“Empowered”   Matthew 7:7-14

    Being an electrician, it is easy for me to draw on the analogy of a “light” in the physical sense. One thing I know is that a light needs some source of power.  And, if not connected to the right source, the light may be very dim, or not work at all.  We, as Christians, have the greatest and most powerful source available to us to make our spiritual light shine like the “stars in the universe”…However, some Christians try to make their light shine by attempting to generate power by some other means…maybe works, or talents, or knowledge, but  the key words here are  “trying to make” their light shine. We ought to stop trying to make our light shine, and start “allowing” God’s light to shine through us. We are called to reflect God’s light, not try to create our own.

    Paul tells us in our text for today, that it is “God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” …the problem is that we don’t always  “allow” Him to do so.
    As I read and re-read this scripture, I asked myself the question - “How does God work in me?”  Does the Bible give us some idea of how God works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose?  And of course, the answer is yes.  So this morning I would like to give you a few of the things I found.
    The first has to do with empowerment;  It is found in Ephesians 3:16-20 and it may be very familiar to you;  “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with POWER through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have POWER together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His POWER that is at work within us… to Him be the glory!”  Three times he mentions “power”…So, first of all, God works in us to “empower” us.
    The Christian life is not the easy life.  It is not easy because it goes against the flow of the world. It’s like trying to paddle upstream! In fact, I would say it is the most challenging lifestyle one can choose.  When you “go with the flow, when you go downstream, you can just let the current of the world “float your boat”! 
    Not too far from where we lived in northern Wisconsin, is the Nemakagon River. One of the best things to do on a warm summer day was to float the river. It was about a three or four mile trip that took about 4 hours to complete. You could just sit back in a inner tube, and just float the day away! The current of the river would just take you downstream…Now, Jesus said;  “Seek to enter the narrow gate, for narrow is the road and difficult is the path that leads to life and there are few who find it.” Do you know that when the river is narrow - the current is stronger - and the paddling much harder! (That is if you are going upstream…against the flow)   
    One thing I have learned about this Christian lifestyle is that God will always call us to go beyond our limitations and step outside of our comfort zone… He will always call us to rise above our faults and our character flaws and weaknesses… And it’s only by God’s empowerment that we can live this abundant, fulfilling, rewarding life He offers. And, when we choose to go upstream, He will work in us and empower us to will and to act according to His good purpose! Because, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! God empowers.
    Secondly, I find that - like a potter, God works in us to form us, mold us, and make us into the vessel He created us to be. In my book “Jars of Clay” I wrote about this subject.  Some of us are created to be beautiful vases and some of us are created to be jars, and some are created to just be plain old POTS! However we must remember that there are many different kinds of pots, and each has a unique purpose.  The story is of course found in Jeremiah 18 - God sends Jeremiah to the potter’s house to learn a lesson as he tells him “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in my hand”  God is at work within us to mold us and make us to will and to act according to HIS good purpose…not ours!  While a crystal vase may be beautiful, it can’t strain spaghetti!  My point is this, we can only be useful to God if we allow Him to work in us to become what He intended for us to be. 
    Third, I find that God gives each one of us Spiritual gifts, and talents and skills. And, God works in us to use those gifts to fulfill our part in the ministry of his church.  1 Corinthians 12:4 - “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”  And, in Ephesians 4:11 - “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”  …and this is just a partial list… Each one of us has a part to play in the ministry of the church.  And, God has enabled us to do our part, whatever that may be.
    Paul also uses the analogy of the human body to show that the church is made up of many parts… all of which are needed for the body to function properly.  God does not desire for us to ever be envious of someone else or their role in the church…nor does He desire for us to be critical of others in the church…and we especially should not be critical of someone else if we are not fulfilling our role … In fact, we ought to remember that if one part of the body is not functioning, the rest of the body has to work twice as hard to overcome the handicap!  (Think about it.)
    So, let’s look at this whole thing, this whole scripture  together… God has created us to be a part of the body of Christ; and He has also given us a purpose in the body of Christ; Therefore, He is forever working in us… molding and shaping our lives… through circumstances and experiences to prepare us to fulfill that purpose…however large or small that purpose may be…and, He also works in us to empower us and enable us with gifts and talents and skills, to will and to act according to His purpose… AS WE WORK OUT OUR SALVATION…in order to get the very most out of life as we possibly can; and Shine! Shine! Shine in the world around us. You see, it’s a partnership. As we “work out our salvation”, God works in us at the same time…and, the result is - we reap the greatest potential possible from this short earthly life. 

Philippians 2:4-15 and Matthew 5:13-16
Let me begin today with a story;

    It was a cold bitter evening in Northern Virginia many years ago. The old man’s beard was glazed by winter’s frost while he waited for a ride across the river. His body was getting numb from the frigid north wind. He heard the hooves of horses galloping along the frozen pathway.
    He anxiously watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first pass on without an effort to get his attention. Then another one and another. Finally the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a frozen statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider’s eye.
    The old man said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t seem to be a passageway by foot. The rider replied, sure thing. Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half frozen body from the ground, he helped the old man onto the horse. He took the man not just across the river, but to his destination which was just a few miles away. Just as they neared the tiny cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire. Sir, I noticed that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride, then I came along and you immediately asked for a ride. I am curious why on such a bitter night you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused?
    The old man looked the rider straight in the eyes and replied, "I have been around these here parts for a long time. I reckon I know people pretty good, the old timer continued. I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw that no one was concerned about my situation. It would have been useless to even have asked for a ride, but when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident."  I knew then and there that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need. Those heart-warming comments touched the horseman deeply.
    I am most grateful for what you have said, he told the old man. May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion. With that Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.
    We have been learning from the Book of Philippians, and Paul writes that we are to “shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life.” In our Call to Worship, Jesus said we are to “let our light so shine before men that they will see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.”

    Notice that he does not say that we let our light shine in the church, but in the darkness of the world… “in a crooked and depraved generation” to be exact. Our relationship with God, and the difference He makes in our lives is not something we hide but something that we hold high and allow to shine in the darkness of the lives of those around us.
    You know, it is easy to forget how bad the situation of our lost friends and loved ones really is. The Bible says in Colossians 1:13 they are “prisoners in the domain of darkness”; in Ephesians 2:12 they are “without real hope in the world”…In 2^nd. Thessalonians 1:8 they are “headed for hell and judgment and face the wrath of God. It also says in Ephesians 2:1 that they are “spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins.” And, in Colossians 1:21 “enemies of God and cut off or (separated) from Him.” On the outside they may look like they have it all together, but inside they are dying, and they need the “word of life” that Paul says we are to “hold out” as a light in the darkness.
    1^st. Peter 3:15 says that we should “always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us” that’s part of our “shine.” Let me give you another story about a pastor who very creatively “let his light shine” while flying home from a conference; “He was dressed very informally and didn’t look like your typical minister. He settled into the last unoccupied seat, next to a well-dressed business man, with a Wall Street Journal under his arm. Before you know it, the man said, “I’m in the figure salon business. We can change a woman’s self-concept by changing her body…It’s really a profound and powerful thing”… The man was obviously very proud of his work and the company he worked for. The man went on to say; “I recently graduated from the University of Michigan’s School of Business, and I hope to eventually manage the Western part of the companies operation. “So, you work for a national organization?” the pastor asked. “You bet”, said the man, “We are the fastest growing company of our kind in the nation”. The pastor nodded his approval, and of course, the next thing the man said was? ”What do you do?” Well, the pastor’s pride began to swell a little, and rising to the competitive brag-swapping, the pastor said; “Well, we really have similar business interests. You are in the body-changing business, and I am in the personality-changing business. We apply “basic theocratic principles to accomplish indigenous personality modification.” Not wanting to feel stupid, the man replied; “Oh, I’ve heard of that!”…The man asked, ”Where is your office?”  The pastor replied, “We have many offices, in fact we have an office in just about every city, including Alaska and Hawaii”. The business man racked his mind to identify this huge company. Surely he must have read about it in his Wall Street Journal…The pastor went on to say; “Management has a plan to have an office in every country in the world by the end of the business era!” “How do they make it work?” the man asked. “Well, it’s a family concern; there’s a Father and a Son…and”…The man interrupts - “They must have a lot of money!” “Well, the boss never seems to run out;  it’s been said that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills!”… “Oh, so he’s into ranching then?”…“No, not really” said the pastor, “We just use that as a saying to indicate his wealth.” “What about the employees?” the man asked, “Oh”, said the pastor, “they have a Spirit that just pervades the entire organization.” “Do you have good benefits?”…“They’re out of this world!”… “You may not believe this, but I have holdings in a mansion that is being built for me right now for my retirement.” “One thing bothers me” said the man, “Why is it that I haven’t heard about this business before now?”… I don’t know”, said the pastor, “after all, we’ve been in business for over two thousand years!”  “Wait a minute”…“That’s right”, said the pastor, “I’m talking about the church”… “I should have known” said the man, “You know, I’m Jewish!”…To which the pastor replied, “Do you want to sign up?”
    Now, most of us would never be that creative in the way we “hold out the word of life”… But, we ought to let our light - our experience with God - shine every chance we get.  Once we have soaked up the light of God by being in his presence, we need to go into the darkness where the needs are. We can’t glow in the presence of God, because God will always outshine us. We need to go to the world where it is dark and let God’s light - our experience with God – shine…( like Moses when he came down from the mountain) - we need to let His light radiate from us.
    In 2 Corinthians 3:18 it says this: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"
    The Message Bible says it this way, "and so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and brighter, and more beautiful, as God enters our lives and we become like him." I like that!
    You know, we can rally against the darkness or we can shine light into the darkness…I hope that you will choose to shine the light…

Whine Or Shine
Philippians 2:12-16

    Last time from this scripture, we began to look at more life principles that we as Christians need to embrace. The first principle is found in the words; “continue to ‘work out’ your salvation.” We learned that this has nothing to do with attempting to earn our salvation in any way. The words Paul used here for “work out” carry the meaning to “get the most out of” or “to carry through to completion”. So, once we become Christians, once we accept the work of the Cross and decide that we are going to follow Christ, and begin a new relationship with God, we then must strive to get the greatest potential benefit in our lives from that decision. Paul is saying that God has put a tremendous capacity for good in our lives, and we need to “work it out” to it’s fullest!
    He is not talking about knowing about Jesus, he is talking about Jesus knowing us and us knowing Jesus in a growing, personal relationship. He is saying that we need to “work it out” - not figure it out - but work it out. The salvation that God has worked in me, I now need to work it out, or live it! I need to “Put off the old man - put on the new self”…I need to “show my faith by my works…I need to allow the Holy Spirit to “produce the fruit of the spirit” in my life... And, I need to put to use the gifts and talents and skills that He has given me, to promote the growth of the kingdom of God. Can you get excited about that, or is it just something else you feel like you have to do?
    Today, Paul gives us the kind of attitude we ought to have, as we “work out” our salvation. He says we are to approach this with “fear and trembling”….Now, he’s not talking about a “Don Knots” kind of  trembling and shaking all over…He simply means that we are to recognize who God is and who we are in this relation-ship. We are to acknowledge His sufficiency and our impotency and total dependence on Him.
    This type of attitude, or reverent fear, is found in many places in the scriptures such as;
Proverbs 1:7 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Proverbs 10:27 reads, "The fear of the LORD adds length to life...." 
Proverbs 15:33 reads, "The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom...." 
Proverbs 16:6 - “Through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil”…
Isaiah 33:6 reads, "He (that is God) will be the sure foundation for our times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure."
    The fear of God not only produces obedience to God, but the fear of God also adds length to life, instills wisdom and opens up the treasures of God in and through our lives…Now, that’s exciting!
     Fear has gotten a bad reputation in a society that shuns authority and lives for self. Young people have lost the “fear” - meaning respect for authority. Yet, fear is a built-in part of our humanity, intended to protect us from harm, but never intended to create disobedience to God.  In 1^st John 4:17 it says “God is love…and there is no fear in love.” I think there are many who have not experienced God’s love because they have the wrong kind of fear.
    In verse 13 of our text, Paul gives us the reason why we need to have a proper fear of the Lord; He says “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose”. Paul is telling us that it is God who provides us with the will and the power we need to properly “work out” our salvation.  There are a lot of people in our churches today who are still trying to “live for God”…by that I mean doing what they consider the “right things” and living what they perceive to be the “right life” in order to please God; and they wear themselves out - trying in their own power, to “work out their salvation. There is a big difference between trying to live for God and allowing God to live in and through us.
    Did you know that when we truly love someone - even God - we have a desire within us to want to make them proud of us?  And, in that kind of relationship, we are not afraid of what that person may do to us…we are afraid of what our actions may do to him or her. The “fear” of love is not the fear of punishment, it’s the fear of disappointment.
    So, to bring this first attitude of proper fear down to a sentence, it means; If we have a proper fear of the Lord, or attitude of awe and reverence and dependence, we will want to do everything possible to please, and not disappoint Him.
    Now, our outline of this portion of scripture should look like this;
Principle #1 - “Everyone must ‘work out’ their salvation.”
(a.) “With fear and trembling” (Reason; It is God who works in us.)
(b.) “Without complaining or arguing” (Reason; “so you may be blameless, and pure children of God.)
    Another translation says “Do everything without grumbling or complaining”…John Maxwell points out that the only thing that separates a winner from a whiner is the letter “H” (which probably stands for “have to!”) Whenever our kids would whine about something, it was always “Do I have to?” Listen, in the context of this verse, Paul is not talking about whining and complaining to or about one another…He is talking about whining and complaining to or with God! 
    An example of this is found in the Book of Exodus when the people of Israel obeyed God on their desert journey, but they did so with faithless “murmurings and grumbling” it says!  God wants us to listen to him, but He does not want our grudging obedience.
    We do that more often than we think. We give our money in the offering plate, but we don’t give what God desires…and what we do give, we don’t give willingly or with a cheerful heart!  Too many Christians follow Christ with a frown!  We hear a truth from God’s Word and we give a half-heart Amen, as if it is something we’re supposed to do.  When a trial or temptation comes our way, instead of seeking God and gaining wisdom, we whine and cry and have a pity party! Listen, the worst part of all this kind of behavior is that the lost world around us takes notice of our attitude!  We need to pray as David prayed, and ask God to “restore the JOY of our salvation!” 
    Listen to what the rest of Psalm 51 says; “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a “willing” spirit to sustain me. THEN I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you!”
Does your attitude have that kind of effect? We need to “work it out!”
    Why is all this so important for us to learn? Because of verses 15 and 16 - “so you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, IN WHICH YOU SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE, as you hold out the word of life.”  We can “whine” or we can “shine.” Which do you suppose pleases God?