Your Role In God’s Great Redemptive History

Introduction

And may that indeed be the outcome of the lesson this morning if it is not already. And I assume and hope it is for many in our audience that we would all indeed be light in this world. If you do not know him already, I want to introduce you this morning to Benjamin Watson. Benjamin Watson is a football player. You know how important that is in Texas. And it’s worthy of note that he played in the SEC, which we’re big on around here. For a lot of different reasons. Yes, some of you are even Aggies. Played for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Last year with the New Orleans Saints. Before that, Cleveland Browns, originally with the New England Patriots, and presently with the Baltimore Ravens. Benjamin Watson is a deeply religious man. There he is with his wife Kirsten and their five children. Listen to these names. Grace, Naomi, Isaiah, Judah, and their most recent edition, Eden. Ben writes a lot on Facebook about issues affecting America. And he wrote a post on July 2nd simply entitled America. And he talked about from his youth and from my youth, thinking of America in terms of a Christian nation. You hear that phrase sometimes in regard to America. And he talks about being flawed, about being disillusioned and baffled about that, and talks about perhaps having flawed expectations of America. I think we can be susceptible to that.

As he talks about this phrase Christian nation, he says, it is not, nor has it ever been. It has always been a nation whose spoken allegiance to God conflicted with its tangible observable deeds. He says, despite a strong Christian influence still felt today, our nation was founded upon rebellion. And the unconscionable toil of human property, I think we know to what that refers. And a nation that sanctions the death of a million unborn children annually.

At the critical juncture of American history we now face is not so much about fighting to turn our country back to the nostalgia of our Christian past as it is to continue the fight and advance the charge of Christ two thousand years ago to simply make disciples. I think Ben’s on to something there. He concludes, and this is from which I get our title this morning. Through our brief lives, and how brief they are, we may play a role in God’s redemptive history. We can never let discouragement and disappointment from unmet expectations weaken our resolve and dissuade us from playing our part in what God is doing right here in America. And as aliens and foreigners in this world, he says Christians are to work to store up heavenly treasures as much as they covet earthly success.

That these ambassadors let their light shine for his glory and not their own. That the children of God mimic their father’s character, a tainted duplication, of his loving kindness, justice, and righteousness, and that we remember that as proud as we are to be American, we are eternally part of a global royal nation that spans race, creed, and time.

I don’t know exactly where Ben Watson is in his theology, but he says a lot of great things that are consistent with thoughts that we need to have. I think all of us have been disillusioned and baffled by our Christian nation that we’ve heard so many times. But the really frustrating thing and part of our disillusionment is what can we do to affect change in our world? Just after this post, we have again more senseless violence. The innocent being hurt. Instead of the guilty receiving justice. Oh, they might receive justice, but to lash out and hurt the innocent. How ludicrous is that? And when I think about Benjamin Watson, even a voice like his, a prominent National Football League player, can only do so much. And perhaps mine even less.

Actually, Ben Watson may influence more people than me. Some of you are shaking your head. Absolutely. But it’s true. And perhaps your voice will be heard even less. Unless you have just a lot of followers on Facebook. So what can we do? I mean, we feel frustrated. We can’t get people to behave sensibly in our culture. People have lost their minds. So what can we do? What can we control? And that’s really what Ben was talking about, what our latest song that we sang this morning suggests. That we’ve been called to be salt and light, and Aaron prayed at this in his prayer. We’re the salt of the earth, Jesus says. That’s what he wants his disciples to be. You are the light of the world, he says in verse 14.

And then in verse 16, he says you wouldn’t want to hide your light so that no one could see it. Verse 15, let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. That has always been our charge, regardless of what’s going on in our culture. Regardless of the things that we cannot affect or we cannot control, I would like to get some of these people say, don’t you realize how badly you’re missing it? Shake some sense into these people. But I can’t do that on a broad scale. But what I can do is let my light shine in my influence with my influence and my surroundings and perhaps affect change in individuals who they themselves can then be light in the world and affect change in others that I cannot.

And that’s really one thing that we’re doing each Lord’s day. As we are challenging and admonishing, singing to one another, admonishing one another to go out there and to be light in your circumstances to effect the change that would make our culture better. If people would embrace the message of the gospel, if people would then regard other people as being made in the image of God and having words for that reason alone. What we can control is the role that God is expecting us to play in his great redemptive history. You know, one thing when you read the Bible, you need to keep that in view. This is a document that is portraying history from the viewpoint of our God. And God has this great redemptive plan that he is extending to every person that breathes the air that he provides.

And as his people, we have a significant role in this long, great redemptive history.

And I want to take you this morning to a passage that emphasizes this truth to us in Philippians chapter 2. And we’re going to look at verses 12 through 16. I’ve preached about the preceding verses not very long ago, but I do think it’s helpful to look at the context of Philippians 2 as he talks about possessing the mind of Christ in our attitudes toward others, a sacrificing mind that led to his ultimate exaltation. He has a name that is above every name. And while verses 10 and 11 talk about each tongue confessing Jesus or giving praise to God with our lips, ultimately everyone is going to acknowledge him as king and savior, Lord, and he will be our ultimate judge. Really, I think verses 10 and 11 are talking more about the fact that he’s deserving of a confession from our lives.

That every tongue should confess. That the one who has a name is above that is above every name, that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord. He is deserving of such a response. And because of this, and certainly there’s a lot in verses 1 through 8 to talk about the kind of mind we need to be developing so that we can be salt and light in the world, the salt and light that Jesus was better than any other person. He showed us how to be salt and light. He shows us how to think and regard others and ourselves and our role in the world. So, really, the sermon is not complete without looking at verses 1 through 8. And how Jesus should then motivate us because of the example that he gave, because of where he now is, and because of what he deserves from us.

And then that gets to verse 12, a very familiar verse, right? So then, my brethren in Philippi. We’ve been studying about their beginnings in Acts 16, so this is a good segue from that. Lydia, the jailer. So, my brethren in Philippi, and his household, the jailer’s household. Work out your salvation. As you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now in my absence, he says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And as we play this role in God’s great redemptive history, he says, God is at work in you. It is a mistake to stop reading at verse 12. May I recommend we never just read verse 12 by itself. The sentence is not completed. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things, he says, without grumbling and disputing. We have so much. We should be content with what we possess. Our dealings with others should be about peace and harmony and unity, not promoting conflict. Do all things without murmuring and disputing. But then we come to the two verses that I want us to focus on in our lesson this morning. Verse 15. So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent. Children of God above reproach. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Instead of the straight paths of the Lord, people are mapping out their own destiny and their own course and living by their own whims and passions. That’s crooked. And it leads to all sorts of sinful behavior that is not rectified and cleansed by the blood of Christ. They are not washed and sanctified as we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. People living crooked lives. Not in conformity with that which is straight, the ways of the Lord. It’s a crooked and perverse generation who goes their own way. He says, we are to show light in the midst of such darkness. You appear as lights in the world. I can’t think of a lesson that I could preach this morning any more relevant to your life and circumstances.

1. You Have Something to Prove

This affects every single one here. I tend to do that, you know, when I preach on the Lord’s Day. I want to preach things that you can take home and say, Yeah, this applies to me and the way I live. Philippians 2.15 is such a verse. You appear as lights in the world. I want to make three points about verse 15 and then one final point about this verse. Holding fast. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve got two points for each. Okay, holding fast the word of life. So that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory, because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. Four points about your role in God’s great redemptive history. I’m here to tell you this morning that you have something to prove.

Did you see that in verse 15 of Philippians chapter 2? That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent. Children of God. Do you look at your life that way? As we leave this place and go about our endeavors, not just tomorrow, but this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, throughout this week. Would you please look at your life and understand that as a Christian, as a child of God, you’ve got something to prove. We talk about athletes all the time, that they have something to prove. The athletes on the highest stage. They want to prove something about their abilities, that they’re the best. And as we approach another Olympics this summer, those athletes want to prove that their abilities are supreme and they want to perform to the ultimate level and they want the gold medal.

And they want to prove that they have the inner medal to produce such accomplishments. They have honed their abilities to be their best in a particular endeavor. Are we honing our abilities to be our best in the ultimate endeavor? That is greater than any athletic achievement in our world, greater than winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Our goal is higher. Our goal is more supreme than that. As Christians, by the way we conduct ourselves here as we head out these doors, we have something to prove on the world stage. That’s what these passages are saying. In Matthew 5 and Philippians 2. Among whom you appear as lights in the world.

We must not be content to dabble in sinful and inferior conduct. You know that’s what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4. In 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 3, when he talks in verse 2 about so as to live the rest of the time. Christ suffered in the flesh, he says. And we’re to imitate his example so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the less of men. You did that in your past. Be done with that. No longer for the less of men, but for the will of God. Now that’s lights in the world right there, brothers and sisters. Verse 3, and I love this. The time is already past. The time is already sufficient. You spent your time in that stuff.

Be done with that. A course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness. For some reason, we get into Christ and we think, after a period of time, well, there were some things about that old way of life that weren’t so bad. There was some enjoyment there were some pleasures to be had. And Paul is talking about that in Romans 6, just like Peter is talking about it here in 1 Peter 4. He says, be done with that. That light isn’t going anywhere. It doesn’t prove anything good. A course of sensuality and drunkenness. Drinking parties, abominable idolatries, he says. Other gods that are empty and worthless. And he says, and here’s the problem with that. People in your culture, this crooked and perverse generation, they’re going to malign you for the choices that you’ve made.

They’re surprised that you do not run with them to the same excess of riot. And hey, if you don’t believe me, just try it. Live differently than the world around you. Don’t value what they value. Don’t drink as they drink. Don’t party as they party. And they’re going to look at you and think, you are strange. They’re going to malign you. Make fun of you. But remember, they shall give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Your message to a lost world must be clear.

2. Living Well Above the Norm

I belong to the king. And flowing out of that, not only, hey, you have something to prove in your life, we have something to prove in our life. We prove this by living lives that are not just above the norm. That was the original point. As I started looking at this more, I said, really, we’re living well above the norm. As we appear as lights in the world. Let us not be content with spiritual achievements in our past. We’ve come a long way, baby. We’ve learned a lot. We know a lot of scripture. We can quote a lot of.

Interesting. Let me just throw this in. In Deuteronomy 32 and verse 5. You ever wonder where Paul got this? One who was very familiar with the Old Testament, where Paul got this. Living above reproach as lights in the world in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Look at Deuteronomy 32 and verse 5 and the song of Moses when it talks about the people, and it says in Deuteronomy 32 and verse 5, they have acted corruptly toward him. They are not his children because of their defect, but are a perverse and crooked generation. You know what’s interesting about that? Is verse 5 is actually a contrast to verse 4, where the character of God is demonstrated. And the point is that men in comparison are nowhere near the character of God, but they have defect, and they’re a crooked and perverse generation.

And you know what Paul is saying? Well, the really amazing thing Paul is saying in Philippians 2 and verse 15 is that there has been a reversal of that truth. We can align ourselves with God and imitate his character and be elevated from the muck and mire of our defects, to where we’re no longer the crooked and perverse generation, but we are his lights in the midst of it. What a challenging ideal.

And before us. And as Benjamin Watson said, we are aliens and strangers here. Our time is temporary. And Peter says that in 1 Peter chapter 2, and thus we wage war against the flesh and the lust, which war against the soul. And we keep our behavior excellent among the Gentiles, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our God in the day of visitation. That’s the goal. We appear as lights in the world that we might by all means save some. That’s why Ben Watson posts what he posts. That’s why we live and teach and preach what we do. Because we’re trying to help others to see the light of the glorious gospel of our God. You have something to prove, and as we do that, we must live well above the norm, not be content with the fact, well, I’m a little bit better than others.

3. Holding Fast the Word of Life

I know a little bit more spiritually than they do. I refrain from some of the things that they do. Here’s the thing. We’re to live according to the message of this holiness, and that will make us far different than the world around us. And did you see this? And it’s actually in verse 16, not 15, as I originally thought. Appearing as lights in the world, he says, in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, holding fast the word of life. You’re not going to accomplish points 1 and 2. You’re not going to prove what you need to prove. You’re not going to live well above the norm unless you hold fast the word. Interesting how often that little phrase comes up. The good and honest heart, according to the Luke narrative of that story of the parable of the sower and the soils, the one who has the good and honest heart holds fast to the word and produces the fruit.

The one with the good and honest heart, he holds fast to the word. That’s what Paul said. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the very essence of the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, he says, in which you, the church at Corinth, stand, and if you hold fast, you are saved. He says. And elders, according to Titus 1 and verse 9, need to hold fast to the sound doctrine. It’s amazing how many times this idea of clinging to the word and holding fast, so everybody gets your Bible this morning or your electronic device that contains the word and hug it tightly. Okay, there must be a metaphor here. Because this isn’t what Paul had in mind, is it? Because if you’re hugging your electronic device, it may be just one of those apps that’s not a Bible app that you’re hugging.

That’s not the idea. He’s saying your mind needs to have a firm grasp and grip on the word. You know why he keeps saying that, right? You do realize all the influences and the distractions in our lives that are causing us to lose grip on the word and the impact it’s supposed to have in building this life that is light to the world. We are being influenced and persuaded on a regular and daily basis to not hold it fast. To question it. Cast it aside when it’s convenient. Ignore it. Think about it on Sundays, but don’t go much beyond that. We must hold fast this message. It is so easily, easy to lose being entrenched in this message. Dedicated to it, in love with it, knowing its power in our lives.

Gradually, our confidence could slip. That’s what the Hebrew writer talks about. That’s what’s happened to the letters of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and verse 2 and 3. Some of them had quit clinging to the word. And they didn’t even notice it. We gradually drift away from it, the Hebrew writer says, almost imperceptibly, we don’t even see it. But if we don’t see ourselves as lights in the world, if that’s not what our behavior has been of late, it is because we have not been clinging to the word as we should. But there’s one more thing here. So much more could be said about all three of these things. But something struck me in verse 16, where Paul talks about neither running nor toiling in vain.

4. Not Running nor Toiling in Vain

What? You mean, Paul, all this work you’ve done, all this that you suffered for the cause of the gospel of Christ, it’s going to be in vain? Are you saying you’re going to be lost? No, Paul’s not going to be lost. At the end, he says, I’m ready to be offered time under my departure is hand crowned and righteous and laid up for me. He’s not going to lose his reward. So what is he saying? Running or toiling in vain. Final point this morning. He’s telling the church at Philippi that you are a worthwhile product of my labors. And what I would hate to see happen is for that not to pay off ultimately. For you to lose sight of your mission and be lost. I would hate to think, Paul said, I spent all of that time and all of that effort in your midst to bring you eternal salvation and glory.

And it not happen. And you know what occurs to me I think about that a lot without ever thinking about Philippians 2 and verse 16. I think about messages that I preach that seem at times to fall on deaf ears to a few. That don’t have the impact that I wanted them to have. And some of that is, you know, as a laborer, we’re doing the best we can. It’s not always as scintillating as we would like, as effective and persuasive as we would like. But when you do the work of implanting the message in the hearts of other people, or try to do that work, there is a great reward in knowing it’s having an effect in people’s lives. And I just want to tell you this.

Whether it’s me or countless others, and it probably has been.

Statistics would say some of you in this audience over the next five years will. Now that’d be a tragedy, right? But if and when you walk away, I want you to understand that there has been investments made in you from people who love you, who have sacrificed for you. How are you regarding that investment? None of us are where we are today spiritually by ourselves. None of us.

Conclusion

Your role in God’s great redemptive history. Look at what God has offered you and me. Escape. A man, we needed that from our sins. But he’s given us more. He’s given us purpose. He gives us peace that surpasses all comprehension because we know our God. We know our future. And we know what we’re here to do. And what an incomparable hope we have. Far beyond our ability to fathom what he has in store for us. Where we will share in his glory. Can we be like to you today and help you to find this ultimate and redeeming path for your life? He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. That begins the journey as you strive to walk in the footsteps of the king. Won’t you come if you need to while we stand and sing together?