“Where God Works”
Philippians 2:12-18, Psalm 127:1-2
August 2-3, 2003
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
(Philippians 2:13)

     Have you ever stared at a starry sky, in the country or at sea where there are no other lights around? It can take your breath away. Countless shimmering specks billions of miles from here. Light years from here. In reality each one is as large or larger than our sun, making all the earth seem small. And we see only a  sliver of one of the hundreds of  galaxies we know are out there. That mind bogglingly vast Universe is the work of God. Psalm 19: 1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
     Have you ever looked at a lily? So delicate, so intricate. Trace the fascinating pattern of tiny veins running through each petal. See the subtlety of the shading of a dozen different hues. Smell the sweet, intoxicating perfume as it permeates your nostrils. That’s the work of God.  Jesus said, “I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ... that is how God clothes the grass of the field.” (Matthew 6:29-30)
     God works. Aristotle called God “The Unmoved Mover.” His God simply sat around contemplating the glory of his own existence. But that’s not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is busy. The God of the Bible gets things done. The God we worship has purposes and a plan, and He accomplishes them. We see that first of all in His creation. God works. The Grand Canyon. An ocean storm. Black holes and quasars. Molecules, atoms and quarks. Your own fingerprint. All these are the works of God.
     But that isn’t all. Listen to Psalm 8:3-4  “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” God not only works in creation. He also works in history. God didn’t merely make the world, set it in motion then leave things to run on cruise control. He is intimately involved in human affairs. History is best understood as His story.
     You who took the Old Testament survey class in the A.C.T.I.O.N. Academy earlier this year will remember the story. God created human beings to live in His love. But our race rejected Him. Our ancestors tried to thwart His perfect plan for humanity. So in the time of the flood, God started all over again with Noah. (Remember? Creation, Fall, Flood ...) But people worked against God’s plan again. So this time God chose one family, Abraham and Sarah, as the keepers of His covenant. Though they were old and childless, He made them into a great nation. With mighty miracles He brought His people out of slavery in Egypt -- splitting the Red Sea like a farm boy splits a watermelon. Against all odds he gave them victory over their enemies. Walls came crashing down and He settled them in the promised land. They flourished when they obeyed and languished when they went astray. When they became stubborn and rebellious, He chastised them and brought them back to Himself in love.
     But God is not only at work in the history of Israel. All of history is simply God working out His plan. From the rise of the Roman Empire to the  fall of Baghdad, God is accomplishing His purposes. Acts 17:26 says, “From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
     In creation and in history, God works.
     Yet the hinge-pin of God’s plan and purpose is what He has done in Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 5:19 says, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.”
     At just the right moment, at the most crucial point in history, God became a man and lived among us. The Word which spoke the Universe into being was born one starry night in little Bethlehem. He grew. He obeyed His parents. He worked as a carpenter, then He taught us about God’s love. In His thirties He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross to die for our sins. He took the punishment our rebellion deserved, so that you and I can be forgiven by God. He made it possible for us to return to that loving relationship God created us for in the first place.
     Then on the third day He rose again. He won the decisive victory over the grave, so that neither life nor death nor anything else in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
     And one day, at the end of history, He will come again to destroy all evil and establish his perfect kingdom for all eternity. One day people from every tribe and language and race and nation will live forever in His heavenly love.
     Philippians 2:5-11 tells us about “...Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
“8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
“9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
     That’s God’s purpose. That’s God’s plan. That’s what God has been working on all along!
     God works in creation. God works in history. Above all, God works in Jesus Christ. “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:3)

     But that isn’t all. Our New Testament reading this morning says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) God works in you!
     On your sermon notes, number 1 simply says, “God works.” Number 2 says, “God works in ___  __.” Write your name in those blanks, because the same God who created the cosmos and the flower, the same God who parted the Red Sea and raised Jesus from the dead is also at work in you.
     Isn’t that astonishing? My friend, you are precious to God. Maybe you don’t feel very precious. Maybe things haven’t been going your way lately and you feel like God has deserted you. Maybe your life isn’t quite what you want it to be, and you feel like God isn’t keeping up His end of some bargain you think you have with Him. But believe me, God is still working in you, even if you don’t see it or feel it. Even if you don’t like it. Nothing can separate you from Him.
     Or maybe you don’t feel very precious to God because you know  you’ve done some things He doesn’t like. Perhaps you have moved pretty far away from God, and you can’t find your way back. Nevertheless, God still loves you. You are still special to Him.
     Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who had 100 sheep. But when one of them wandered off, he wasn’t satisfied with the 99 who were safe and sound. He cared about that one sheep. So he left the 99 and looked everywhere for the lost sheep until, with great joy, he found it. Jesus is like that good shepherd. He cares about the individual. He cares about you. And right now, in the very words of this sermon, Jesus is wrapping His arms around someone, picking you up, holding you close to His heart and carrying you back home.
     You are more important to Him than you can even imagine. Jesus said, “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30) And whether your hairs be many or few, each one is significant to God. God cares about every aspect of your being.
     God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) The same is true of you, my friend. You may not be appointed to be a prophet to the nations, but God has a purpose for you. God has set you apart for a unique destiny for, and He is counting on you to fulfill it.
     On a football team the center may not get as much glory or fame as the quarterback, running back or wide receiver, but if he never hikes the ball those guys are useless. In an orchestra the cymbal player may not play in every measure, but without her resounding crash at just the right moment, the whole symphony falls flat. In an office the person who files the folders may not feel as important as the CEO, but let the boss be without a the right document at the right time and see what happens to the company.
     You may not feel like you have a very important part to play in God’s kingdom, but if you do feel that way, you’re just plain wrong. God has set you aside for a special purpose, and we all need you to fulfill it. You are special to God, and so you are special to all of us. God works in you.

     And what exactly is God doing in you? The verse we’re exploring says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” One thing that means is that God is working on your will. He wants you to will according to His good purpose. In other words, God works in you to WANT what He wants.
3. God works in you to WANT what He wants.
     That’s what we pray when we say, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We’re saying we want God’s will to be accomplished. So often when we pray, “Thy will be done,” we really mean, “Okay, fine, God. Do it your way. But I ain’t gonna like it.” But that isn’t what God wants for us. He doesn’t want us to settle for His will. He wants us to be excited about His will. He wants us to trust Him so completely that we know His will is best, even if we can’t see how. He wants us to love Him so completely that nothing gives us greater joy than to see His will accomplished.
      And what is God’s will? That, of course, is a huge question. But we do know parts of the answer. And today we will look at three things we know God wants. We know because He told us explicitly in His Word.
     In John 4:23 Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
     God wants people to really worship Him. Is that what you want? Does it bother you that many of your neighbors won’t attend worship services anywhere this weekend? It bothers God.  Does it bother you that there are so many empty seats in this sanctuary and in other churches? It bothers God. Does it bother you that some of the people who do go to church won’t really worship? Even in this church? Some of them will recite an empty ritual. Some will rave or complain about the preacher or the music. Some will whisper and write notes.
     But God wants people who will pour themselves into worship. God wants people who will loose themselves in praise. God wants people who will cling to His every word. God wants people who will sing and pray and listen and confess and praise with every corpuscle in their bodies. God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. That’s what God wants. Is that what you want?
     Or listen to I Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
     God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. Yet there are people whom we encounter every day who don’t know the Lord. They mock Him. They ignore Him. They defy Him. Yet He wants them to know Him. He wants them to enter that loving relationship that we can enjoy for all eternity.
     I’m not just talking about your family members and loved ones here. I’m talking about that co-worker who gets under your skin. I’m talking about the cashier at the grocery store. I’m talking about people you pass on the street without ever knowing their names, and people who live in the development next to yours, whom you have never met. Does it break your heart that many of them are separated from God? Does it rip your soul that they might spend eternity separated from God? Does that ever make you cry? It breaks God’s heart.
     God wants them to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. Is that what you want? I don’t mean, “Is that okay with you?” I mean do you want it? Do you want it as much as you want a tax cut, or good grade, or a raise in your pay or allowance? Do you want it as much as you want your team to win the championship, or as much as you want to see that new movie? Do you even want it as much as you want lunch this afternoon? Do you want people to be saved? Do you want what God wants?
     One more example. In John 15:12, Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” Obviously the Lord wants us to love one another. No grudges. No gossip. No cliques. Sharing with those in need. Encouraging one another. Helping one another. Taking time to get to know one another. God wants us to be a community of Christlike love, where people know they are accepted and cared for. Is that what you want?
     I wonder how many of us want what God wants? I wonder how many of us are even willing to want what God wants. Would you ask God to teach you how to will what He wills? In a moment I’m going to lead us in a prayer that simply says, “Lord, teach me to want what you want.” Now don’t pray that if you don’t mean it, because I believe the Lord will take you seriously. “God works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” But I hope you will mean it and pray it with me. If you will, please encourage others to join us. Turn to the person next to you and say, “C’mon, pray this prayer with me.” Go ahead. “C’mon, pray this prayer with me.”
     Let’s pray. “Lord, teach me to want what you want. Amen.”

     That’s a great first step. But there’s another step, isn’t there? “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” God not only wants us to will His good purpose, He wants us to act on it. God works in you to DO what He wants.
4. God works in you to DO what He wants.
     That’s one of the things God loved so much about David. David wasn’t a perfect man. He made some big mistakes But listen to Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, [God] made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”
     Are you a person after God’s own heart? Will you do everything He wants you to do?
     Last Wednesday I attended the funeral service for Dr. Bill Bright. Howard Edington, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church here in Orlando, preached the sermon. I think it was the best sermon I ever heard Howard preach. He said he had often wondered what would have happened if the rich young ruler we read about in the Gospels had told Jesus “Yes” instead of “No.”
     You remember the story. This powerful, rich young man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells him to obey the commandments, and he says he always has. Then Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. The Bible tells us that “he went away sad because He had great wealth.” In other words, He told Jesus “No.” But what if he had said “Yes.?”
     However, Dr. Edington said, he thinks he found the answer to his question in the life of Bill Bright. As a young man Bill Bright came to Christ and received him as Lord and Savior. Soon after that, he and his wife drew up a contract in which they gave everything they owned to Christ. They signed the contract and from that day on, Bill Bright referred to himself as a slave of Jesus Christ.
     Though Dr. Bright, God formed Campus Crusade for Christ, which is now a vast international ministry that has reached billions of people with the Good News of God’s love. Few people have had the impact on the world that Bill Bright has had. And it’s all because he signed his life over to Jesus. It’s all because he was willing to do whatever God wanted him to do.
     But do you know what really perplexes me? When I think about it, I’m surprised that so few people have had such an important impact on the world. I’m not as impressed that Bill Bright did so much as I am that so many of us have done so little. In John 14:12 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
     What do you suppose would happen if everyone in this room said, “God, I’ll do whatever you want me to do?” If you want me to change jobs I’ll change jobs. If you want me to move I’ll move. If you want me to stay where I am and serve you where I work, I’ll be the best servant I can be right here. I’ll give what you want me to give. I’ll go where you want me to go. I’ll say what you want me to say. I’ll read what you want me to read. I’ll serve how you want me to serve. I will do whatever you want.
     Make no mistake, my sisters and brothers. God wants you to say exactly that. That’s not radical discipleship. That’s just being a Christian. That is what God is trying to do with in your life. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
     What do you suppose would happen if everyone in this room said, “God, I’ll do whatever you want me to do?” We just might see the greatest revival the world has ever known.  We would worship Him in spirit and in truth, like we have never worshipped before. We would attract others to Him, so that they too would worship Him, and be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. We would love each other with such great love, I’m at a loss for words to try to describe it. Our family lives would be richer and more joyful -- so would all our relationships. Our activities would be overflowing with meaning and purpose. Substance abuse, violence, dishonesty of all kinds would practically disappear. Hungry people would be fed. Children would do better in school because their environment would be so greatly improved. Sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and abortions would start to fade away.
     And that’s only on the natural level. That doesn’t even begin to talk about the miracles we would see God work through us and among us. What do you suppose would happen if everyone in this room said, “God, I’ll do whatever you want me to do?”
 
     I’ve been talking about revival for nearly a year now. And beloved I know it’s going to happen. I don’t know when, but I know it’s going to happen. Yet I have to confess that I’m starting to get a little impatient. What I see coming is so indescribably beautiful that I can hardly wait for it to get here. And so, I confess, at times I feel a little frustrated.
     I was talking about this with one of our church leaders this week, and he said, “Rod, sometimes I get the impression that the people feel as if revival is something that’s going to come, and they can only receive it passively. They don’t think they have any role to play in bringing it about.”
     I thought about that and prayed about that, and I think he might be right. Now on the one hand, we can’t bring revival. God has to send it. It’s a work of the Spirit. But that doesn’t mean that we do nothing in the meanwhile.
     While we were at Daytona Beach last month I had a chance to do some body surfing. Now it takes a pretty good wave to carry someone my size, but these waves were perfect. I had some of the best rides of my life. But you know, when you’re trying to catch a wave you can’t just stand there until the wave comes. You have to start swimming hard  in the right direction when you see it start to swell. You can’t make the wave. But if you don’t do anything before the wave gets to you, it will just wash over your head and leave you sputtering.
     In the same way, we can’t cause revival. But we can be praying for it. And we can start heading in the direction we know it’s going to take us by surrendering our wills and our activities to God.
     Likewise in sailing, you can’t make the wind blow. But if you don’t have your sails up when the wind starts, you’ll be dead in the water. Or if you have your sail up but you’re pointed in the wrong direction you’ll just sit there and luff. Your sails will be flapping and you won’t be going anywhere.
     Some people are going to be like that when revival comes. They’re going to miss it. Or they’ll be scrambling to get themselves ready, or get themselves turned around.
     I don’t want that for you and me. I don’t believe God wants that for you and me. I believe He wants us to take off and soar.
     God is going to send His Holy Spirit among us in a mighty way. Our part is to get ready. He’s already working in us. Our part is to say, “Lord, teach me to want what you want.” Our part is to say, “Lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Then do it.
 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”