Let's start with the Old Testament. Our Old Testament reading this morning comes from Exodus. And that's Exodus chapter 15. Please turn there in your Bibles or in your bulletin. Exodus 15 in verse 22. When Moses made Israel sent out from the Red Sea and they went into the wilderness of Shur, they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And they came to Merah. They could not drink the water of Merah because it was bitter. Therefore it was named Merah. And the people grumbled against Moses saying, what shall we drink? And he cried to the Lord and the Lord showed him a log and he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule. And there he tested them saying, if you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord, your God, and do that which is right in his eyes and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes. I'll put none of the diseases on you than I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.' Then they came to Elam. There were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. They set out from Elam, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elam and Sinai. on the 15th day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the people of Israel said to them, would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full. We have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. The Lord said to Moses, behold, I'm about to rain bread from heaven for you. And the people should go out and gather a day's portion every day that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily. Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel at evening, you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we that you grumble against us? And Moses said, when the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the fall, Because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him. What are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling. As soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, I looked towards the wilderness and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. The Lord said to Moses, I've heard the grumbling of the people of Israel say to them at twilight, you shall eat meats and in the morning you should be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, your God. I'm turning to our new Testament reading, which is our sermon texts. We're reading from Philippians chapter two and verse 14 through 18. Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ, I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me." This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we listen now to your word proclaimed, may Christ alone be our true hope. Let us heed your exhortations. Let us be grounded in the matchless work of Christ. And may we find comfort in the God most high, who gives us hope in the midst of trials. Do this this very hour, we pray. Amen. Words have meaning. They have meaning from God, and they are typically related one to another in a sentence, in a paragraph, or within a conversation. And for us to understand these words, we need to understand or know the context or the history in which they were first found. Listen to a few of these famous quotes. float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Or I think, therefore I am. What about to be or not to be, that is the question. Or what does not kill me makes me stronger. If you don't know whose words those are or the context in which they were originally stated, you will be unable to properly understand the intention of the original speaker or author. Now, our opening text this morning, the opening verse in Philippians 2 and verse 14 is a little like this. Do all things without grumbling and disputing. You see, these words have a history. which might not at first be recognizable to us as a modern reader. These words might appear to us as to be quite plain. In fact, somewhat self-evident. Do all things without grumbling or complaining, disputing. It sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Kind of, Paul, we got that. Let's move now to the next point. Well, yes and no. In fact, it's rather actually not so fast. We don't want to miss out on the depths of what Paul is actually saying here. You see, to the first century Christian who had the Old Testament Scriptures as their Bible, this language was very recognizable to them. They immediately recognized where this language came from. This language of not grumbling comes out of Exodus. It's from the second book of the Torah. Now, before we look at this language in much more detail of how these Philippians are exhorted not to be like the Israelites in the wilderness period, let's first step back a little. Let's have an overview of our text. I want to give you something of a roadmap of the sermon this morning. Well, our text falls very naturally into two sections, two parts. And these will be our primary points this morning, just two points. The first is do all things. Do all things without grumbling and or disputing. And secondly, in everything that you do, Paul says, all that you do, hold fast to the word of life. And it's within these words that we find on the one hand, a prohibition. Verse 14, in all that you do, do it without grumbling or disputing. Paul is enjoining these believers to not behave like the Israelites did in their sin. And very shortly thereafter, two verses later, in verse 16, we find the antidote. The antidote for grumbling and disputing. In other words, there's a manual for how you are to ensure that the words that come out of your mouth are not sinful. See, there's a positive exhortation and antidote in everything you do. Every single thing. In the best of times and in the most difficult of times, hold fast to the Word of Life. which will anchor you and transform your heart and your mind so that it will ensure that the words that flow out of your mouth, which reflect the very condition of your heart will be without blemish rather than being so wretchedly sinful. That's what Paul's addressing today. Friends, this little tongue, this little member, this little muscle, it's like an unbiased news reporter. It tells us exactly what's going on within you. It's like a temperature gauge of the soul. James, the brother of Christ says, if you cannot bridle your tongue, your religion is worthless. See, for our words to be words of life, words of blessing and not cursing, we must hold fast. We must hold firm. to the word of life, we must hold firm to the scriptures, which will transform your heart and your mind. And the heart of a man is the very source. It's the very fountain head from which all our words proceed. You see these words that you and I speak, they come from deep within us. The tongue itself is steered by something else, by our hearts, that inner core, that center of who we are. What we find in this text this morning, these five verses actually conclude, they bring to an end this long auditory section, this lengthy exhortation that begins back in chapter 1. Chapter 1 and verse 27. And so this text, this lengthy exhortation from chapter 1, 27 all the way through to 2 and verse 18 is about one thing. One thing and one thing only. It reflects the primary exhortation that we found many weeks ago in chapter 1 and 27 and that is, let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. In fact, it actually starts with the word only. In other words, do one thing and one thing only. Only let your manner of life be worthy. of the gospel of Christ. This is the point of our text. As citizens of heaven now living on earth, let your manner of life, your words, your actions, your heart motivations be reflected of who you now are as new creations in Christ Jesus. Paul is saying to these believers, In the midst of facing persecution, trials and difficulties, this church is to be united as one in Christ. Having the same mind, the same love, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. but in humility to count one another as better or more significant than yourselves. This is what it means to be like Christ. In fact, Paul goes on. You might remember he gives us the example of Christ, who humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross. And so God exalts him. and gives him a name that is higher than any other name. And so Paul says, dear Philippians, as you have always obeyed, now continue to obey Christ in working out your own salvation. For it is God who is at work in you to will and to work for his good pleasure. And that takes us up to the end of verse 13. And here now, our text in verse 14, Paul switches gears. He moves from the general to the specific. He moves from a broad doctrine of working out your own salvation in the fear of the Lord to the specific exhortation of guarding your words with the word of life. Let's look at our text. Do all things without grumbling and disputing our first point. You know, when things don't go as well as you thought they would, or as you thought they should go, when what you thought God was doing all along actually took a different turn, Or when God was so obviously with you, and then he seemed quite suddenly to become absent or distant. How do you respond? How do we respond in the reality of that moment in life? In Exodus chapter 14, we find the miraculous crossing of the Israelites across the Red Sea. You might remember that for 430 years, the Israelites had been in Egypt since the time of Joseph. And now God is leading them out of Egypt to the promised land. He's going to constitute them as a holy nation unto himself. What we see in scripture is that God's been with them all this time. The mighty hand of God has been on display in the most extraordinary of ways, favoring them, providing for them, protecting them, delivering them. However, what we do find in these scriptures in Exodus is that in the midst of God's covenant faithfulness to these people, When Israel travels through the wilderness land, that section of land between Egypt and the promised land of Canaan, there is a tragic, tragic pattern of events in the lives of these people. Here's the pattern. The pattern is this. First, we see God's miraculous provision and protection for his people. And then we see God's people respond in praise, praise unto Him. Shortly thereafter, God tests the Israelites' faith, doing so to mature them, to grow them, to perfect them. And it's here that we find the tragic turn. Here's where it goes all wrong. Because the Israelites fail to remember that God is in the midst of them. Even in the midst of their trial, they fail to remember the character and the nature of their good God. And so in doing so, they grumble against Moses. And more properly, they grumble against God. And so here we see this pattern. It's a cycle of events, time and time again, with most of the Israelites eventually dying in the wilderness. Why? Because of grumbling. Grumbling in unbelief. Hardness of heart. Testing God. And our Old Testament lesson this morning is quite illustrative of one of these wilderness failings, which Paul is exhorting them to learn from. That's what Paul's doing. This is the language that they recognize when they hear or read these words. Now, Exodus chapter 15, it opens with the song of Moses, which is a song of praise. It's a song of praise about God's deliverance. the defeat of the Egyptians at the Red Sea, and God's people are effusive in praise. They are worshiping God. I mean, just listen to these first few verses in Exodus 15. I will sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise Him. My Father's God and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is His name. What praise! And then you read a little further down, later on in verse 11, we read, who, this is still part of the hymn of praise, the song of worship. Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? But just three days later, just 72 hours after journeying into the wilderness, how things have changed. They couldn't find any water. The water that they didn't eventually find was bitter. And so we read in Exodus 15, 24, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, what shall we drink? And God's gracious, so gracious, performs yet another miracle and causes the bitter water to become sweet. But it didn't take long for the grumbling to break out again in the camp. This time it wasn't about the imposing Egyptian army that seemed to threaten their very life. It wasn't about bitter water in which they might not be able to drink. Now it was about the lack of food. You see, in just 45 days since leaving Egypt, this is the third significant time of unbelief, distrust, and grumbling that raises its ugly head when God is in their midst. I mean, listen to Exodus 16 in verse 2. Listen to the tone. And a whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full. For you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly. with hunger." Sinful grumbling is not against the leadership of this Israelite congregation. It's against God Himself. It's exactly what Moses says. He says, your grumbling is not against us, meaning Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord. Yet another episode breaks out just a few days thereafter. This time it's about water. Once again, you would think they've learned the lesson. Exodus 17, therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water to drink. And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord? There's the disputing. Here's the testing of God. I want us to be very careful and very clear here. There's nothing wrong with asking questions of leadership. This is not what Paul is getting at. There's nothing wrong at all asking questions. What we're dealing with here is sinful grumbling and quarreling with God and his appointed leaders. It's wickedness in the sight of God. It brings dissension. It brings division. which is the opposite of what Paul has been exhorting them to, of having the same mind, the same love, being united through humility as we work out our salvation in the fear of the Lord. There's just no reverential fear of God in the Israelite midst. There's false accusation, there's divisiveness, there's unbelief, fear, testing, testing of God. and there's hardness of heart. This is exactly what the author of Hebrews in chapter three says to us. He says, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for 40 years. Friends, the wilderness period in the Old Covenant was a place of testing. It was the testing of one's faith. It was to the maturing grounds of God's people of this newly constituted nation. And God had not abandoned His people. Not at all. He fought against their enemies. He rained down matter from heaven each morning. He caused water to spring from the rock. He ensured that their clothing and their sandals never ever wore out. And he went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God was with them. This is the faithfulness of God on display amidst the unfaithfulness of God's people. This place of testing It's also true of the new covenant people of God who now live before or between Christ's first coming and his second coming. The overriding thrust of the book of Hebrews is one of exhortation. It's an exhortation for the new covenant wilderness congregation who have come out of the world, come out of Egypt. and who are still on pilgrimage towards God's Sabbath rest, his promised Sabbath rest, which still lies ahead for us in the new heavens and the new earth and new Jerusalem. You see this exhortation to do all things without grumbling or disputing. It's about sanctification. That's what Paul's dealing with. It's that you and I as children of God would live without blemish. This doesn't have to do with our acceptance before God. It doesn't have to do with us being welcomed into the family of God. It's about bringing holiness to completion in the fear of the Lord. It's about living your life in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. Paul's point is that in doing all things without grumbling or disputing, you will be children of God without blemish. shining as lights in a darkened, crooked, and twisted generation. There's the contrast. We are to be lights in the midst of darkness. The church is not to be like the world. See, the citizens of this world, they grumble and they dispute with God and with one another. And thus are like twisted, crooked metal in comparison to the straight rule of God's law. We who are in Christ are to be blameless in our works without blemish. working in the fear of the Lord, loving God without all loving one another with a special brotherly love. And so shine as lights in the darkness for others to see disciples of Christ who live in reverential fear of the living God who is our father. How are we to do this? How are we to do this in times of trial? To hold fast. Hold fast to the word of the Lord. Hold fast to the word of life. Our second and last point. Paul's specific exhortation to do all things without grumbling and without disputing is qualified by the language of holding fast to the word of life. Paul is saying that when trials come your way, when your faith is tested and God appears to be somewhat absent, whether it's persecution, imprisonment or hardship, that's become your bedfellows, dear Philippian believers. Don't, don't give in to grumbling or disputing, to divisiveness or carnality, into distrusting God, but hold fast, hold fast to the word of life. God has not abandoned you. In your trials, he is there. working in you by the power of the spirit so that you can stand and be matured. So what God is saying to these Israelites was that he who made the seas and all that is in them is the one who can part the sea so that you can walk on dry ground. that God truly is like none other, so that you and I really can walk by faith and not by sight in the knowledge of God. This is what Paul says in Romans 4. And he says of God is God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. And it's here that Abraham, the father of faith, is such an example to us. When his body was as good as dead because he was 100 years old, his wife Sarah's womb is barren. God has promised. He's promised to them a child, the child of promise. But in the natural, there is no hope for a child. Paul says of Abraham, in hope he believed against hope. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but Abraham, as Paul says, grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. Abraham grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. Friends, hold fast. Hold fast to the promises of God that are in the Word of Life. Grasp hold, grasp hold of the Scriptures in such a way that you will not let go. Read them. Study them. Give careful attention to the scriptures read and preached. Obey them. Obey the word of life in the power of God that is at work within you as you work out your salvation in the fear of the Lord. Hold fast. What did Jesus say? He said, it is the spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken, says Jesus, the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Says Jesus, who himself is the word of life. 1 John 1. Friends, the Word of Life, the Scriptures are about the person of the Word of Life, Christ Jesus, who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, yet without sin. What a Savior we have. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. For we have a faithful high priest who lives to intercede for us even now. So when things don't go your way, when you think God has lost control of the situation, don't play God. Don't act on behalf of God as if you think you know better. When the enemies of God are after you, or there's no water, or there's no food in the wilderness, and it looks like God's abandoned you, trust Him. Submit to Him. who ordains whatsoever comes to pass. And against hope, hope in God and his promises. Hold fast to the word of life so that you will stand and not fall. So that you will evidence the fruit of the Holy Spirit being without blemish, shining as lights in the darkness. Look, dear friends, to the person of the Word of Life in the pages of the Word of Life, the Scriptures, and be strengthened as you join together with Abraham in glorifying God, even when all around you gets really, really hot. And in doing so, the words that come out of your mouth will not be grumbling or disputing words. They will be words of life to those around you. And let us rejoice with one another to this very end as we live for the goods of one another, for the glory of God, holding fast to the word of life that says that God will be with us always to the very end of the age, even in times of hardship. in times of trial and times of testing, how God is faithful. He can be trusted, hold firm to the word of life. Let's pray. Oh God, would you be honored this very morning as we come in childlike faith, holding to the word of life, Lord, you are working within us and we give great thanks for that, so that our lips may pour forth words of blessing, words of praising, words of good news to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Let's stand together and worship our God, singing hymn in Christ alone. He is risen! He is risen! so so so so so I am the Lord, I am the King, I am the Lord, I am the King, I am the Lord, I am the King, I am the Lord, I am the King, so Please be seated. Let's pray together. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we give you praise for our salvation, salvation that comes through Christ alone and his perfect righteousness. We marvel at your kindness towards us, a kindness that includes beckoning us to pray. come and to present our requests to you, to pray in accordance with your word. So first we come with thanksgiving, recounting your wonderful deeds of how you have provided and sustained us throughout the years. Your grace is enough and your faithfulness is unfailing. You satisfy us with your steadfast love. We thank you that we who are in Christ, we no longer belong to sin, but belong to a new master, our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for your Holy Spirit that now indwells us, for your Word that strengthens us, and that Christ, our High Priest, lives to intercede for us. May each and every one of us live in the light of this marvelous reality. This morning, we bring our needs before you. We pray for those among us who are pressed down by the weight of great sorrow, of anxiety, of uncertainty, of trouble. Would you strengthen your people in your grace? Would you comfort them in your promises? And would you give them a peace that transcends understanding? And we pray for those among us who are sick. I think particularly of Henry Brinks and we ask that you would watch over him. Pray for Sherry Sawinski and watch over her. Would you strengthen them and others in your grace? May you be their healer. We ask that you would sustain them by your word and in your promises and that they would know the very presence of the living God right by their side. Would we pray for those among us who are grieving the loss of loved ones, whether those be parents or spouses, would you comfort them? Would you be so ever near to them? May they be encouraged by the fellowship of believers as we grieve with those who grieve and rejoice with those who rejoice. We pray for our covenant children in our midst. We ask that you would effectively work and call them to yourself and love, that they would prize and delight in the gospel, that they would grow up in the ways of the Lord as we teach them your word. Be at work, Holy Spirit, in a way that no parent can, but use that which we do. for their salvation and for your glory. We ask too that you would give each and every one of us much grace amidst this time of pandemic. May we look to Christ. May we have grace one for another. May you strengthen us in these times. May you do in us that which you desire to do in us, O God. As you purge sin from us, make us more like Christ. Even in these difficult and dark hours, we pray for preservation and the strengthening of marriages in this church. May you bless husbands and wives. May you renew their love one for another as they center upon you, as they hold fast to the word of truth. But may your grace and your peace and the goodness of the love of God just fill marriages within this church. You strengthen them, refresh them. And may we reflect the picture of Christ and his love for his church. I would pray for the leadership within our state. We pray now for the state of Illinois. We thank you, God, that you are Lord, that you are sovereign over all things. We pray for our leaders, for Governor Pritzker and Senators Duckworth and Durbin, for those serving in the General Assembly. Father, would you give them grace and insight to serve the state with faithfulness, with diligence and with skill. And they govern with wisdom, rule with justice and righteousness and exercise their gifts with soberness and reverent fear. And as we frequently pray, would you bend their hearts to your will? Would you direct their hearts like a stream of water, guiding it wherever you please so that your people might lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. And so be able to freely proclaim the glorious mysteries of Christ in this region. Do all these things for your glory, for our good, for the joy of those who yet to know you and to prize the gospel. We ask all these things in the name of Christ, who taught his disciples to pray. Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. It's our typical practice at this time to bring the Lord's tithes and our offerings unto Him as part of our worship. Because of these unusual days, we've had to do things differently. There are lockboxes in the narthex as well as downstairs and online facilities and mailing. And let's, as we listen now as the piano plays, let's pray to our God that He would advance his kingdom, that the gospel would go forth in and through this church, that the glory of God would be heralded, and that he would draw those who do not know him in his saving love unto himself. so so so