross that God exalted him, so that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. And it is because we have been united to him, both in his death and his resurrection, that we are now shining as lights in the world. It is through his ascension to the Father, and his sending of the holy spirit, that Jesus Christ has established his kingdom on the earth. Two Ages (). When JC walked this earth he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand. That kingdom now dwells in his church-- and wherever his church goes, there is his rule established. And this what Paul says in verse 12-13 when he commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, because it is God who is at work both to will and to do for his good pleasure! What is God's good pleasure? "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...! God desires to advance his kingdom for his glory and for the salvation of his people. And it is because he has established his kingdom in you that you shine as lights in the world. What does it mean to shine as lights in the world? Think of this in terms of a dark night, away from the city, with not a cloud in the sky. The blackness of midnight is pierced by thousands of pin pricks of radiant light. This is what you are! The kingdom of God has descended into the midst of the darkness and depravity of our world and his children now blaze as stars in the night sky. Consider this. In the midst of the blackness of this crooked and perverse generation-- you, my brothers and sisters, as the body of Christ, shine as brilliant lights. It is not because you are so good and righteous-- the Philippians sure weren't. It is rather that by his perfect obedience, Jesus Christ has fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law, and now he is at work in you to will and to do. It's a pretty frightening thought, though, that God has made us the light of the world. When I consider the weight of my own sinfulness, I feel that I am much more like the crooked and perverse generation than the light of the world. If wretched sinners like us are the light of the world-- how great must be the darkness. And let us beware, because as the rebellion of Korah warns us, it is very easy to deceive ourselves through our selfish and grumbling hearts, so that we allow our attitudes to be shaped by our crooked and perverse generation, rather than by the attitude which was in Christ Jesus. When this happens, the church begins to look like the culture, and she loses her purity until she has nothing to say to the culture, and can no longer shine. We live in a consumer age where we are constantly pressured to focus our desires on material gain. The television bombards us with advertisements which tantalize our eyes with the pleasure and happiness which can be yours if only you buy our product! And we have bought into it. We want the nicest houses, the highest standard of living, the best clothes, and the flashiest cars. When the next Disney movie comes out, all the kids in the nation will be racing to the stores to get the fancy new toys that come with it. We have bought into the lie which says that these material things are not relevant to our spiritual condition. So we live as full-blown consumers, every bit as materialistic as our neighbors-- never even wondering how this glorifies God and advances his kingdom. What would happen if every time you went shopping you asked, how does this glorify God? That may sound like a strange question, but if it does, perhaps you have relegated your faith to your "spiritual life" only. But if Jesus Christ is Lord over all your life, then every penny you spend is to be used for his glory-- and every hour you work is for the establishment of his kingdom. This means that what you buy your children is to help in training them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD; that every gift you give to your wife or husband is to encourage them in Christ; that every hour you work is to be a service to the King of Kings. Our society also stresses individualism-- prizing the rights of the individual above all else. But when my "rights" come in contact with your "rights" there is conflict. This builds walls between people, so that neither husband nor wife is willing to give up their rights, but jealously guards them--leading to quarrels and divorce. We see this in the church as well-- Oh, sure, we insist that we have responsibilities as well as rights, but we do not consider carefully enough what Paul says in verses 3-4 () As an example of this, a recent study discovered that around 40% of Americans say that they are born again. That means that over a third of the population consider themeselves "evangelical" in some sense. Yet the same study showed that these 40% had virtually the same divorce rate, the same rate of child abuse, et cetera, so that in short, there was no distinguishable difference between those who claim to born again, and those who don't. Something is wrong. These people have the right beliefs, perhaps, but it makes no difference in their lives. I spent four years going to evangelical Christian colleges, seeing first hand the disintegration of evangelicalism. They are often theologically bankrupt, and therefore are subject to the whims and trends of our society. Yet what saddens me is that Reformed believers, who know what the Scriptures teach-- who have a clear understanding of the the truth, are also failing to put their theology into practice. Do you believe that our sin has been forgiven, and that the righteousness of Jesus Christ has been reckoned to our account? Then why don't you live like it? Do you believe that Jesus Christ humbled himself for us and for our salvation? Then why don't you humble yourselves before one another? You are to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ. You are to become pure and blameless, faultless children of God. If you have received any encouragement from being in Christ-- as Paul says in verses 1-2 then be of the same mind, and let the attitude which was in Jesus Christ permeate you with humility and obedience to God, and submission to one another. If you have been blessed by the love of the Father, then maintain the same love toward him and toward one another-- a love which does not look out for your own interests, but considers others as more important than yourself. If you have experienced any fellowship of the Holy Spirit, then be united in that Spirit-- united not merely in word, but in deed. If there is any affection and compassion which flows from the love which Christ has bestowed upon you, then be intent on one purpose. All of you--as First OPC, Sunnyvale, be intent on one purpose-- the purpose which Paul gives you in verses 10-11-- "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." You, as members of the body of Christ, must be so transformed by the power of the gospel that you set aside our culture's perverse emphasis on "rights" and instead choose to sacrifice your own agenda for the glory of Jesus Christ. You must be so gripped by the gospel that when you work out your salvation, you are working with fear and trembling-- not out of terror, but out of the awesome realization that you have been united to Christ, and that he is at work in you to will and to do for his good pleasure. How is this to happen? You must be seized by the reality of the holiness and majesty of God-- so that out of gratitude and thanksgiving for what he has done for you in Jesus, you allow the truth of the gospel to permeate your life. This means that every moment of your life-- everything you say, everything you do, and everything you think-- must be centered and focused on Him. That you think of Him at work, at home and in the store-- That you pray without ceasing, and meditate upon His Word, giving thanks in your heart at all times. That you think of everything you do as a service to God, for his glory and for the salvation of his people. In this way you will begin to see yourselves as citizens of the kingdom of God-- not simply as individual Christians, but as the body of Christ, united in Spirit and intent on one purpose. We are called as a body to live as the body. If one part hurts--all will hurt. If one of you is hurting, you may think that as long as you are silent, no one will know, no one will be affected. Yet if you are hurting, then you will not function properly in the body-- and that will hurt the whole church. If I have severed an artery in my leg, and don't realize it, I may not feel any pain but I will be hurt by it. If I never figure out what has happened, I'll die. For this reason it is a good thing that my body feels pain, because only when I realize that the pain is there that I can deal with it. This is why grumbling is so deadly-- often grumblers are hurting people who refuse to acknowledge their pain, but rather inflict it on others. It is only when you are intent on one purpose and united in Spirit that you can be both honest with hurts, and also more concerned with the interests of others than your own. It is only then that you will shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. This generation has hollowed people out and uprooted them. People in our society are searching for meaning, for purpose-- they are looking for bread, and our culture gives them nothing but a handful of pebbles. If you would be a light in that world-- holding out the bread of life for a starving world. If you would live pure and blameless lives as children of God, then do not grumble-- do nothing from selfish motives, but be of the same mind, maintain the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose-- for if you do this, two things will happen. First, you will face trials-- for if the world hated Jesus Christ, then those who have the same attitude as Christ will receive the same treatment. But on the other hand, when those who have been beaten down by our culture see you shining as lights in a crooked and perverse generation, they will be able to hear the Master's voice, saying "come unto me, all who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls."