A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Are you willing to be poured out? To explain what that's all about, here's pastor John Randall.

John Randall: God didn't make us to be a container. You know, just to fill, fill, fill me Lord, fill me, fill me. He fills us so that he can pour us out. It's not just Lord fill me and fill me and fill me. I'm filled like like I'm a reservoir. There's something to be poured out from our life, the overflowing work of the spirit, a living sacrifice. Paul said that's how I see my life. My life is about to be literally poured out. Paul knew that death was around the corner for him. My life is being poured out like a sacrifice.

And and if it if it is poured out like a drink offering and service of your faith, I just want you to know this, I'm praising God for it. This is a this is a privilege. I'm rejoicing in this that my life is being poured out for the glory of God.

Guest (Male): Hey, thanks for tuning our way and welcome to a daily walk. Pastor John Randall is going through Philippians right now. You can probably think of someone in your life that is known as a complainer. When things don't go the way they want, they're quick to complain about it. And at times they can be hard to be around. Well, as we turn to chapter two, we'll notice that there was some complaining and arguing happening in Philippi. So Paul the apostle steps in with some excellent God-inspired words for them and us. Let's lean in and listen.

John Randall: We are saved if you are a believer. God is working in us and he's just asking us, hey, work out what I continue to work into your life. Just allow and and what happens is you'll see that strength within your life. The power that compels us is from the power of the Holy Spirit. It's the power of the Holy Spirit to do what he's calling us to do. And I can tell you just in walking with the Lord through the years that that right there, that understanding that God is working in me and he he gives me everything I need to do what he's called me to do has been a tremendous encouragement to me.

Because I in of myself I don't have what it takes to do what he's asked me to do. Example, if you are a husband here today or a wife and you say, Lord, I I need you to help me be what you've called me to be. Listen, he'll he'll provide it. He's working in you. He'll work through you as you yield yourself to him. If you're a parent today you say, oh Lord, I do not have what it takes to raise these kids in the midst of everything that's Lord, would you help me? Oh, he'll work in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure as you work it out and partner with him.

I love that passage in Mark chapter 16 and verse 20 and I've taken great comfort in it when it says concerning the apostles when they were sent out, it says they went out and preached everywhere the Lord working with them. Aren't you glad today that God is working with you, working in you, working through you? All glory and praise to God. Paul said in Ephesians chapter three verse 20, I love this. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all you could ask or think, notice this, according to the power that works in us.

God does above, beyond what we can even think or imagine. How does he do that? Because his power is working through us. It's work into us and we are working it out and we're seeing it take place. The Christian is working out his salvation and the Lord is working in the Christian. Now as the Lord is working in you and working in me, working through you, Paul adds this and here's an important point. It says here in verse 14, do something. No, no, not some. The word is all. May underscore it. Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless children of God.

Paul now encourages the Philippians as things are being worked into them and they're working them out, make sure that you're doing so without complaining. It's interesting when God is doing a work in your life. I don't know about your walk with the Lord. I know about mine. And there's certain things that God is working into me that I don't necessarily like and I can find myself complaining. I'm sure nobody here does that. But people, other people do that. Paul encouraged the believers to avoid these things that could ruin your joy and ruin your witness. Like what?

Like complaining and murmuring. And it's a word that actually means to mutter. To mutter. It's also used as a word that resembles actually the sound that it makes, murmur, murmur, and it's it's it's not the loud outspoken dissatisfaction of complaining. That is something that is real. That's a real thing. This is more this word remind is more like something that's under one's breath. What I'm sorry, what did you say? I didn't say anything. No, I heard you say something. I didn't I didn't Really? Okay, I think you murmured. No. Something caught my throat. The murmuring against it's murmuring against other people rather than God.

And sometimes murmuring can be packaged and even spiritualized in prayer circles and gatherings with other believers. What? I don't have an interpretation for that. That's not right. You're murmuring, you're complaining. Are you a complainer? Don't raise your hand. Don't raise it. Charles Spurgeon described a scene of complaining. I thought it was funny. He said he just he saw a heavy wagon that was being dragged along a country road by a team of oxen. And he and he said that the wheels on the wagon were making all kinds of disturbing noise, groaning and creaking and so forth.

And he said suddenly the oxen turned around and spoke. And they said, hello there. Why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor and we, not you, ought to cry out. He went on to say, those who complain first sometimes in our churches have the least to do. He said the gift of grumbling is largely dispensed by those that do nothing else as if it were their gift. What's your spiritual gift? Murmuring. I'm very gifted in that area. In fact, if there was a gold medal for murmuring, I would probably get silver.

I am that good. You know, you you just you're a murmurer, a complainer, a whiner. Not here. I'm talking about other services. Murmuring is is half concealed, half uttered complaints. Sometimes when people complain it makes them feel better. But the person they complain to feels terrible. Murmuring Christians are seldom of any use in the cause of Christ because they hinder the work. They bring heavy burdens that other people who are simply trying to serve Jesus are forced to bear. They really never help in anything except murmuring. And they know people on their job who are unbelievers that won't want to hear it, so they won't do it at work.

Or maybe they do. Or in their own house. But in the church Christians have to endure it. So this is the place to really just air out all your grievances. You know, the children of Israel were examples of murmuring and not good examples. It wasn't like God was like, I love my kids because they murmur. It 's great. Actually it was a real bad thing. And they murmured about everything. God would provide something and they'd be like sick of manna. Okay, let 's get some quail. Tired of quail. Let me get I'm thirsty. Give them some water.

We want more water. We want We want Egypt. I mean they just constantly murmured and complained. Moses was like No wonder he struck the rock. You rebels. Must we get water from him? He was just so fed up. I mean it was wrong, but he he was upset. He was complaining. They were complaining to him and and Moses said, listen, don't you complain against us. God hears what you're complaining about in your tents. He knows what you're saying. They complained about everything. I heard of a little old lady that walked into a department store one day and she was surprised when she walked through the door she found out that she was the millionth customer.

And a band was there and they showed up, they started playing and everybody was excited and she was given a $100 bill and TV cameras were there and they were interview comes up, hey, you're the millionth customer. Tell us what were you What did you come in to get today? She felt a little embarrassed because she said, actually I was coming in to go to the complaining department. I was going to file a complaint. I mean can you imagine that? Perhaps you came to church that way this morning. Parking. You know where I had to park?

This is ridiculous. Why can't I park over there? Because you can't. You know, like whatever. You know, you just get upset, you get mad. Somebody's in my seat. This is my seat. Look underneath. I wrote my name on it. I put my gum there. Don't do that. Don't. Stop that. But you know, like suddenly you just see complain about all kinds of things. How come this? How come that? The Bible says do all things without grumbling or disputing. You know, it was uh I think it was Mark Twain that said, don't complain and talk about all your problems.

He said 80% of the people don't care. And the other 20% think you deserve them. I that's what he said. But folks really when you think about it, what do we have to complain about? When you think about that over 30% or more of the world's population doesn't eat as good as what you put down your garbage disposal. What do you have to complain about today? Not much. There are certain tasks that I might find myself complaining about and maybe reluctantly do it anyway. I don't find joy in doing it. I get a little I remember as a young minister when I was assisting at a church, one of the jobs that I had was to before the church started go out and pick up all the cigarette butts in the parking lot.

People people need to stop smoking, man. It's not good for you. I was amazed how many of these things were out there. I don't know if it's the sermon was too intense and there was I mean there was just everywhere. I'm like I want to What I want to do is find out who is out here dropping these off so we can pick them up together. But I remember being sent out there and I was so upset picking up the cigarette butts in the parking lot. And I was like I felt like the Holy Spirit just ministering to my heart in a strange way.

What's going on, John? Stout you're serving you, God. Well, you're not serving me cuz you're complaining. So that's not you're not really I mean my heart was in the wrong place. Who are you doing it for? Why are you doing it anyway? If we spent more time praising instead of complaining uh we should be happier people and God would be glorified. If complaining goes unchecked murmuring goes unrepented of. Paul points out something that happens. What follows is disputing. Did you see the word? Murmuring, complaining, and disputing which implies a questioning mind, an arrogant attitude by those who assume that they are always right.

Murmuring leads to disputing. It's just they they seem to go hand in hand. Jesus was aware of the Pharisees and their disputing. It's actually the same word that's used here that was used for the Pharisees when they were reasoning in their hearts, complaining, disputing inside of themselves. And it is such a pointless endeavor to dispute about non-essential things. It really doesn't help the work of the Lord in any way. It's one thing to have discussion, maybe even disagree agreeably and still be friends, but another thing just to debate over doubtful things, argue, murmur, complain against one another.

It doesn't glorify God. And this is what was happening in Philippi. They were murmuring against one another. And it ought not to be so. For the church in Philippi, the way that they chose to act, whether was to have the mind of Christ or to murmur and complain and dispute would have different results because not only would it affect them personally, but it also affected their witness outside of the congregation. And that is why in verse 15 Paul says, I don't want you to murmur and complain and dispute. Why? That you may become blameless, harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world.

As you're not complaining as you're not disputing Paul says then you're blameless. It means irreproachable, faultless, without defect, without blemish. It describes being able to find fault in somebody. Paul says you're going to be above reproach nobody because you're not complaining. You're not murmuring, you're not complaining. Paul's desire for the Philippian believers is that there would be no legitimate ground for accusation when the Lord returns to judge. And even those outside in the world, they'd have nothing really evil to save the people because of the way that they lived. They were blameless. They were praising God instead of complaining.

In Ephesians chapter one verse four it says this, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Listen, when you walk in this way, nobody can put the blame on you again because you're above reproach. You're harmless. They can't say anything to you. You aren't murmuring, you aren't making excuses. You're above reproach. Why Why is this so important? Because of of where we live. And by where we live, I mean the world in which we live in. The world that we live in, Paul gives us a description here.

He says that it is crooked and it is perverse. And if you don't know that, you're not aware of your surroundings. It is crooked and it is perverse. The word for crooked Did you know this is where we get our English word scoliosis? Crooked. It's it's a curvature, a misalignment. It describes something that is bent, something that is is warped in a sense. And in this world is it not bent? Is it not warped in a direction that is perverse? Yes, it is. We can see it all around us. It deviates from a standard, the standard of the word of God.

And it's corrupt morally and spiritually. And Paul describes the outward perverted conduct of an unregenerate generation, crooked in mind, crooked in heart and action, bent in all directions. And also not just crooked, that's bad enough, but he also says it's also perverse. And it conveys the idea of basically twisting or bending out a shape. In a literal sense it was it was used to describe a piece of pottery that a careless craftsman had mishap or somehow it became distorted because it was so twisted up. This is what we're up against. This is where we live in so many places, just perverse and crooked.

But that provides us Paul is saying with a tremendous opportunity. An opportunity in the midst of what is crooked to make things straight in the midst of things that are dark and defiling to actually be light and directing people in the right way. You are, he says, lights that are shining. In Matthew chapter four Jesus said it so powerfully in the sermon on the mount. You remember? He said you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill it cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand.

And it gives light to all who are in the house. So let your light, he said, so shine before men that when they see your good works they may glorify your father who is in heaven. This is what we are. We're not the source of the light. The Lord is the light. We are reflecting his light. What the moon is to the sun, we reflect the light of the Lord. That's what we're called to be. You don't take a light, as Jesus said, and place it under a bed or under a chair. It's not being used properly.

You put the light where it's supposed to be so it actually brings illumination to those to which come in contact with it. So Paul describes here we are in this outward perverted perverse generation with an opportunity to shine as lights. But the question still remains, how? How do I do that? Well, we already read part of it. God is working in me enabling me and I am working this out. It's like the Lord is providing the energy to the lamp which allows it to shine. You unplug the lamp, there's no power plugged into the Lord, the work of the spirit.

There is the power coming through. There is the ability to shine. But Paul makes something else very clear here when it comes to being a light in a crooked and perverse generation. Folks, look at please verse 16 17 holding fast the word of life. What What does that mean? He's talking about the word of God. You do shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. How do I do that? Holding fast to the word of God. This is how it's done. It's the word of God. It's God's word. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.

It's the word of God. Holding fast to it. It calls for continually believing it, give it attention to it. Hold your mind towards it or look toward it, cling to it. Saturate yourself in it. Draw strength from the word of God. And Paul says if if you do these things if you are working through these issues in my absence if you're not grumbling and complaining if you're allowing the Lord to work in you and you're working out what's being worked in you then what happens is you have a tremendous opportunity to be a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

And Paul adds, can I just say this? He adds to this by saying I'm going to rejoice in the day of Christ that I haven't run in vain or labored in vain. When he speaks of the day of Christ, he's talking when I stand before the Lord I'm going to be so thrilled, so excited over the fact that you you you did what I asked when I wasn't there. I'm going to stand before the Lord and I'm going to rejoice and I'm not going to say I ran in vain or I labored in vain. Because you're doing exactly what we had asked you to do.

You did it when we were there. You were You were You were doing it. And now I'm saying to you when we're not there, continue to do that. This is your opportunity that you have an uncomplaining spirit in contact with people from this world, not contaminated by them. Holding to and holding forth the word of God will present us with a tremendous opportunity to be a light. And Paul said all church, if you will you will do that if you will carry on in that way, I'll know that I haven't labored in vain. Finally verse 17 he said yes and if I'm being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all for the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

When Paul looks at his life he compares it to a sacrifice. When he speaks of a drink offering, if you go back to the Old Testament, you'll find that an offering would be placed on the altar and then often times the after sacrifice would be a drink offering poured out also consumed. Paul saw his life as a sacrifice being completely poured out for the purpose of God. You know, God didn't make us to be a container. You know, just to fill, fill, fill me Lord, fill me, fill me. He fills us so that he can pour us out.

It's not just Lord fill me and fill me and fill me. I'm filled like like I'm a reservoir. There's something to be poured out from our life, the overflowing work of the spirit, a living sacrifice. Paul said that's how I see my life. My life is about to be literally poured out. Paul knew that death was around the corner for him. My life is being poured out like a sacrifice. And and if it if it is poured out like a drink offering and service of your faith, I just want you to know this, I'm praising God for it.

This is a this is a privilege. I'm rejoicing in this that my life is being poured out for the glory of God. I want to be I I don't want to have any reserve when I get to heaven. I held something back. Now I'm just pouring it all out to where there's nothing left. And Paul said in that I rejoice. There's such joy in just living your life for Christ, living as a sacrifice. There's meaning, there's purpose. There's reason. And Paul said, will you rejoice with me in this? Be glad with me. Follow my example in this.

What a good exhortation this was to the Philippians and what a great exhortation it is for us. Church let's work it out. Let's work out. What's your what your regiment look like this week? What are you going to do? What's the I mean You know, you're going to I'm getting into it. That's it. You know, I'm getting into it. I'm going to do it. I want to work out. Why? Because I just want to live to glorify God. I want to work out what God's working in me. I want to grow. I'm not content. I'm content with Jesus.

I'm not content with John. There's more that God wants to do in me. There's much that God has done, but there is more that he wants to do. And so I just keep walking it out day by day with him. And thankfully he just keeps working it in. And he'll do the same with you.

Guest (Male): That is pastor John Randall and this is a daily walk. To hear this message again, you can do so by podcast at adailywalk.org or wherever you like to listen to your favorite podcasts. We're also on oneplace.com and the Calvary South OC app is another great way to access teachings from John. Since Father's Day falls within the month of June, we've picked out a book for you guys. It's called Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes. Men, prepare to work up a spiritual sweat as you read this bestseller and accept the challenges of Godly living.

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