Philippians is a favorite letter of Paul for me. Paul is there in confinement in a rented apartment as a result of his service to the Lord. He writes letters of encouragement not really knowing what the future holds. 

Philippians 2 is laying out the example of Christ and almost daring us to follow. The underlying word is Submission which by very definition means that someone or something else matters more than me

Philippians 2:5 says Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. He existed for eternity but didn’t hold on to his position if it meant losing his passionate loving relationship with mankind. So, He emptied himself… became a servant. He was obediently humble and did so to the point of death… death on the cross. 

Why? Because v3 says we are to do nothing out of conceit or selfish ambition, but humility considering others as more important than self… the interest of others is the driving force of service. 

v12 – therefore… work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This is not talking about gaining our salvation, but about living IN our salvation. We are saved for a purpose. 

v14 do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure… faultless in a crooked and perverted generation. The crooked thing, the perverted thing is when we become selfish, self-centered, it is never what was intended for us. 

So v15 continues YOU Shine like Stars in the world. 

Hey – here is the encouragement – you and I don’t have to be the greatest fanciest diamonds, but any diamond shines in a pile of dirt. 

How do we shine? v16 holding firm to the word – Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is Living and Active… able to judge the thoughts and intentions. Obedience and Submission to the Word is our definer and the light that makes us shine. Compare this… while we shine like stars in a perverted generation, they still are not my truth, not my comparison, It’s the Word of God that is our standard. 

And So, as I serve selflessly focused on the eternal and the needs of others, I can v16b boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t waste my time. I didn’t serve for nothing. I didn’t run or labor in vain. 

Then if it just stopped right there – eyes on eternity, serving today, shining like stars / diamonds in the midst of dirt – well that would be enough… I can make it, just keep on serving…

But Paul doesn’t stop there and that’s not what caught my attention today – because the reality already shown by example of Christ is that SERVICE might not just lead to inconvenience –

v17 Even If – Even If I am Poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith

Sacrifice is the potential of Submission and Service

KJV renders it If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith

Paul had a purpose and that was to see faith take flight in the lives of others. Why did Jesus empty himself, submit, become obedient, become like us as a servant? To Die on the cross for our Faith, for our Sins.

Oswald Chambers says “I want to CHOOSE the SCENERY of my own Sacrifice. I want to have the right people watching me and saying ‘well done’”

Oh my isn’t that honest? We want to serve where we want, how we want, who we want to serve… But Paul says EVEN IF I am emptied, poured out as a drink offering

There is some unique things about drink offerings

1. It was emptied, useless for anything else – nothing to show, nothing in it for the offerer. When that drink offering was poured over the sacrificial offering it disappeared as steam and was gone. Many other food offerings were enjoyed by the people or by the priests but this offering was only offered and gone
2. It was always a celebration – not a sacrifice of suffering or sadness. Paul wasn’t sad about this, it was a celebration of God and for the faith of others whom he served
3. The Vessels (Exodus 25:29) used for drink offering were pure gold. The idea then is that I seek to be a pure vessel, and then in celebration am poured out. No one else may ever know or credit me for the work. So when you go back to vv14-15 and see him cautioning against grumbling and arguing and the like – he is saying those things sully our pure gold vessel. 

So it is a service given for your faith and Even IF I am Poured Out – what does Paul say? I AM GLAD AND REJOICE with all of you

This isn’t a “woe is me” – it is the Joy of the Lord. I’ve often said, “Happiness is about what happens to us, but Joy is about what is INSIDE of You.” 

So, Paul says, I’ve brought my golden vessel full of Heavenly Wine meant to be nothing more me, all for you, all for the Lord; in celebration I will pour it out and get nothing for myself. 

v18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me

As servants in Submission to the Lord for the Faith of others, we are just Lead Worshipers celebrating the Submission and Service of Christ for us and calling others to join us in the Celebration. Others may not know we were here, but faith of others will remain.

When Ignatius was arrested in 110AD for following the Way of Christ. He was condemned to die by Lions in the Colosseum. They say that when the Lion Cage was opened, he reached out his hand toward the first lion and said, “Today I Begin to be a Christian” 

Even If…