God Is at Work in You

Introduction
Have you ever found yourself rocking along – things are okay, they’re not spectacular, but then they’re not horrible either.  But you know things could be better in fact they should be better – but you just can’t put your finger on it?  You’ve got that uneasy feeling something is just not quite right.

That’s how it was for me when I hooked up the portable dishwasher.  Rheadon was gone and I was watching the kids.  This was while we were living in Ponca City.  We had one of those portable dishwashers.  I rolled it across the kitchen floor.  Loaded it.  Put the soap in.  Made the proper connection at the sink.  Turned it on and nothing!  It just sat there.  I reset the dial and did it again.  Still nothing.  I checked my connection.  I looked it over carefully.  I carefully, thoughtfully, thoroughly reviewed everything.  Then I gave it a swift kick!  I started talking to it.  “Let’s be reasonable.  There is no good reason for you not to work.  What is it?  What’s wrong?”  I then began to “brow-beat” the machine.  I tried to shame it into performing.  I knew it had to be something obvious.  There was something missing.  If I could only figure out what.  In stumbling around this stupid machine I finally said to it – and “why is your stupid power cord lying in the floor?”  Oops.

There are a lot of folks rocking along in their walk with Christ doing the best they can, thinking they’ve got everything lined up – but yet something is missing.  Where is the joy?  They know it should be there.  They are sure there is a simple explanation.  If they could just find that one piece of the puzzle things could really take off.  Life would take on new dimensions.  Maybe that is where some of you are.  The apostle Paul is going to help us discover a very important fact about our salvation in Philippians 2:12-16.

Text: Philippians 2:12-16

• Paul is in prison.
• Near the end of his life.
• He is rejoicing – what is his secret?
• Paul has just lead us to one of the mountain peaks of scripture 2:1-11.
• You would expect him to launch out into the deep.
• To boldly go where no man has gone before –But he comes back to reality.
• For Paul, mountain peaks are of little value if they do not help you live in the valley.
• Doctrine always leads to practical Christianity.

Thesis: You can face life with joy when you discover God’s gracious work in you.

There are 2 things I want you to note as we look at this text.
As we seek to apply the great doctrinal truths Paul has been preaching.

1. You must recognize that God is at work in your life.  (2:12-13)
2. You must demonstrate the fact God is at work in you.  (2:14-16)
   1. Your life will be characterized by cheerful obedience.  14
   2. Your life will be characterized by purity.  15
   3. Your life will be characterized by missionary activity.  15-16