Five Marks of a Growing Believer | Jeff Clark

Philippians 2:12-15 NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

 

I. Listen and Obey

     

Philippians 2:12 NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

   

"as you have always obeyed" = "acoustic" – listen

    

You can't find deep satisfaction in disobedience.

  

John 5:19 NIV

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

  

Obedience is often matched with discomfort.

  

Hebrews 5:8 NIV

8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered

  

II. Work with Consistency

   

Philippians 2:12 NIV

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

  

"continue to work out your salvation" = "continue working it out"

  

"Christianity is about getting into heaven before you die."

  

Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

    

III. Trust and Surrender

  

John 16:7 KJV

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

  

Ephesians 2:4b-5 NIV

4 ...God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

  

Philippians 2:13 NIV

13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

   

"for it is God who works in you" = "energizing"

    

Proverbs 23:7a KJV

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...

  

Philippians 4:8 NIV

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

  

IV. Choose Joy.

   

Philippians 2:14 NIV

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,

  

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing" = mindset – "frame"

   

Philippians 2:5 NIV

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

   

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Viktor E. Frankl

  

  

V. Shine with Awareness

  

Philippians 2:15b NIV

15...Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky