Well, this morning, if you would turn once again to Philippians chapter 2, as we continue our consideration of verses 14 through 18, as most of you remember, last week we had what we call part 1, considered the first point of being salvation's shining stars. If you look at the back of the order of worship and you see the points listed there, that's why points 1 and 2 are crammed together because we've already considered point 1 and we will take up our consideration with point 2 this morning. And in connection with the text, please turn to 1 Peter 3 as we read together verses 8-17. 1 Peter 3, verses 8-17. The editor's inclusion in the Bible, in my version, has suffering for doing good. In a sense, in these verses, Peter, we might say, gives us a glimpse of what salvation's shining stars look at as we live this life in a way that is contrary to the world. 1 Peter 3, verses 8-17, and then we will turn over to the text, Philippians 2, verses 14-18. Hear now the Word of God. must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better if it is God's will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Philippians 2. And once again, I will begin reading at verse 12. But the text 14-18. like stars in the universe, as you hold out the Word of Life. In order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing, but even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with Me. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, what you don't know won't hurt you, as the saying goes. Sometimes we, as parents, think that way when it comes to our children. They come to the dinner table and say, well, what are we having for dinner? Oh, what's in it? And we know that they won't like the particular ingredients in it, and therefore, as parents, we think, well, if we don't tell them, what they don't know won't hurt them, because they will like the whole package. And sometimes, even as parents, as our children grow up to be adults, and we're sitting around enjoying each other's company and our children start reminiscing about the antics that they may have pulled that mom and dad didn't know about, then in those cases too, mom and dad might think, well, I guess what we didn't know didn't hurt us. But even the boys and girls here this morning understand that that's not always true, that saying, what you don't know won't hurt you. Because boys and girls, if someone has, if you have a deadly disease, a disease that will take your life and you don't know about it, it will hurt you. If you're driving in the dark night and your headlights don't work and you don't see that sharp curve up ahead, it's going to hurt you. If you have a test coming up this week and you don't know the answers, it's going to hurt you. And of course, that saying is especially not true when it comes to whether or not, if one does not know the way of salvation. If one does not know Jesus Christ, because that puts one in the worst sort of danger, it will eternally harm you. You see, beloved, God has given His Word of life to us, to the church of Jesus Christ. And along with that, He has given His great commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples and baptizing them. And you see, this isn't just the task of preachers and teachers, but it's the task of every believer, every single one of us who claims Jesus Christ as our Savior, as our lives, are to be living sermons before the world for the world to see and to read. Even as we said last week in connection with this text, believers are salvation's shining stars. Believers are those who have been saved by the grace of God and who are filled with the light of Jesus Christ and are to shine forth in a crooked and depraved generation. Those who as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling are to be visible. We are to be plain for the whole world to see. We are to be those, as the first point said, who reveal gospel conduct. Who show to the world, who practice before the eyes of the world conduct that is worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ as our lives clearly show that we are children of God. That we are content in God. We find contentment in Him no matter what situation He places before us and that we are different in God. Different than this world. You see, beloved Christians who themselves are illumined by the Holy Spirit, who are filled by the light of God's love and gospel truth, are to live in such a way that our lives, as we said, expose the sin and the shameful living of the world. And expose the deadly danger for the world of their continuing on their present course. Our lives, boys and girls, are to be a light, a flashlight, if you will, or headlights on a car that light up the path ahead that make that path clear to see, to see the danger that one is to avoid. But also, to show the proper route to show the proper path and if it is God's will to be used by Him to help one find that path and to stay on that road. And therefore, beloved, in the second place, salvation's shining stars illumine the Gospel message. They illumine the Gospel message. As God's people, we are to point to, we are to light up the way of safety and hope and that's because the gospel message itself is the reason that christians shine that's the reason that christians shine you see the purpose for our gospel conduct as paul says is to hold out the word of life and very simply he's talking about the gospel message of salvation in jesus christ and that means that that you and i are not simply to live a moral and ethical life in opposition to those who don't. We are to live a moral and ethical life, but not simply to live a moral and ethical life as opposed to those who don't. Because there are many unbelievers who live what might be called good lives. Who live morally and ethically good lives. There are many unbelievers, for example, who conduct their business according to the standards of right and wrong that you and I would agree with. There are many unbelievers who are honest, who would leave a note for you on your car where you can find them if they were to hitch your car in a parking lot and you weren't there. Those who, if they were given too much change at the cash register, they would return the portion that doesn't belong to them. There are many unbelievers who would not steal, who do not commit adultery, who do not murder, at least in the outward, physical way that we would think of it. There are many unbelievers, as Paul says in Romans 2, who show the requirements of the law, that those requirements are written on their hearts. And these unbelievers then can indeed be compared to those who don't live morally and ethically. And these unbelievers then expose their fellow unbelievers who do not live that way. But it ends there. That's all the further it goes. They don't illumine the Gospel message. They don't point to the reason that you and I are called to live in a particular way. Our gospel conduct, beloved, includes living in a way that is morally and ethically right. Striving to be obedient to God and to show contentment in God. But then all of that, you see, is to reveal the truth of my heart illumined by the gospel light. All of that, then, is to introduce the Gospel to those whose unbelieving and godless conduct is exposed by Gospel conduct. And that then shows the reason for our Gospel conduct. You see, the reason for our Gospel conduct is the very same Word of Life that we hold out to them. You see, we are not to hold out something different to them. We are not to try to get the world to believe something that you and I ourselves don't believe. There are some who translate hold out here as hold on to, as if to hold on to for myself. And that's okay, that works, because you cannot share what you don't have. Boys and girls, you cannot share a sandwich with your friend if you don't have a sandwich. If you don't hold on to the word of life for yourself, you can never hold out that very same word of life. And that's why only Christians can truly preach and teach the Gospel. Only Christians. And it must be clear to the world, beloved, that we are what we are because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's why we too are to be oh so careful not to claim the Gospel for our own, but then to live in a way that is contrary to the Gospel. There is to be consistency from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside. The world must know that we are friendly and honest and work hard and helpful and hopefully these things are true of all of us. We know not perfectly, unfortunately. But as we strive to be, the world must know that we are these things not for profit, not to gain some sort of an advantage. Oh yes, we live by the golden rule, do unto others what you would have others do unto you, but there's a reason for that. Only because of this Word of Life. The world must see my joy, but then they must see that I have joy because I am saved from all of my sins. The world hopefully will see humility in me and they will see that because I understand how undeserved that great salvation is. The world will see, I pray, that I am patient. Why? because God has been, oh, so very patient with me. And hopefully the world will see that I don't complain and argue because I have this Word of life. I have this very gift of salvation. You see, beloved, as we shine like stars, the world must see that Jesus Christ is the one and only explanation and motivation for our conduct. That He is why we are different. That we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit because of what Jesus Christ has done. That is the possession of the Christian, you see. We have this very life, this very same life that Paul says we are to hold out to the world as a free gift. We belong body and soul in life and in death unto our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. His saving work, every last bit of it, and all that it accomplished, every bit that it accomplished, is our possession. And that possession, then, is the very resource that Christians shine. That's the resource that God gives us to hold out to the world. We own that precious gift, that same gift that we offer to a lost and dying world. And that resource has such a precious message, you see. It's a message, very simply, of life. Holding out the Word of life, of true life, of eternal life. You see, beloved, the message of the Gospel is not one of many man-made philosophies. It's not simply a collection of thoughts and ideas that are relevant for some, or interesting to some, but are not relevant for others. But that message of the Gospel is the living and active Word of God. Hebrews 4, verse 12 says, It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Boys and girls and young people, it may be hard to understand. What does that mean? How can a word do that? But very simply, it convicts us of our sin. Why? Because it is a powerful, it is a mighty word. Jeremiah 23, verse 29 says, the Word of God is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. That's pretty graphic, isn't it? Powerful. Or to say it another way, as Paul does in Romans 1, verse 16, it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. It is powerful. It is living and active. But that message then, what is that message? It tells about life. And what's interesting is that it tells about life first by telling us about death. That we are dead. That we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins. And that there's no hope in myself. That's how that word, that message of life begins. Telling us we're dead. But praise God, it doesn't end there. It goes on and tells us there is hope. There is another kind of life. There is communion with God. And that message tells us that you can't get it by thinking about it. You can't get it by working for it. But it comes only from God through His Holy Spirit. And that message goes on to tell us more. It tells us that even in this life, in this world, one can enter into the joy of this new life where that one will really, truly know God. And no matter how bad, how sinful that one has been, that that one can be made new. And if the question comes up, well, how can this be true? The message goes even further. It says you cannot raise yourself from the dead, but God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who took our sin upon Himself, who paid for every last bit of it, who opened the way unhindered to the Father for you and me, and who sent His Holy Spirit to give us new life and to live in us forever. Beloved, that's the message that our Gospel conduct is to point to and that we are to tell to the world. Our business is not, first of all, to have the world as our customers or our friends, but our business, first of all, is to teach the world what good is it to gain the whole world but to lose your soul. And our responsibility is not to change hearts. Sometimes if you've been praying for someone for so very long you become discouraged because you don't see any movement, any change whatsoever. But our task is not to change hearts. That's God's business. Our business is to tell them about Jesus and His love. And as we tell them, we are not to say, you're hopeless, forget it, there's no hope for you. But the message we are to bring is that there is hope in Jesus Christ for those who repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the precious resource that God gives to us. That's the message of that resource. And guess what? That message has power. And its power is that it does what it says. It not only tells about life, but it gives life. As Peter says in 1 Peter 1, verse 23, For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God gives that second birth. It brings from spiritual death to spiritual life, which will never end. But there's more. It not only gives life, it supports that life that it gives. It sustains and feeds that life. As Peter also says, like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. And that nourishment of the Word of God, beloved, is not imitation. It's not temporary. It's not like powdered milk or instant potatoes. You just add water. But it's permanent. It is filled with spiritual vitamins and nutrients that cause us to grow up in our salvation. It strengthens our spiritual muscles. It increases the quality of our spiritual life as it nourishes us in such a way that we gain wisdom and understanding in the things of God. And there's even more. Not only does it give life and support life, but it teaches us how to live life. The psalmist says in Psalm 119, verse 105, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. See, beloved, the Word of God, boys and girls, it's a flashlight. It's a high beam. It shows us how to walk. It exposes the danger in the path before us that we are to avoid. And it shows us our relationship to God and what it is that pleases Him and shows gratitude to Him. Again, beloved, this is the resource that we are called to hold forth. in a crooked and depraved generation. And we hold it forth not by complaining and arguing, but instead by being blameless and pure without fault. We hold it forth by showing that we have this very life in us. I came across a story of Reverend Dwight L. Moody and President Woodrow Wilson that illustrates really well this shining like stars. It goes like this, Wilson was in a barber's shop one day, President Wilson, when suddenly a man came in. He was rather a stoutish man, nothing to look at, and yet the moment he came in, everything changed in that barber's saloon. Conversation changed. There was an obvious and evident difference. When this stoutish man had gone out, Woodrow Wilson asked the barber, who was that man? And he received the reply, that was Dwight L. Moody. Moody did not preach in that Barber's saloon. He was just being the Christian he was. There had been a radiance about him, and by being himself, he was holding forth the word of life. Oh, that that could be said of you and me. And maybe you've had something similar when you've walked into the break room at the office. And the conversation stopped. Or changed. And you notice that when you walk in with your peers or your co-workers, that the conversation, you know it's one way when you're not there, but it's another way when you are there. And sometimes we might feel a little bit embarrassed about that. May we never feel embarrassed about it, but may we rejoice. May we rejoice that the light of Jesus Christ is shining forth. Sadly, though, all too often, I find myself wanting to blend in. I mean, young people, maybe you do too. You don't want people to see you're different. You don't really want the conversation to change because you know it's because of you. And it's embarrassing again. Oh, may we not be embarrassed. But may we rejoice. May that be our delight. You see, this is to be true. This same influence of a moody is to be true not only of preachers or theological professors or seminary students or Christian school teachers. But it is to be true of all of us as salvation's shining stars who are called to reveal gospel conduct and who are called to illumine the gospel message. And one more thing, in the third place, we are called to demonstrate gospel joy. You see, beloved, there is no greater reason for joy and gladness than having the assurance that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That having the assurance that I will not spend eternity in hell as I so much deserve. But I will spend eternity in the incomprehensible glory of heaven. You see, if you and I truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have all these precious things that we have talked about, then we cannot hide this gospel joy. It's impossible. This Gospel joy is a part of the light that that crooked and depraved generation is to see. And as Jesus and Peter both said, the world is to see our light, to see our good deeds. And to respond. That Gospel joy is to be contagious. And in order for it to be contagious, it must be visible. Paul says again, do everything without complaining or arguing so that 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 in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. As you can imagine, there's a lack of agreement on certain details in these verses and also verses 17 and 18. But what I want to point out this morning is that the gospel joy that the believer has includes joy for eternity. Now we say, well, that's a no-brainer. We know that. We're promised joy for eternity. Paul says that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Now that's not a statement of doubtfulness on Paul's part. It's a statement more of affirmation. And we know Paul well enough too to know that that's not a statement of arrogance on his part. He's not telling the Philippian believers or you and me that one day when he stands before Jesus, he will look him in the eye and say, look what I've done for you. Because of me, all of these Philippians are here and they are ready for heaven. I did that for you. That's not what Paul is going to say one day. But this is a statement of humility on Paul's part because the Philippian believer's salvation is a confirmation to Paul of the powerful work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. And it's a confirmation for Paul that Paul indeed labored as God called him to labor. Paul was humbled. He was grateful to be an instrument of Jesus Christ for the Gospel. And he will rejoice in God for eternity because of God's saving grace in saving His church for all eternity. And we too, beloved, are to labor and to work hard for the eternal salvation and joy of others. But again, there's more. We don't have to wait until we die to have this joy. The gospel joy that the believer has also includes joy for now. For this life. Verses 17 and 18, But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Now that language there points to the Levitical priest whose service included offering sacrificial animals and grain offerings accompanied by a drink offering of wine that was poured out in the sanctuary. These offerings were offerings of consecration, devotion, devoting oneself to God as Paul had consecrated himself to the service of God even in his suffering. Now when Paul talks about being poured out, some say that Paul is thinking of the possibility of his death, his death for the faith. he was in prison and it was in the time of Nero and that he would be put to death soon. But there are others that say, because as we've already considered in chapter 1, that it seems that Paul was not worried about death at this time. He felt he was going to be released and therefore others say that he is talking about the sacrifice of being in chains for the gospel alongside of suffering for the faith and the struggling that the Philippian believers were called to endure according to chapter 1, verses 29 and 30. But either way, Paul demonstrates in these words what he had said in chapter 2, verse 3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. He considers himself as the lesser sacrifice than the sacrifice of the Philippian believers. He says that his sacrifice is small compared to theirs. Maybe because he's in prison. And he knows that they are out there in the midst of a very, very pagan society that is affecting them. But the Philippian believers were graced by God, we might say, as we read in chapter 1, verses 29 and 30, not only to believe on Jesus Christ, in other words, to serve Him, but also to suffer for Him. to sacrifice for Him. And according to Paul, what a cause for rejoicing. Paul rejoiced in Jesus Christ. He rejoiced in the saving work of Jesus Christ in his and in the Philippian believers' lives. He rejoiced for the privilege to suffer for Jesus Christ because that gave Paul the opportunity to point to the Lord Jesus Christ. And he would not have the Philippian believers sat on his account because of his suffering, not even if it ended in his death. Don't cry for me. And he also wouldn't have them sat on their own account because of their suffering. The Philippian believers were to rejoice in Christ alongside of Paul. Because together as salvation's shining stars, including you and me, we have the privilege to light the way that leads to Christ. Sometimes people mourn when great spiritual leaders or godly saints have died, especially at a young age. For example, John Calvin was not old, I believe about 56. And certain people mourn as if there's no more hope, as if the world has ended, as if God's work cannot continue. Because all that one could have done so much more for the kingdom of God. And indeed, we are to mourn. That's not the point. But we mourn as those who have hope. And instead, when we mourn the death of one like that, we must rejoice in the work of God that was done through that person. We must thank God for that person. Paul says, don't mourn for me. Don't mourn for me. Thank God for His work that He may have accomplished through me. And beloved, we too are called to rejoice. And we are to rejoice as we see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts and lives of some to bring them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the very first time. We are to rejoice as we see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in the church, in the individual lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, even through suffering, in order to strengthen their faith and to increase their assurance of salvation. We are to rejoice when we see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our wayward children when they finally understand by faith the truth of the Word of God and they embrace it as their own. And we must rejoice as we see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us and through our suffering, through our persecution, making our light shine even more brightly, making it visible and more seen by the world and to rejoice as the world is brought to ask us to give a reason for the hope that is within us. And may that be our prayer, beloved, that the world would indeed ask us, as scary as it might be the first time or the second time or the third time, God will make it easy. Let our prayer be that the world see that we are different clearly and ask us to give a reason for the hope that is in us. See, beloved, we have nothing to offer to the world that we have not first received ourselves. And we have been given that greatest gift, so undeserved, that greatest gift in Jesus Christ, that word of life, that guarantee of salvation to all who believe, a guarantee to you, a guarantee to me. If you are here this morning and you have not yet looked to Him in repentance and faith for whatever reason, once again you are being called earnestly and urgently to repent of your sins and look to the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation alone. There is hope, only hope in Him, guaranteed hope. Because if one does not know Him or the way to Him, that will only turn out for your hurt eternally. Therefore, beloved, may we rejoice in our salvation. May we rejoice to shine forth the glory of such a great salvation. And may we desire that God, if it is His will, would influence and effect the world through His light that shines forth in us and through us. To God alone be the glory. Let's pray together. heavenly father what a powerful message the only message that one needs to hear we can get by with any rhetoric in the world any stories or novels that have been written but one must hear the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his saving love and Father we pray that our lives indeed would shine brightly illumined by you by your spirit that the light of Jesus Christ would shine forth as a beacon in this community from us and wherever we go in this world that others may see along with all true believers that there is a Savior Jesus Christ our Lord that indeed the message may go forth we have heard a joyful sound Jesus saves Jesus saves and may that message be spread far and wide Father strengthen us in that most holy faith and if there are those here this morning who do not yet have that faith Father please oh Lord change their heart give it to them today that they might have that joy that they might begin to shine for you in the name of Jesus Christ as we pray these things. Amen.