← ArchiveSunday, July 8, 2018DateJuly 8, 2018Speaker—Text—Passages in this sermonActs 161:59Philippians 26:24Matthew 522:01Ephesians 2:844:10TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00I thank my God every time I remember you, to live as Christ and to die as Gain. He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Well, welcome back.0:30Actually, I just said to myself, last week, our worship pastor, Dan Nelson, preached and I listened to try to listen live, but I listened again yesterday. And I'm so thankful that we have pastors here at this church that can fill the pulpits and do a phenomenal job. So, Dan, if you're listening, thank you for being faithful to the word of God. So, Matt, wherever Matt is, he's leading us today. If you're new here and the person leading worship today didn't look like the person leading worship last week, it's not the same person.0:59But, Matt, thank you for using your talents to glorify Christ. Matt does a phenomenal job. So, with that, if you would turn with me to Philippians. The book of Philippians, we're continuing a sermon series entitled, He is Lord. Jesus is Lord. The book of Philippians was written by a man, an apostle, meaning he saw Christ personally, named Paul.1:26And we should not forget that this book that we're reading right now, this letter to the church, was written from prison. Written from, so every word that you read, the joy that exudes from that, it was written by a man in chains. Which tells me the gospel overcomes and breaks chains.1:54And out of the 20 plus, maybe more churches that Paul planted in his life as a missionary, you can go back in Acts chapter 16 and read some of that. Out of all the churches, Philippians, more than any other church, this church at Philippi, Paul had a tremendous joy for this church. And it comes across in his letter, and he's encouraging them with this anthem. Over 15 times in the book, Paul uses the phrase, Jesus is Lord.2:23Jesus is Lord. And so, with that, very simply today, my message is entitled, Work It Out. Work It Out. Many years ago, Mahatma Gandhi said this famous phrase. And you will see different translations and different iterations. But something like this, Gandhi once said, I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians.2:54Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. And this should break our hearts. May this never be said of us, that we are unlike our saviors. This is the most powerful expression of our faith and testimony, is to work out our salvation.3:22May the world look at us and say, we don't get you guys, but the one thing we do understand is that you are like Christ. We don't understand your Christ. But we understand that you are like your Christ. May it never be said of us that you are religious, that you are moral, that you are good, but you are not like Jesus. May we say we will work out our salvation with fear and trembling because the death of Christ on the cross and his universal lordship are not abstract thoughts.3:50Let's say if you are playing the church game, I just want to be honest with you, quit playing, quit playing, because many will say to him, Lord, Lord, and at the end of our lives, he will look and say, depart from me because I never knew you. Many will sing the old rugged cross, many will sing just as I am, many will sing just as I am, many will sing just as I am, many will sing just as I am, and will hear, depart from me because I never knew you.4:19You want to know what keeps me up at night as a pastor? That. To know that we can sit and hear and not perceive. May that not be said of us. The gospel is not abstract, but it hits the nitty gritty of our everyday life. When you wake up tomorrow at 6 o'clock and the alarm hits you, you don't want to wake up, you know who's there?4:47Jesus Christ. And when times get tough, you know who's there? Jesus Christ. When times are joyful, you know who is there? Jesus Christ. And if you, like Gandhi, maybe you are turned off by followers of Christ. Maybe you're here because your parents dragged you, a girlfriend or a boyfriend brought you here, and you are turned off by church people. I get it. I'm around them more than you are. And really, think about that.5:17If you've been burned by the church, try working in it. I understand. But the reality is that we are all in desperate need of the grace of Christ. And may the gospel transform our hearts. See, here's the big idea. And church people, get ready. It's going to get deep. But I'm thankful that God is gracious. Jerry Bridges once said in his phenomenal book, The Pursuit of Holiness, he said,5:47Why do you pray for victory when what you need is obedience? Let me say that again because some of you are not listening. Why do you pray for victory when what you need is obedience? Because here's the reality. If I know Christ, if you know Christ, we have victory. We don't have to guess. We don't have to pray for victory. That is the power of the empty tomb. What we need is obedience.6:16And so everything will revolve around that. Work it out. And you say, Pastor, how can you say that? Look with me and let's read together Philippians 2, beginning in verse 12 and 13 this morning. Why do we pray for victory when we should be acting in obedience? Therefore, my dear friends, in verse 12, just as you have always obeyed,6:42So now, not only in my presence, but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Why? Because in verse 13, For it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, according to his good pleasure.7:06Do everything without grumbling. Or arguing so that you may be blameless and pure. Children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation. Among whom you shine like the stars in the world.7:33By holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way, you should also be glad and rejoice with me.8:00Let's pray. Father, we cannot understand your word apart from your spirit. Lord, our simple request today is that you would open our hearts to receive the implanted word of Christ. That you would focus our minds, that you would tune our ears to hear the good news.8:25That we would not hear only, but that we would be doers. Lord, may we be changed because you are faithful. Because you are working in us for your will and for your work according to your good pleasure. Lord, we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, very simply, I have two points. Work it out. So the first point is this.8:55Your responsibility is to work out in verse 12. Look at verse 12 again. So Paul says, therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence, but even more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So the first word that we encounter here in verse 12 is the word, therefore. And if you were here last week, I was not.9:24But if you listened last week, you would know that this sounds familiar. Because this, therefore, is a parallel to the therefore in verse 9. Now, if you have the translation that I do, the CSB, it's obscured. But if you have the King James, it helps. Verse 9, therefore, God exalted him. Anyone, translation say, therefore, God exalted him. Some of you do. So the CSB says, for God exalted him. Here's what Paul is saying to us.9:52Here's what the word of God is saying. God responded to the humble submission and sacrifice to Jesus Christ this way. Look at verse 9. Therefore, because Jesus died and became obedient, even to the point of death on the cross, therefore, God responded in this way, that he exalted Jesus and gave him a name that is above every name. You think your family name is special?10:22Jesus has a name that is above every name. And that because of that name, every knee will bow. If it's not bowing now, it will bow. If it is not bowing today in the fear of adoration and worship, it will one day bow in the fear of judgment. That's the power of the name of Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth. And if you say, well, I'm neither of those. I'm going to go under the earth.10:51Guess what? Under the earth also. This is the response of God, that the response of God, the father to the humble submission of Jesus Christ was obedience. And now we also have a radical response. Look at verse 12. If God responded to the obedience of his son, then by nature, the people of God should respond, therefore, to the sacrifice and obedience to the son. What is our response?11:21Our response, therefore, we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. What was the frustration of Gandhi? It's the frustration that many, if you are not a follower of Christ, you might have the same frustration. Your frustration is this. People who claim Jesus are not responding to the name of Jesus. And you have a legitimate gripe. Because the people of Jesus respond to the name of Jesus.11:51As God, the father, responded to the humble sacrifice and submission to the name of Jesus. Do not be fooled. Laziness, unbelief, idolatry, and apathy is a response. It's a response of rejection and rebellion. And before we point fingers, let me say this.12:21We have all been there. There have been a point in all of our lives, and maybe that is today for you, where you are actively and willfully rebelling against Jesus. And guess what? The response of God to you is that he sent his son to die for your rebellion, so that you might have the opportunity to respond to the free gift of salvation. And this is what Paul says.12:50If you respond rightly, if you respond rightly, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So what is your responsibility? Work it out. What is your responsibility? Work it out. What is your responsibility as a father of Christ? Yes. Nailed it. Because if we're not careful, we will put the full responsibility of the pursuit of our holiness and the responsibility for our holiness on God.13:15And we'll talk about those errors, but Jesus allows us to pursue holiness, but the responsibility for you to pursue holiness is not on Christ. It's on you. That's why Paul says, work it out. He doesn't tell me, work yours out. He doesn't tell you, work mine out.13:45What should we do? Work it out. Chrysostom says it this way. The word work means with great effort, with great care. He says, it is impossible to tone down the force with which Paul points to our conscious activity in sanctification. Work it out. Work. Work is work. Work could also be hard work. So it would be easy to read Paul's words here and think of two errors.14:15And let me address these two erroneous interpretations of what Paul is saying. Because both are from the enemy and both leech into our soul and quickly grab our attention. First, Paul is not saying, well, then I'm working for my salvation. That's not what he says. Look what very clearly in the word of God. This is why every word is inspired. Paul says, work out.14:46Work out your salvation. So Paul is not saying, well, I will work hard and I will contribute my part. This is not the guide of the gaps where you just work as hard as you can and God will take it the rest of the way. Let me be as nice as I can about this comment. Okay. You contribute nothing to salvation.15:14You say, well, that's harsh. Well, that's grace. You, listen to how freeing this is to me. You and I contribute nothing. How much do you contribute? Nothing. So does God love you because you're in church right now? Are you earning your salvation? No. Now, some of you are thinking, I can play hooky the rest of my life.15:42No. No. But God does not love you more because you're here today. The full expression of God's love for us is here in verses 6 through 11. The full expression of God's love for us is the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. And for me, that is freeing. You do not work for your salvation. That is false assumption number one. Because many of us have grown up in a culture that says if you are good enough, God will accept you.16:12And the harsh reality is that you will never be good. Even your best days are as dirty rags to God. Why? Because the work that you do you think is good, the will is wrong. And we'll get to that later. And when you have the right will, then the work is wrong. You and I contribute nothing. Secondly, a wrong interpretation is that will of God.16:42If I contribute nothing, then I do nothing. God will save me. God will sanctify me. I'm done. No, that's not what Paul says. The opposite is detrimental. Some would think, well, if God works in me, then I don't need to work hard. At following Jesus Christ. Alistair Begg says it this way. If you follow Christ, you must work like a slave to follow Christ. No, we work harder than anyone.17:13Because we're not working for our salvation. We're working from our salvation. We're not working for our salvation. So we're not working from. So false assumption number one, you earn nothing. That's why it's grace. That's why it's mercy. False assumption number two, the idea of laziness in the kingdom of God is now thrown out the window. And if you have been lazy, if you just feel like you would lean into God and somehow lean into spiritual growth, this would be a great day to repent.17:36Say, God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I gave someone the opportunity to defame the name of Christ. To say, I love Jesus, but I don't love the followers of Jesus. May that never be said of us. So the apostle Paul reminds the church that the pursuit of righteousness is Jesus.18:04The responsibility of righteousness is yours, is yours. So how do we do that then? Look at verse 12 again. So if we are to work out our salvation, then we are to work out. Does that make sense? So if we are to work out our salvation, then we are now to work out our salvation. So it means I cannot work in the privacy of my own home where no one sees.18:32Why? Because Paul says work out. So others should see the work of Christ in our life. And if you were here several weeks ago, remember who Paul is writing to in Acts 16. We have an inner glimpse to the people that God is writing to. Lydia, a rich, successful seller of purple clothes.18:57That does not mean she was an LSU fan. Okay, my wife, she's in the nursery. She'll hear this later. She does not mean she was an LSU fan. But it means that she was in the clothing business and this was a rich die. She was very wealthy. To her, Paul would say, use what God has given you, your wealth, in a way that others see you using it for gospel purposes. Work out your salvation.19:27Lydia, God has not given you this to accumulate and hoard and build your kingdom. Now, God has saved you to unleash these resources that the world might see that he has blessed you, that you can glorify him. Work out your salvation. Lydia, the slave girl, this girl who was demon-possessed and she had a demonic gift of rightly telling the future. And so, some men enslaved her and took advantage of her and used her for dishonest gain.19:57Paul would say, this is how you work out your salvation. I know you're disadvantaged. I know the demon has been attacked and fled in the presence of God. I know this gift that you had, this demonic gift, now is taken away. But I want you to know, slave girl, that your label, your identity is not in the slavery that you are stuck in. Your identity is now in Jesus Christ.20:27So, work out this new freedom that you have. You are no longer captivated and labeled by the sin that held sway before Jesus. So, if you're in Christ, yes, you have sin. Yes, you will continue to sin. But sin is not reigning in you anymore. So, when people say, who you are, the answer is not, well, I'm a sinner. The answer is, I am a child of God. And the Spirit is waging war against my sin.20:54But sin is not my identification. My identification is my Savior. That's important. In Christ, you're a saint who might sin. But you are forgiven of that sin. Slavery girl, don't go back to the slaves. Slavery, don't go back to the old life. Your identity is in Christ. Work out, out. Let others see. Jailer, this blue-collar man who was going to take his life because he didn't do a good job.21:23His people had escaped. Paul says, don't find your identity in your job anymore. It's not worth it. Your identity is in Christ. And work hard for the kingdom. Work out. Be a good jailer. But work out in a way that people see the love of Christ in you. Shining like stars in a perverse generation. Sound familiar? Anyone living in a perverse generation? Hello? Right? This is written thousands of years ago.21:53And Paul gives us hope to work out our salvation. Jesus says it this way in Matthew 5. He says, you are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. Cannot be hidden. We teach our kids, this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.22:20So here's the struggle with that. We think that's for a little child. And we forget God is saying, no, it's for you, church. We will never hide it under a bushel. A light on a hill cannot be hidden. We will not let it be hid. Listen, the greatest expression of your testimony in Jesus is the daily working out of your faith.22:49It's on Monday when you don't want to go to work. And by the grace of God, you wake up and you open the word of God and you say, God, transform my heart. God, you know, it's been a long weekend. I don't want to go back, but because of you, I will. Because I will today, I will work out my salvation. You might think, well, I don't have this awesome testimony. You know what your awesome testimony is?23:18It's called Monday. It's called Tuesday. Because the world looks at us and says, well, why are you different? Because daily we make a stand and say, I will let the light of Christ shine in me. Because I will work out my salvation because it is God who is working in me. So don't think that you are not making a difference for the kingdom. If you are his and he is yours, you will be a difference.23:45Work out your salvation because others will see Christ working in you. Third, how do we work? Not only do we work out our salvation, not only do we work out our salvation, but we see here that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Some of your verses say, continue to work out our salvation, continue to see Christ.24:12Continue the daily need for his grace. Some of you have been followers of Christ for one day and tomorrow you will need the grace of God. Some of you have been followers of Christ for 70 years and you know what you need today? The mercy of God. We must continually, daily work out our salvation.24:38Here's the truth of the gospel. There's never a day in your life where you will arrive and you don't need the grace of Jesus. You might be praying, well, Lord, if I just, if I'm a Christian for a hundred years, then I can retire. And I will have arrived and you will give me my angel wings and my halo and call it a day. That will never happen because we have the habit of sin.25:09And throughout our life, Jesus is daily breaking the habit of sin because he has broken the sin nature because he reigns. Sin might remain, but it is Jesus who reigns for the Christ follower. That's why we don't pray. Lord, give me the victory. He says, I have. Behold the empty tomb. We say, God, give me the strength to obey because the victory is already there.25:36And help me continue in my faith. The call to salvation is not a one-time event. The call to salvation is not walking an aisle. It's not baptism. It's not VBS. It's not church membership. The call to salvation is a daily need for more grace.26:01And we've had the joy of baptizing many people in June this year. It's been phenomenal to see the Holy Spirit save, radically save all ages of people in this church in June. And you know what I've found as I've talked to these new believers? They will come up to me and they'll say, I feel like I'm, something's wrong. I say, well, what's wrong? The more I lean into Christ, the more sin I realize I have.26:26That was my response. I'm like, yes. And they're like, that's a horrible feeling. But the more closely I see the light of my Savior, the more darkness that is revealed in my soul. And the more I say, Lord, I continually need your mercy. Salvation is not a one-time experience.26:55It is a new life that will remain to the end. That's why I love the verse in the previous chapter that he who has begun a good work will carry it to completion. It didn't say God began something in you and he said, I'm done. No, that God is working out in us. So if you're frustrated with your life and you say, well, I sin and I feel horrible about it. That's called conviction. Thank God that he is speaking to you.27:25Because if you listen to the voice of the Lord, he will give you the victory that is already there. And he will help you be obedient. So quit taking your identity from your sinfulness. Take your new identity in your saviourness. Continually working out our salvation. This long path of obedience in the same direction is the mood in which the world does want so much to discourage.27:50The world does not want you to stay faithful to the one who is faithful to you. One commentator, Hanson, said it this way. I can't improve upon his wording, so I want to read this quote. When the path of obedience to Christ becomes steep and dangerous, pleasure seekers look for an easy way.28:20Religious tourists hunting for sensational entertainment, instantaneous enlightenment, and emotional excitement will jump on the newest rides and take quick shortcuts. But they will not be found with pilgrims on the long, hard road following the footsteps of Christ who is obedient to death, even death on the cross.28:48God wants us to daily, continually work out your salvation. Is it glamorous? No. How often did our Savior go in a solitary place and pray? Why? Because he was working out his salvation. Satan is not concerned about the gospel seeds that fall along the hard path.29:12You know why? Because the birds of the air swoop in and eat it. Satan is not concerned about the one who hears and joyfully springs up and says, this is great news. Let me jump on it. But then the heat and the worries of the world quickly scorch. And it is removed. Satan is not worried about the one who has a shallow root of faith.29:40But the worries and deceits of wealth in the world, as Jesus says, the fears and thorns of the world chokes it out. That is not the enemy's worry. The enemy's worry is the man and the woman who daily gets up and hits their knees and says, God, I'm a sinner, but you have saved me and given me victory. And so today I will bend my knee and bow my head to the one who has paid the price.30:07And I today will work out my salvation with fear and trembling. That is the man and the woman who makes the gates of hell tremble. The one who says, God, I will not have a shortcut. God, I will not look for instantaneous gratification or enlightenment. God, but I will daily lean into the grace of Jesus. God, I will work and I will work out and I will work out the salvation that you have given me30:36with fear and trembling. Look at verse 12. Paul says, work with fear and work with trembling. If we are to continually work, Paul now shows us how to work. So what is this fear or trembling? Fear and trembling means that our work must be sensitive.31:03It's a sensitive awareness to the preciousness of our salvation. How precious is the blood that was shed for you and I. This is a sensitive gift that God has given us, resulting in trembling. The truth is we all fear something. Those of you who say, well, I don't fear anything are lying.31:31Maybe you believe, maybe you truly believe that. Satan has clouded your vision. The enemy has you where he wants you. We all fear something. Many people fear things like this. Spiders. I don't fear spiders. I just kill them. Snakes. I don't fear spiders. Snakes either. I just run over them. Darkness. Or people pleasing. Or the fear of failure. Or the fear of never getting married.32:01Or not having enough money. Or the fear of not being good enough. Or not having the perfect family. And these fears only lead to paralysis. And the lie of the world is this. If you fear what everyone else fears, then your fears are not so bad. Who cares if I fear spiders? Everyone else does. Who cares if I fear darkness? Or if I fear not measuring up?32:28Or if I fear not having enough money? Or if I fear of not getting married? Because, hey, everyone has that fear. That only leads to spiritual paralysis. What God wants us to do is to fear him. That we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. So what is this fear? What is this trembling? Here is the beauty of the good news. That in Christ, there is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.32:53There is therefore now no condemnation. This is not, verse 12, is not the fear of a lost sinner before the Holy One. This is a fear of a son or a child before a father who doesn't want to lose their approval. Saying, Dad, I don't want to, I want to make you proud.33:22So with God, with fear and trembling, let me make the name that you have given me. Let me measure up. Lord, let me live out with a sensitive nature what you have so preciously given. You don't have to shake in your boots wondering if God is going to rip you apart by his judgments. If you know him. Yes, that is fear. But that is a fear of condemnation. And if you don't know Jesus Christ, you must absolutely fear his judgment.33:52But if you know Christ, there is therefore now no condemnation for you. So the fear that God wants us to do is, God, don't let me mess this up. God, let me make you proud, Lord, with humbleness and awe. Lord, let me work out my salvation with fear and with trembling. And I would say this, our world, our churches have lost their fear and awe of God.34:18Which is why I love singing songs, holy, holy, holy. God, you are holy and I am not. And let me keep that perspective. With fear and trembling, we will work it out. So if our work is Christ, then what is God's work? So we work out our salvation because, in verse 13, very quickly,34:48because God is working in you and I. Verse 12, it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work according to his good purpose or good pleasure. So if we've already seen the list of commands that we are to do, work, be blameless, be pure, do everything without grumbling or arguing. But look at the promises of God.35:18Look at the reassurances of God. So that if the effect of God is for us to work, then the work of God is to purify us. Here's the assurance of God for those who believe. Verse 15, do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may be blameless and pure. Why? Because you are children of God. So what is your status? Your status is a child of God.35:46And we've built in the routine of our kids who are six and three. And there's a lot of opportunity for forgiveness in our house. And when we've had a bad day, when I've had a bad day, and my son or daughter's had a bad day, we will look at them and we will say, son, daughter, does dad love you because you had a good day? No, dad. You don't love me because we had a good day. Does dad love you because you make good grace?36:14No, dad. You don't love me because you make good grace. Does dad not love you because you've had a bad day and a better day and a worse day? No, dad, you don't not love me because of that. Why do I love you, son, daughter? Because I am your child. And for my kids, that will never change. They will never cease being my child. And how much glorious and eternal it's a status of the Christ follower36:43that you will never cease being his child. We say, well, I mess up. God does not call you to salvation because he thinks you're awesome. God does not look down upon you and say, you know what? You would make a really good church person. I'm going to save you. I'm going to invite you into my family. No, he invites us because of Jesus.37:09This is our status. It is God working in us because we are his children. We are his child. He also says this. Look at verse 16. By holding fast to the word of life, that I can boast in Christ. That our boast is in him because he is working in us. These are the promises of God in our life. We can work out because he is working in us.37:38God is working. Think about that. The fact that God would even work in us shouldn't even be uttered. And yet his promise for the Christ follower is that God is working. And so if you've ever asked yourself, well, God, I don't know if you're working in me. Here's your answer. If you know Christ, he is. He is. You say, well, I don't see it. He is. I don't feel it.38:07He is. Well, I don't know if God is there. He is. Because the beautiful promise of the good news is that God does not love you today because of what you do. And he does not love you less than because of what you have done. The full measure of his love towards you is on display in Jesus Christ on the cross. This is our assurance. God is working in us. How does he work? Very simply, lastly, is this.38:35Verse 13. God is working in you both for the will and the work according to his good measure. So this is what that looks like. Before Christ, sometimes my good deeds have the wrong motivation. Sometimes my right motivations have the wrong deed. So it might look like something like this. Anna wants me to make her birthday cake. And her favorite birthday cake is a strawberry cake. That's really mine, but, you know.39:05And I say, Anna, you are awesome. So I'm going to make you your favorite birthday cake. And I'm looking for the directions and I'm out of sugar. So I just say, you know what, salt looks like sugar, so I'm going to put the salt in the birthday cake. Hey, my motivation is correct. But when I present her that awesome cake, she's going to say, this is vulgar, nasty, worst cake I've ever had.39:28You've ruined my birthday party. I'm going to say, but my, this is the thought that counts. She's going to say, no, it's not the thought that counts. It's the cake that counts. What went wrong? My motivation was right, but my deeds were wrong. And maybe the opposite is true. Maybe, maybe Sam wants a birthday cake.39:57And I say, well, okay, I'm going to try it again the other way. But, you know, I really want Sam to help me do something. So I don't, I don't like, I don't like him, but I know he likes chocolate pie for his birthday. So I'm going to make him a chocolate pie. And I'm going to follow the directions. I'm going to use sugar as I make him the best tasting chocolate pie the world has ever seen. But I only make him that because I want him to do something for me. Deeds are right, right cake, wrong motivation.40:26Without Christ, this is our life. We have no hope because our will and our works are both broken. And when we try to get it right, even when we try to do the right thing, our wills are wrong. And it is only Jesus that changes that. And it is in Christ that the will and the work are changed for his good pleasure. Why? Because we work out our salvation because God is working in us.40:55Think about that. If you hear nothing, leave here today saying, if I know Christ, God is working in me. So go to the store later and say, someone says, how are you doing? You say, God is working in me. The same God who created the heavens and the earth right here. Think about that. Does anyone else? Does that blow your mind? That the one who spoke everything into existence is right here working in us.41:22What a glorious thought. What a glorious thought. So how do we respond to this? I want to simply conclude with this survey. From 1991 to 2000, the Fuller Theological Seminary studied 750 Muslims who had come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. And they asked them, they said, give us a list of the reasons that you came to faith in Jesus.41:52And they listed 10, but I want to give you the top three. Number one, these Muslims said that Christians practiced what they preached. They didn't say it like this, but they really said that we saw Christians working out their salvation. Number two, Christians appeared to have loving marriages in a way which women were treated as equals.42:21But they saw husbands and wives working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Three, Christian to Christian violence was less prominent than Muslim to Muslim violence. That they saw Christian men and women working out their salvation with fear and trembling.42:51Let me just end here. The greatest impact you will ever make for the kingdom of God is to daily work out your salvation with fear and trembling. You say, well, I will go to Afghanistan for the Lord. And I will deliver the Taliban to the gates of heaven. And Jesus says, but why aren't you going to the water cooler and working out?43:20Lord, I will knock on every door in St. Clair County. But why aren't you leading your family to Jesus? God, I will do anything. God says, well, let's get started. The ability to pursue righteousness is the gift of Christ. The responsibility to pursue righteousness is yours.43:49Maybe you're here today and you've tried church and you are done. Let me just say the reason you're struggling is because you have been working for your salvation, not from your salvation. There's a big difference in one word. There's a big difference in one word. And the gift of Christ is in Ephesians 2.8. For it is by grace you have been saved.44:15You say, well, that's a church word. What is grace? Grace means is a free gift because you and I do nothing for our salvation. It is the saved by grace through faith. This is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not from works so that no one can boast. If you are here today and you are working for your salvation, take it from a reformed, sinful church person.44:39You can't work for it. And the day that you realize you cannot work for your salvation is the most freeing and liberating day of your life. If you say, Jesus, you paid it all and all to him I owe. And our heart is that today you would believe that you would confess that he is Lord.45:09What does the Lord mean that today you say, Jesus, you have everything of me. And I will take the responsibility to be righteous because you have allowed me now to pursue righteousness. Will you come to faith in Christ? There is no greater transformation that you will see than to find Christ working in you. And you can do nothing today to make God love you more.45:39You can do nothing today to make God love you less. Maybe you're the one that you've been lazy. You're the one that you've just assumed God will sanctify you. If you sit in the pew of a church that is godly and powerful from the pulpit, I just want you to know it is not my responsibility for you to grow in righteousness. If I could, I would. I love you. I cannot. And maybe today you need to stand up and say, God, I'm ready. Today I will work out my salvation with fear and trembling for the glory of the Father.46:06Let's pray.
