You’re different and you can’t help it.

Steve Brown:
You’re different and you can’t help it. I’ll explain on this edition of Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
The deepest message of Jesus and the Bible is the radical grace of God to sinners and sufferers. That’s what Key Life is all about. So, if you’re hungry for the hopeful truth that God isn’t mad at you, keep listening. Steve Brown is a professor and our teacher on Key Life.

Steve Brown:
Hey, are you tired? Me too. You know, Christmas is wonderful. I don’t like the Christmas season much. And that’s a disconnect from my grandchildren because I look like Santa Claus. But I love, I love Christmas Eve. That’s my favorite worship service. And I love Christmas Day because it’s all done And it’s all good, and it’s a time when you stop and you remember and you rejoice. But the day after Christmas is sometimes when you think, I don’t have any more gasoline left in my car or in my body. And I don’t, and I’m just plain tired. Well, I am too, but this broadcast goes ahead. So, we’re going to return to Philippians. Now, if you remember where we left the book of Philippians, that was some two or three years ago. It wasn’t, but it feels like it. When we left the book of Philippians, we were looking at the subject of faithfulness in Philippians 2:14 through 18. Let me read that text to you 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. But even if I’m 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, if you were listening a few days ago when we looked at this text, you know that we did an Anthropology 101 lecture on what human beings are really like. What you’re like, and what I’m like. We live in a fallen world. And that has unbelievable implications for us and for them. Now, we know what it’s done to us. And we’ve gone to the only person who can make a difference with our evil and our depravity that Paul describes in this text. And Jesus is working in us, and we’re getting better, and we’re going to see that we shine like lights in a world where people don’t know what has happened. And that what it means to be faithful, just not to leave. Now, let’s turn to the subject. Let me tell you something that you maybe didn’t know. In 1875, the Franco American Union raised money for a gigantic statue. It’s called the Statue of Liberty. I used to do a television program in New York, and they put me in a hotel that had a window that looked out at the Statue of Liberty. And every night, I went and stood by that window and thought about this story. The statue was designed by F.A. Bartholdi and it was presented to the United States in 1884. That’s all known, everybody knows that. You can Google it and find it. But let me tell you something interesting about the Statue of Liberty. In one of those television commercials, where an airplane flies over the top of the statue, I noticed the detail, incredible detail on the top of the head of that grand lady. You say, so, so what? Well, let me tell you. In 1884 there were no airplanes and the statue was a hundred and fifty two feet high. As a matter of fact, nobody in the world would have, without other than God, have ever seen the top of the Statue of Liberty. And the detail is magnificent. That dear friend, is one of the best examples of faithfulness that I know. Whoever created that statue took the time to be faithful in carving something that he honestly didn’t think anybody would ever see. That’s good. And we’re going to talk about that kind of faithfulness. That’s when you don’t leave, where you hang tough. Even if you’re failing and it’s not going well, you never leave. Someday, publishers often have asked me, and still do on occasion, to write a good book on marriage. I have so far refused. You know, we’ve been married for almost 60 years. But who knows, maybe tomorrow, Anna will come to me and say, I’ve had enough, and I’m leaving. So, I don’t want a book on marriage to be out right after she says that. Now, she’s not going to do that. I mean, she’s been my best friend, and I, her best friend, for a whole lot of years. But maybe someday I will write a book on marriage. And it’ll have two words in it, and I’ll put those two words on every page. Don’t leave. That’s it. Just, the rest of it I’m not sure about, but don’t leave. That’s enough. That’s faithfulness. Faithfulness is when you don’t leave, and we’re going to spend some time today and tomorrow and then next week talking about exactly what it means to be faithful. And the first thing you ought to know is the contrast of faithfulness. Look at Philippians 2:14 through 15.

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.

People are always saying to me, Steve, this is awful. What’s happening in our country? They’re calling, they’re calling good, evil and evil, good. We’ve lost our foundation and our anger and everything is going down the tube. It’s just awful. Isn’t that bad? And I always say, Oh no, that’s good. Cause when it’s dark enough, you can see the light. Everybody cheats. This is awful. No, it’s not. Because when it gets dark enough, you can see the light. My neighbors are driving me nuts, they’re not believers, they do really bad stuff. What should I do? Rejoice, cause that’s good. When it gets dark enough, you can see the light. We’re facing a horrible situation politically in our nation, and it’s really bad, and it’s really scary, and I can’t sleep at night. Isn’t that awful? No. It’s good, because when it gets dark enough, you can see the light. And that’s what Paul is saying in this text about faithfulness. And it’s what Jesus meant when he said, you are the light of the world. You may not be a bright light. You may be just a little light. You may not have the light of a lighthouse, but you’re a light, and when it gets dark enough, even a little light will do. Do you know what we do in Florida? That’s where this broadcast is recorded. I live in Orlando. When we don’t have time to weed in our yards, we shine lights on the weeds and they’re colored lights. And they make them look pretty. The light kind of hides the weeds and lifts them up as something that is pretty. Well, that’s what Paul says we do. We shine the light that God has given us. What is that light? Is it purity? No. That ought to be increasing in us. Does it mean obedience? Well, no. That ought to be increasing in us, but it’s the light that relates to the world. When we love people who’ve never been loved, when we cut slack and mercy and compassion for people who have never experienced it. When we laugh, when everybody else is crying. When we reach out to the least in our culture, cause nobody else would. That’s when you shine your light in a very dark world. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve. That was Steve Brown resuming our journey through Philippians. Today, moving on to chapter 2: verses 14 and 15. And guess what? Tomorrow, we’re going to finish out this Christmas week with another day of exploring Philippians. How about that sports fans? But have no fear, Pete will return next week for Friday Q&A. Well, hope your Christmas was good, though I have to say the day after Christmas is a vibe all its own. I mean, is it just me? Happy memories? Yeah. Maybe some indigestion, but also some lingering questions like, did I get it? I mean, did I really experience Christmas this year? If you have questions about life, your purpose, maybe even about God himself, there are real answers. All because of what happened there in Bethlehem so long ago. Well, Steve wrote about this in a powerful book called If Jesus Has Come. And for a donation of $15 or more to Key Life, that book is our gift to you. Just call us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to order that book. Or to mail your request go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.