WEBVTT 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.160 Are you hurting and broken within? 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:23.359 Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin. 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:26.879 Jesus is calling. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:34.240 Have you come to the end of yourself? 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.280 Do you thirst for a drink from the well? 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:42.719 Jesus is calling. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:49.200 Who come to the altar? 00:00:50.560 --> 00:01:06.400 The father open white for him was born with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:26.959 Come today, there's no reason away. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.239 Jesus is calling. 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:38.159 Bring your stars and trade them for joy. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:43.439 From the as just a new life is born. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:46.640 Jesus is calling. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:19.680 Oh come to the altar, the Father's arms are open. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:32.160 Forgive this was born with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:58.079 Just talking through and reading through the book of Philippians for a few minutes. 00:04:58.160 --> 00:04:59.680 We're in Philippians chapter two. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:06.079 The question we're going to talk about is what role do I play and what role is God playing in my spiritual growth? 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:10.720 What role do I play and what role is God playing in my spiritual growth? 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:17.040 Is my maturity and growth and depth based in what I do, or is all of it based on what God does? 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:21.920 Is it a meet God halfway, or is it a let go and let God? 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:26.800 So if we look at this Philippians chapter 2, it's an interesting chapter and passage for us. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:33.040 Paul's writing to a church that is bickering and complaining and they're divided, and he knows where they need to move. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:42.480 He knows they need to move into a greater obedience and to a greater way of communication and a holy walk with God. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:43.680 He wants this for them. 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:46.480 But the question is, is how does that happen? 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:51.199 How does that happen for them, or how does that happen for us? 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:56.720 And so if we pick up in Philippians 2, let's just start in verse 14. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:17.120 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, 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. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:26.160 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. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:31.040 Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me. 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:33.519 And so what's Paul doing here? 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:39.360 Well, we love the idea of an equation for spiritual growth. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:39.920 Right? 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:46.000 Like I do this, God does that, and then this happens. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:47.279 Right? 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:56.160 Like this happened in life because of that, and then this will happen in life because I do this, and God will do this because I did that, and then I get to where I want to be. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:01.839 I I will let go and then God will suddenly cause spiritual growth in me. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:05.759 I will do certain things and God will cause spiritual growth in me. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.120 I will walk halfway and God will walk halfway. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:25.040 But Paul disorients that sort of equational thinking to spiritual growth because what he says there at the beginning, all the way at the beginning of verse 12 of the intro into this passage, he says, Therefore, my beloved. 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:30.480 So from the very beginning, he says, You're the beloved. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:32.720 You need to work this out. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:38.079 You got some grumbling and disputing going on, and you gotta work that out. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:42.000 But it begins with your identity, my beloved. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:43.839 You are the beloved. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:49.759 And by the way, God is doing this work in you. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:54.000 What a disorienting attention for us. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:06.560 Because the orientation, we think it would be either I do it or God does it, but this disorientation is the truth that it puts us into relationship. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:09.360 We can't rely on equation anymore. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:10.240 We are moved. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:25.680 It invites us into relationship with the Father, that we know our identity as his beloved children, and the Father is working this out in us even while we are already what we're not yet becoming in this moment. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:34.960 Meaning we're already proclaimed holy and beloved, righteous, even before we were actually that in this world. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:48.080 Verses twelve and thirteen read this way, 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 own salvation with fear and tribbling. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:54.000 So Paul says, Okay, you're the beloved, work out your salvation, and we would think, okay, well, that's how that's how it's gonna be. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:55.360 Like I gotta do these things. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:04.480 But then the verse 13 jumps and says, For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:20.480 It just disorients the way that we want to form an equation and make it so simple of if I do A, B, and C, God will cause or do spiritual growth. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:25.440 And rather, it's we are already proclaimed the beloved. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.759 You are relieved of all the ways that you try to self-justify your worth and righteousness. 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:35.279 You are already righteous because of Jesus. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:42.480 So work out your salvation out of that identity, work out your salvation, for God is doing this in you. 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:52.320 It's an invitation into mystery, an invitation into relationship, not into equation, not into legalism. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:54.960 Church, you are the beloved. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:59.600 Work out your salvation, for God is at work in you.