Introduction: Most all employees get evaluated by their supervisors.
That happens to me, too. I am also evaluated by my students. My law
school teaching started late in life, after decades of litigating. As
a result, a consistent comment by my students is “He knows what he is
talking about.” When you explain your understanding of the Bible, do
people react, “That teacher knows what he is talking about?” “She
knows what she is talking about?” The people who listen to your view
of the Bible look at your life to determine your credibility. Do you
know what you are talking about? Let’s dive into our study of the
Bible to learn about living what we teach!
- Lighting the Path
- Read Philippians 2:12. The text starts out, “therefore.”
That means we are about to read a conclusion to something.
What is that “something?” (In Philippians 2:1-8 we are
told to love others in the way we live, just as Jesus
showed us when He lived on earth.) - Read Philippians 2:9-11. How did living a life of love
work out for Jesus? (He was exalted “above every name.”) - What, “therefore,” should we expect is the message in
Philippians 2:12 and the following verses? (Showing
love to others blesses us.) - Let’s find out. Read the rest of Philippians 2:12. Do you
see a tension between “as you have always obeyed,” and
“work out your own salvation?” If we obey, we are doing
what someone else told us to do, right? If we work out
our own salvation, we are doing what we tell ourselves to
do, right? How do reconcile this conflict? (The Bible
tells us that our obedience should reflect our personal
understanding of the Bible, not simply what someone else
told us was obedience.) - Would we obey more completely when we are by our
self, and not observed by others? (This is just the
opposite of human nature. If no one will ever know,
we feel free to do things that would otherwise get us
in trouble.) - What point is the Bible making here? (We should
be constrained by our own opinion. If we obey
only when others are looking at us, that shows
our obedience does not arise from personal
conviction.) - Why is “fear and trembling” involved? (These
are important life decisions. They make a
difference.) - How would you summarize the points made in
Philippians 2:12? (Our religious beliefs need to be
our own. Not necessarily what others have taught us,
and not how we want to be seen. Rather, they should
be genuine, coming from our personal beliefs and
expectations about how we should live.) - Read Philippians 2:13. Who is working in us to help us
make the right decisions about living? (God. It gives God
pleasure when we do His will.) - Read Philippians 2:14. Why does the Bible mention this
first? (I don’t think it is an accident. Grumbling and
disputing are not attractive traits. They do not give us
joy – at least not a normal kind of joy.) - Read Philippians 2:15. What does this say about the world?
(It is “crooked and twisted.”) - How do you explain the importance put upon not
grumbling or disputing? How does this equal being
“blameless and innocent” when all around are crooked? - How does the reference to us being a “light” help us
to understand the problem of grumbling and disputing?
(A light is something positive. It helps us to see
and avoid dangers. The Bible contrasts those who have
the attitude of making things better with those who
simply want to complain.) - What does God have in mind for us in the phrase
“blameless and innocent children … without
blemish?” (God’s goal is that we live without sin.
There was only one perfect man, that was Jesus. But,
God wants “without blemish” to be our goal.) - How should those of us who believe in righteousness
by faith understand the “without blemish” goal? Does
it mean our goal is to put on Jesus’ robe of
righteousness? (There are two things going on that we
must not confuse. We are saved, as sinners, because
of Jesus righteousness alone. Our works do not save
us. But, once we are saved by grace alone, Jesus has
a greater goal for us – to live as unblemished lights
in a “crooked and twisted generation.”) - Read Philippians 2:16. What is the “word of life?” (The
gospel, what the Bible teaches us about salvation and how
we should live. This is what holds us in place when
surrounded by a “crooked and twisted generation.”) - What is the “day of Christ?” (The success of Paul’s
teaching to the Philippians becomes clear at the
Second Coming of Jesus.) - Read Philippians 2:17 and Numbers 28:7. How does the
writer (Paul) view his work for the Christians at
Philippi? (He sacrifices himself so that they can learn
about the gospel.) - Normally, we do not like to give up ourselves in
order to benefit others. How many times have you
heard the question, “When do I get my way?” What
emotion does Paul feel as a result of his self-sacrifice? (He says that he is glad and rejoicing,
and he asks them to join him in that.) - Are people attracted to those who rejoice and are
glad? - Let’s take stock. We started out with the conclusion
(therefore) that Jesus love for others resulted in His
exaltation. Do the verses that follow (that we just
studied) suggest that is also true for us? - Having the Right Attitude
- Read Psalms 37:1-2. We just discussed that we are living
in a crooked and twisted generation. Should we envy what
they have? (No. The Bible tells us that they will not have
it for long.) - Is “long” your entire life?
- Read Psalms 37:3-4. The question I just asked was to make
you think about whether your entire life here would be one
of tolerating evil and waiting for vengeance. What do
these additional verses tell us about our life here on
earth? (If we delight in God, He will give us the desires
of our heart.) - What is the desire of your heart? Is it a Rolls
Royce? Is it a life of peace and joy? - Should your desire be consistent with delighting in
God? - If you are not certain, what should you do?
- Read Psalms 37:5. Is this the answer to the last question?
(Notice that Psalms 37:3 also tells us to trust God.
Trusting God is part of delighting in God. This combined
attitude of trust and delight shapes what we desire in
life.) - The last phrase of this verse says “and He will act.”
How will God act? (We are told that God will do
something. He is not sleeping, and He is not too big
to notice our problems.) - Read Psalms 37:6. When we considered Philippians 2, we
learned that a goal of our life is to be a light to help
others understand the gospel. How does this Psalm tell us
that we can do that? (It says that God brings forth our
righteousness and justice. This relationship (trusting and
delighting) in God produces a positive, attractive,
lifestyle.) - Let’s skip down and read Psalms 37:8. What attitudes
should we avoid? (Anger and wrath. Sometimes when I see
evildoing it makes me mad. This anger makes me consider
taking “justice” into my own hands.) - What does this text tell us about that kind of
attitude? (It “tends only to evil.” The instruction
is “fret not” – “don’t worry about it.”) - Read Psalms 37:9-10. Who administers justice? (The great
God of heaven will give us the land and will cut off the
evildoers.) - Friend, have you done an “audit” of your life? Are you
living by the word of God? Are you light and not darkness?
Is the attitude of your heart right? If not, why not ask
the Holy Spirit, right now, to come into your heart and
give you the attitude that results in delighting in life
and rejoicing. If you live a life like that, people will
think that you know what you are talking about when you
teach the Bible! - Next week: We start a new series on “Making Friends for God:
The Joy of Sharing in God’s Mission.”
