Audio Archive

Transcript

Well, the study that we have before us today in Philippians is one which is really, I think, a very touching and a very joyful epistle. It's one which really is amongst the shorter ones of the apostle Paul and has really a very important background behind it, which guides us into our consideration of this epistle. And therefore the background is fairly vital to understand some of the detailed analysis and detailed discussion that the apostle gives us in this particularly short letter. As we read there in chapter 16 in the Acts of the Apostles, it really was an incident involving Paul's formation of the Philippian Ecclesia on his second journey. The second journey, of course, took him over into this region of Europe, which really crosses over the Pontus area and takes him into the European peninsula in the area of Thrace and thence up into northern Greece, which is called Macedonia. Now this is the beginning of the Ecclesia in Europe and the beginning of that Ecclesia comes in at Philippi and so therefore it's fairly important. Let's just get some bit of background here as we go through looking at the early movements of the apostle and of the brethren and sisters at this time. As we can see in the area here on the map, the apostle Paul was basing his work in the area of Antioch, which we see over there up to the north in Palestine. In the series of events which took place here, we find that the early days gave us the martyrdom of James under Herod. The famine in Jerusalem from 45 to 46 was rather significant. That famine, of course, brought the apostle Paul to consider the needs of the brethren and sisters, particularly those of poor circumstances in Judea. Then in 47, 49, we have Paul's first missionary journey, which took him off on that area through Salamis to Persia to Antioch, Iconium, Derby, Lystra, and back again. And then on his return, he went down to the council in Jerusalem in 49 A .D., which is the content of Acts chapter 15, and then we come to his next journey, Paul's third journey, which was from approximately the years 52 to 56 A.D., and where he then takes his venture over into Europe on his second, which was an enlarged journey. And so that's really what we're talking about now. Following that, of course, Paul goes back. We have his third missionary journey, 52, 56 A.D., rather. I think we said that that was the early one. His second journey was 49 to 52, the third journey, 52 to 56, because he goes straight away again after his cessation of his second journey. And then we have Paul in Caesarea, 56 to 58, and then Paul finally is imprisoned and goes off to Rome by the year 61 A.D. So we can see the sequence of events there are happening fairly rapidly within the decade, so from 50 to 60 in that period of principally the works of Paul in his second and third journeys, which eventually take him on his third journey off onto Rome. Well let's just recall again the incidents of his second journey, which we see in this map here. Here Paul had left the area of Antioch, and of course he had a sharp dispute with Barnabas here. Barnabas wanted to take, of course, John Mark with him. Paul disagreed with that council, owing to the failure of John Mark during the first journey. So Barnabas went off to Cyprus, taking John Mark, and Paul took Silas and went off, as well, to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and thence over to Troas. And then he wanted to actually go up north of there, but in fact the spirit assayed him from doing that. In that record we read in chapter 16, you'll see here verse 7, that after they had come to Mycia, they assayed to go into Bithynia. Bithynia would have taken them up into the region's north, you'll see, up into Asia. But it was not to be that the truth was to go into Asia. It was to go into Europe first and foremost, and in fact the truth has never really gone into Asia in a big way, not like it did into Europe. And therefore the teaching of the Gospel is yet reserved for an Asian exploration, another crossing of the mountains there, which must yet be done in terms of spreading the word of God out to the areas of the Asian peninsulas. And of course the actual nation called the Sinokim nations over there, which derive from the name Sinokim, these are the ones who, as Isaiah mentions, shall yet come and worship the Lord in Jerusalem. And the Sinims will be there, and they will be able to worship the Lord at that time in the kingdom, and it was not to be that they were going to worship the Lord now. So Paul is stayed from going up into Asia, and the word of God does not really reach there, and has still not reached there in a successful missionary exercise. So really that's a piece of history of fairly great importance to us, isn't it? To see the work of God going on at this time. But nevertheless, it says that in verse 8 of chapter 16, that they passing by Mos Micaea came down to Troas. So now they're right on the coast here, and of course now the night vision comes in. There appears to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia who prays, prays him saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. And after he had seen the vision immediately, we endeavour to go into Macedonia. And then verse 11 says therefore, losing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia and the next day to Neapolis. Now there you have the incident of his change of direction. You'll notice the reason for it is that one was standing there before him saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Now notice a little bit of detail here which in reading it gives us a bit of information. You'll see in verse 8 it says, and they passing by Micaea came to Troas. Then we get the vision of this man of Macedonia saying, come and help us. And then immediately it says, in verse 10, immediately we endeavour to go into Macedonia. So you've got a they in verse 8 and we change to a we in verse 10. Obviously, the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, being Luke, joins the company on this occasion for the first time. So Luke now being the writer of this record of the Acts of the Apostles, he quite evidently comes into this particular crisis when they went over to Troas and now in the morning there joins them Luke. And maybe Luke was the one who was seen in the vision, hey Paul, come over and help us over in Europe. Come and help us, we've learned about this truth down here in Jerusalem. We've been over there, we've heard about this now, we're wanting to learn about it and spread the word over here in Greece, Macedonia in the European province. So maybe this was the occasion, Luke was the one seen in the vision. And so immediately it says, we endeavour to go to Macedonia. So Luke joins the company here and off they go as he says, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, verse 11. So there this little connection shows us that the company has joined Paul, Luke has not been with Paul previously. Luke of course writes the whole record of the life of Christ that we know of in the Gospel records and therefore we see now the association of Luke with the Apostle Paul as they commence their ministry at this time into Europe. So as you can see on the map there, they went up through Neapolis there and to Apollonia coming down to the area of rather to Philippi before they go to Amphipolis. Now this was the area called Samothracia, originally it was called Thrace and now it's linked with some of the islands as well, the island of Samos as a province. Now Philippi here which you see on the map right at the top there became a very important Roman province. Philippi was actually named after the father of Alexander the Great who actually took over as a king of Macedon, went down and challenged much of the kingdom of the Hellenes at this time, the Hellenic peninsula of the Greeks. He went down, took over in Attica, took over Athens and thence the great empire of Philip began to rise. And of course Alexander the Great was his son born to him and the great works of the illustrious warrior Alexander are well known to us which set up the glory of the Greek Empire which of course Nebuchadnezzar saw in the dream by night of that great leopard, the power of the leopard coming over and destroying the power of the bear and the power that was seen there with the Persian Empire. So it was now, it was Greece that was going to rise. All this happened of course before in fact Alexander died and then as a result of that the empire was broken up into four divisions, the Romans came out of one of those divisions and so that well known piece of biblical history and secular history merged together as we see the history of Greece and Rome. Now we find the city of Philippi named after Philip had become a principal province. The Romans had given the people here rights of citizenship so citizenship was very important here. They also had as a result of having citizenship they didn't have to pay taxes and they could also own slaves and so this gave them quite a right to be able to exercise a good deal of power in this province of Philippi as if they were almost living down here in Rome. So these were some of the important events which really highlighted the visit of Paul over now to the area of Thrace. Now from here of course we know that he goes back into Jerusalem and then he goes on his third journey and then without going into his third journey we now come to look at where he is now in writing this epistle. This was his voyage to Rome and you can see here he goes by ship from the area of Caesarea where he had in fact was confined by Felix and sent by Festus to Rome where he appealed to Caesar. So he goes up from the area of Sidon over to Seleucia, Antioch, Tarsus, around to Myra to the town of Rhodes or to Cenedus and then from there they go down now into the area of Crete from Salome to La Sia down to Fairhavens of course the area where they were shipwrecked and then from there back up from Corda over as you see to Malta, Malta was of course where they had that shipwreck there rather, and Syracuse, Regium and eventually up to Peuti Ilai through the Forum of Apios through the three taverns and then to Rome. So this was an area of the apostles final journey or it was seen as his great journey over to Rome. He wanted to go to Rome as a free man to preach the truth, he didn't go as a free man he went as a man in chains and remember he was the one who went to the Jews as he went into Rome and said for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain and so he is there not in his expected free capacity but rather as a slave and as a prisoner and it's from here that he writes his epistle to the Philippians so this becomes a rather important point of writing as a prisoner he now writes this particular letter. Now coming back to Acts 16 we just want to highlight for a few moments here the incidents that really gave rise to the formation of the Philippian Ecclesia. You'll recall how he goes firstly up to the river banks and there on the Sabbath day he talks with the women that came there in verse 14 and here was Lydia a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worship God and so here Lydia is converted to the truth and she besought us says Luke as writing this record to remain in her house and so the formation of the Ecclesia was actually here in the house of Lydia. Now we have the incident in verse 16 down to about verse 22 where you get the possessed damsel with the spirit of divination who was healed by the apostle Paul and Silas and of course when her masters saw that the hope of their gains were gone they set upon Paul and Silas drew them to the marketplace and of course raised this case against them which resulted in the multitude rising up against them the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten. Now these beatings were very very sound and actually many men died under the beatings of the Romans and it says in verse 23 and when they'd laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison and of course they gave them to the jailer who put them into the innermost prison and he made their feet fast in stocks. Now this is rather dramatic here because you can see an incident where they're placed in the prison put under the personal charge of the jailer put into the inner prison and into the stocks within the prison which means they were chained in stocks legs and hands with their backs against the wall and here they were now in the innermost sanctum of a prison obviously they weren't about to escape. So the jailer was charged with them don't let these men escape. So what does he do? He does everything possible to secure his own charge and puts them into the innermost prison in stocks there's no way they were going to get out of there. And of course the incident was rather interesting from there. In the middle of the night what we find is that Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God and notice this and the prisoners heard them. Now why does it say that? Why does it say the prisoners heard them? Obviously Paul was here on a preaching effort as he prayed and as he sang his songs the prisoners were getting the benefit of what Paul was doing. We don't know how many of those prisoners if any were actually baptised into the Lord Jesus Christ I would suggest some of them could have been as a result of this proclamation effort in the middle of this prison but also as a result of the jailer who was later converted as we realised. So this jailer was the one who heard this strange thing going on. What was it? Here were two men who'd been beaten with their backs red raw they were weeping open wounds of lashes on their backs. Their coats were thrown back over their backs of course as they went into this terrible hole I mean this wasn't the sort of prisons they have today just remember that. The prisons of today have carpet on the floor they've got videos television sets they've got everything they want you know this is to rehabilitate them. These were prisons which were dark holes in the earth they were thrust into prisons and frequently the keys were thrown away there was no record kept of them and if in fact the Magister to put them there happened to remember that they were there and happened to show grace upon them then he let them out but otherwise imagine a person without a citizenship without a passport a person unknown a wanderer a traveller nobody would know if he wasted away with the rats in the bottom of the hole there'd be no record of it. Even so here was Paul and Silas in the innermost sanctum of a prison singing praises to God Now just remember this that the Apostle himself reminded us that if you are happy with merriment in your heart sing praises unto the Lord and sometimes when we start off our first hymn of an early morning we don't hear the most joyful notes coming out do we? I mean we're sort of stirring we're waking up we're getting the vocal cords going we're striving against you know sort of sleepiness and but yet the example of the Apostle is when you are happy sing. Now here's Paul with a painful back his hands and his feet are hurting in the stocks in a cold dark dungeon it's midnight and Paul is singing praises to God he's happy. That in itself is a remarkable testimony to staying on course with what it's all about. Too often brethren and sisters we become preoccupied with depressing atmospheres or problems surrounding us we become very very drab in our countenance we're sad and who wants to sing hymns when you're sad and again with the Apostle Paul why would he be singing hymns surely he would be sad on such an occasion but not Paul. Why then was Paul so happy so bright I mean so on course so resolute in what he was doing because brethren and sisters he could see his Lord right before his face have you thought of the connections here for instance with Paul and Christ look at the parallels here for a start though Paul obviously did a work of God certain that Philippi didn't believe but moved against him because of their own vested interests had themselves been threatened wasn't that exactly why Christ's enemies moved against him he threatened the vested interests of the scribes the Pharisees their position they felt being in threat they moved against Christ they dragged Christ before the magistrates of the Romans they got Christ beaten with his back red roar they ensured that his cape was thrown upon him he went off down through his his terrible maze look also Paul's trial was a travesty of justice wasn't it because he was a Roman citizen but he didn't let her know at this time he was a Roman citizen we'll about that in a moment it was a travesty of justice against him they hated Paul without a cause just like they hated Christ they put a false accusation against him saying he was inciting rebellion against the Romans that's exactly what they did to Christ exactly what Paul suffered and with Silas he was taken from prison and judgments just like Christ was and in the moment of the darkness of night we also see that they were also beaten with many stripes being cast into a prison as good as dead even as Christ was put into the dark tomb at night as good as dead he was dead and in order to show that Paul was as good as dead and Silas he was in the innermost prison in stocks and chains to make sure he stayed there so obviously his was his typical death a typical present situation and then of course he's in this very deep and dark hole and it is in fact the Lord Jesus Christ who in his moment of greatest sadness says father forgive them they don't know what they're doing he lifts a moment of happiness to the point where he can see that there is to be grace shown upon some of those people he is positive and objective on course in his mind exactly as Paul and Silas were they sang hymns rejoicing about all of this and you know on that cross and in that prison area there was a prisoner there was a man attached to prisons the malefactor as a result of Christ being in his own prison and death that malefactor was saved a man that belonged in a prison and here is a result here also of Paul's intercession and the work of God's calling this jailer becomes saved a person who was a citizen of a jail though he was in charge of the jail a bit like Joseph was when he was down in Potiphar's prison there he also was in charge of the jail he was associated with the jail and out of that jail he came forth of course typically into resurrection to take the prime position in Egypt similarly here we have a jailer we have Paul we have Silas all in together in the jail and out of this very depressing situation this typical death comes forth resurrection of course in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ when he died there was a great earthquake and now you notice also an earthquake here is the means of the releasing of Paul and Silas and so it says verse 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison was shaken and immediately the doors were open just like the stone was rolled back and out came the prisoners and of course this is a rather a beautiful type and I think the Apostle Paul can see it in his mind's eye he can see that he is one like as the pardon me as the disciples were they considered themselves when they started to be persecuted that they were very privileged because they could suffer for the name of Christ that was very objective wasn't it and in the midst of suffering they were considering the value to themselves and the wonderful privilege they had that they were being linked with the greatest man and the greatest victory that's ever walked this earth Jesus Christ so all of these ideas would flood into Paul's mind so in the most adverse conditions he is joyfully singing hymns and spreading the gospel to a captive audience the prisoners heard it and here he was using an opportunity to spread the truth I want you to remember about a brother telling me about his opportunity he was in a dark tunnel traveling on a train the train unfortunately had to stop it sort of had a minor signaling problem now they lost electricity and he's in this dark tunnel the train is sort of going into this tunnel and would come out about a minute later and here he's got a captive audience every all the women are screaming so he now uses this opportunity to get up and start to preach security in Christ Jesus he had a captive audience in darkness for about a minute then anyway he made the most of it he used his opportunity with his captive audience to do it and these are opportunities that we can all use on occasions Paul used it let's see at the times when we might be able to spread a little bit of this wonderful testimony of scripture the wonderful news of liberation from being incarcerated in darkness to other people around us making the opportunity always keen to do the work of an evangelist now that was Paul's minds that was Silas's mind and that was the situation they were now exploiting so of course they're able to come out of that prison we know the jailer was ready to thrust himself through with a sword and he is now given the opportunity of life by Paul and Silas and so Paul cries out don't do this don't do yourself any harm the voice cries out and of course this jailer now comes kneeling before Paul and he and his household are saved and thus began to swell the Ecclesia in Philippi and apart from Lydia the jailer is the next one mentioned here who now becomes a member of the Ecclesia so wasn't this a wonderful opportunity an opportunity to make the most of adverse circumstances and then the Apostle Paul now as we realize in the morning they send forth to him to release him out of the prison and Paul says no he says they've openly beaten us and we are Romans we're Roman citizens they're not allowed to do that to us and now they want to privately say oh get rid of these men out of the prison Paul now pulls rank his rank is a Roman citizen and he says right let them come and get us out the sergeants therefore came down and besought them look oh please you just you know move out of this prison move out of our city please do this don't arraign us and report us to Rome now why was Paul calling rank on his citizenship when really as strangers and pilgrims we don't normally call rank on citizenship do we the rights as a citizen we do not really employ up the front line to say well these are my rights why is Paul demanding his rights well he isn't actually demanding his rights what he's saying is was it lawful for you to beat a Roman citizen we didn't know you were Roman citizen well that's fine you can let us go now and I won't report you now but notice what he was doing he was making it clear that implied within the situation he could come back and report them at any time so what would the sergeants do if there was to be any arraigning or any creation creating of any suffering for the brethren there if Paul was to walk back on the scene of course they would want to do what Paul said but Paul was rather just leaving it in the air on this occasion calling rank not for his own benefits but so the sergeants would leave alone these other brothers and sisters if they raise similar charges against them so he was using his position to secure the ecclesia not his own position I think that's very interesting it was an opportunity for the work of the truth to go on without it being suppressed and without the brethren being persecuted by their adversaries at the time so it was for a furtherness of the work of the truth and the ecclesia of Philippi grew as a result of that now all of that background brethren and sisters is vitally necessary when you come to look at the epistle of paul of the philippians well let's go over there now and see very briefly what he had to say now just before doing so just notice very briefly the epistles themselves and how they fall together in really to a very simple message but an important message here here you'll see how in paul's epistles the first and greatest of his epistles in terms of the romans where he talks about christ the power of god corinthians he talks about the wisdom of god first corinthians the second letter he talks of the comforts of god to the galatians he talks about christ the righteousness of god for us aphesians christ the riches of god for us philippians christ the sufficiency of god for us christ in exaltation christ is all sufficient for what we need we'll see this as we go through the epistle and then the colossians christ the fullness of god thesilonians the first letter christ the promise of god to us in christ translation and then in thesilonians christ the victory of god for us in christ as a compensation and then we have the personal letters of the apostle paul from there to timothy setting forth the charge and the challenge to titus setting forth a word of caution to philemon setting forth the need for consideration for others and then of course we would suggest the letter to the hebrews reveals the need of faith rather than law as the motivation for us now looking now at the epistle of philippians and seeing this principal theme in this epistle often when you want to go through and look at any of the apostle's letters or any of the works that we see in this particular epistle it appears very clear that the apostle paul thank you the apostle paul is now highlighting a particular word or particular theme and if we go through and look at that we can find what that is quite easily now look at the epistle to the philippians and we'll see just looking very briefly at the theme of it what he's saying now you'll see in verse four he commences to look at some of the this theme and he says always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy now this is very important as we'll see the reason why they wrote to paul they they actually sent a message to paul they were very very sorry for paul that he was here in prison that he was here suffering in prison which they had a lot of deprivation and certainly a lot of inconvenience and they'd sent this message via apaproditus to them and paul's epistle is responding to that message now his his message to them becomes a message of joy out of the midst of the prison now notice the way how this the word the way in which this word joy goes through the epistle so he says making a remembrance to you with joy now come again down into verse 18 of the chapter singling out again this theme what then notwithstanding every way whether in pretense or in truth christ has preached i therefore do rejoice is the same word and will rejoice making it very clear that rejoicing is right in his heart again following it through verse 25 i know and i shall abide and and continue with you all for your furtherance and for your joy of faith verse 26 that you're rejoicing may be more abundant right see all the way through it's actually interesting to get a colored pencil and color through these words as you go through and just see how it permeates the epistle it's a very central word again it comes up for us in verse two of chapter two fulfill ye my joy that ye be like -minded so again joy becomes part of the theme behind his words follow through again this time over in it's still in chapter two but look at verse 17 yay and if i be offered upon the sacrifice in other words if i'm going to be an offering on the altar of god's service for your faith i joy and rejoice with you all verse 18 for the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me there's no doubt that he's got a very happy note to this epistle and just slipping through now to look at chapter four where he again highlights this theme verse 1 therefore my brethren dearly beloved and long for my joy and my crown again verse 4 rejoice in the lord always and again i say rejoice and this theme as you can see brethren and sisters is a very very strong one because he wants to tell them we are very very happy that we are here suffering for christ you know that in itself is quite an enigma to the mind of the flesh people would not normally think like this i mean put ourselves in that position it requires a monumental strength of spiritual insight to say yes this adverse situation is an occasion to be happy and often brethren and sisters we see adversity as almost being contrary to the work of the truth whenever we whenever we have to suffer something whenever we have to experience difficulties or the ecclesiast under adverse circumstances or our own lives are in turmoil because of problem personal problems family problems then how do we react to it the way in which the apostle says to react to it is to rejoice because in the presence of adversity is the demonstration of god's love and thereby with such love it is a testimony that god loves us that we are suffering for the sake of our lord and that he will redeem us out of these difficulties no worry let our faith trust in him and he will lift us up in the appointed time for no tribulation seems to be joyous for the present but afterwards it breeds the peaceable fruits of righteousness and that's where the joy is not that we're happy about the suffering but we've got to be happy about the fruits that come out of suffering and here is what paul was doing in philip i here he was singing praises to god and spreading the word of god and the sufferings of christ to the captive audience in the prison here was paul now in rome a prisoner again in rome in chains for hope of israel and he rejoiced by the fact that this prison was an opportunity of spreading the word of god to all the prisoners in in in the household of caesar and what a wonderful opportunity this was because the ecclesia in rome grew out of the ecclesia this ecclesia growing as it did out of the prison house of caesar that was very remarkable and because on account of this we can see the background to all that he's writing the philippians has to do with his visit to philip i with their attitude to paul and paul's attitude to them and like all of the epistles this this gives us a beautiful context for introduction so let's just look briefly now at the purpose for his writing he was now sending epaphroditus back to philip i and he brought it because he'd brought a generous gift forward to them now you have these in the notes which have been distributed to you on the epistle of the philippians just on page three you have the purpose of his writing and it's always very important to look at the background to things like this so the second reason of his purpose of writing was that he was anxious to set them at ease with respect to their concern for his well-being seeing trial was imminent and he was in bonds they wrote to him and they rather sent this message via epaphroditus to really console paul because he must be so sad and so depressed about this imminent trial coming up and that he was here deprived as a prisoner and they could appreciate his confidence determination and faith from the words of the epistle he also writes to bring unity in the lord between and sentiki here two sisters in the ecclesia the only problem he highlights which had a bit of a division there and he draws attention to humility as the antidote to vainglorian division he also writes to warn them of the judizers now these were those who'd come into the truth but maintained their lives as jewish people in other words they were trying to make law the basis of salvation and not faith and thereby causing political disturbances and and division in the brotherhood he writes also to set before them his example of faithful striving before the lord that they might be followers of him even as he was of christ and of course these are words we'll pick up in chapter three and in in the subsequent verses there in in the the sixth point of his reason for writing he writes to inform them of his plans he's sending epaphroditus straight away then he's sending timothy when he knows what his verdict is and then he also hopes himself to come before too long as he stresses to them in chapter two and verse 24 so this really gives us the background on this epistle now having taken all of that time of course we now introduce chapter one but this background as you can see permeates and will permeate his epistle going through so in verse one he commences chapter one paul and tomotheus the servant of jesus christ to all the saints in christ which are at philipi and with the bishops and the deacons making the point here that here are the groups of the bishops these are those who who are serving at the table of god and leading the the things of god in the affairs of watching over the ecclesia those who normally in this time had the power of the holy spirit were able to to give that power exercise that power for the benefit of the brethren and he says grace be unto you and peace from god our father and from the lord jesus christ wonderful tokens of salutation that paul gives us and when you think about each one of the words in that salutation it really highlights part of the love of god the gift of grace and the wonderful assurance we can have in knowing god is in charge the lord the lord jesus christ is with us and in verse four the verse three he says i thank my god everyone in remembering you and then says always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy that's a little aside there like that verses is sort of in parenthesis always in every prayer of mine for you all in every prayer i make your the list of the philippine brethren and sisters a very important part of my prayers i rejoice in you all i thank god that you're in the truth and i thank god for the wonderful gift that you sent me and for your well-being your concern for my well-being and love that has been expressed on this occasion and then in verse four he makes it clear that making requests with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now this wonderful fellowship which they had had with paul being confident in this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of jesus christ so the work had commenced in in fact the formation of the ecclesia when paul was there in philippi and now the work would continue on and through all the trials and difficulties they would experience ultimately of course god was guiding them the lord jesus christ was there nurturing them and they were growing stronger all the time and now he says in verse six being confident he is confident that god will complete this work right up until the day of jesus christ comes verse seven even as it is right for me to think of you all because i have you in my heart rather that should be rendered you have me in your heart and i think most of the modern translations do that in as much as both in my bonds and in the defense of the confirmation of the gospel you are all partakers of my grace so here he is defending the truth and confirming the gospel here others in the ecclesia of caesar's household are coming into the truth this is a wonderful thing you all can associate with this for god is my record he says how greatly i long after you all in the bowels of jesus christ this wonderful expression paul uses throughout his epistles i long after you all that means his heart is contemplating their presence in the hope of israel all the time he loves them he wants to share time with them and he finds that his bowels are moved now what that means is his emotions his emotions become overcome with his love for them and this is often expressed i suppose to us who are not generally seen as very emotional people in the western world we often have to look over to the to the middle east to see really emotional people but you know we if we become emotional over somebody we get a wonderful warm feeling inside and you know when the girl and the boy they they start to to have those little sparkles germinate between them and they they start to feel you know love with each other and you get little butterflies in the tummy you know that's exactly how paul felt all the time about the brethren sisters he got butterflies in the tummy his bowels moved his emotions were stirred he'd smile he'd cry he'd he'd laugh he'd think about them emotionally you know that's a very great part of paul because paul was often seen as the intellectual giant of day and he was a great intellectual giant he had to suffer other mortals and suffer fools gladly and when people would oppose him he wouldn't come out and lacerate them and cut them to pieces with his tongue he wasn't vindictive he wasn't destructive he wasn't aggressive he was a person who let his love overflow for situations that he really felt for so not only paul was an it was not only the intellectual giant of his day he was really the emotional caring loving person a monumental giant of love and he showed that to everybody to his brothers and sisters and even on occasions to his enemies but his bows were moved for them when he thought about them when you look over the page there on verse 9 he says i pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment or discernment and that you may approve things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the till the day of christ being filled with the fruits he says the fruits of righteousness which are by jesus christ under the glory of and the praise of god wonderful words here he's saying that they might have spiritual discernment that they might be sincere and not creating offense and filled with righteousness these are the qualities these are the fruits of the spirit which we try to secure but i would he says in verse 12 i would breath them that you should understand this that the things which have happened under me have fallen out rather under the further into the gospel so that in my bonds my bonds in christ they're manifest in all the palace and in everywhere around me he says wonderful testimony here you see they'd written to him saying oh poor paul he's in prison he's facing a terrible trial he's under a lot of emotional stress he's sick he's under difficulties and they wrote to him saying paul paul paul is now responding and saying look thank you for your concern but look recognize this that being here i want you to understand that it's fallen out to the further into the gospel i haven't been locked away and incarcerated in some dark dungeon in in stocks he said i'm in caesar's household he was under house arrest there are occasions when he was put in chains but there are other occasions when he was free to wander about the praetorium now this palace here you'll notice the margin says for that caesar's court and that was where the praetorium guard lived caesar's courts the praetorium god and here he is preaching to the soldiers and the prisoners together the praetorium god was caesar's personal bodyguard and of course he's in a under house arrest so there are other prisoners around him too so here is is paul again in an adverse situation a prisoner in rome in chains some of the times sometimes not but in these these chains he would be preaching the truth to the prisoners and also the jailers to the guards the praetorium god and what was happening there was a real ecclesia going here in the household of caesar what a remarkable testimony because in fact paul was told when the lord called him he shall bear my name before kings and princes and rulers and here he is now in the household of the lord of the whole world the emperor of rome and in this household incident it wasn't a terribly wise caesar at this time it was actually nero who was the one that you know fiddled while rome burns he was the one who was really called the madman on the throne he wasn't very bright he wasn't very intelligent he didn't have very good breeding and he was the one of whom it is said that he actually instigated the fires in rome and played his ukulele up there on the the palace walls while rome burned and then blamed it all on the christians this was the sort of man to whom paul had to appeal when he appealed to caesar he had to come before caesar's tribunal he was really a man quite short of all his facilities and he was one that was now in charge of the roman empire but in this particular household now he gives his hands to teaching the work of the truth and what was happening that everywhere around you in the palace that is in in the praetorium garden caesar's palace and everywhere else into the other places where in fact the work of the praetorium garden was going the message of paul the prisoner was going forth in the midst of rome wonderful preaching opportunity not the sort of thing we would sort of plan to do like put it on next proclamation effort but this is what came up as god's opportunity for paul to preach to a community that really was going to respond enormously to the truth and often it's this way isn't it if we were to select the people that we believe that are the best candidates for salvation who would they be we'd look out and select people that just like us you know mr and mrs average uh they sort of live a nice sort of life they don't have a lot of vices they have opportunities to to talk about real things they live in nice middle -class family homes probably you know the basic white christian protestant backgrounds people that we would say are nice people to start with they're personable they don't they don't swear they don't carry on they're not drunks and they're the sort of people we'd select and say now go and preach the truth to those people you know and yet those are the people that do not respond very well at times often you find as people in the most diverse circumstances the people who have problems that show they need christ and therefore we end up with a situation that that's the people who have the greatest need that will probably have the best insights into what christ could do for them mr and mrs average who live in their lovely middle class home and have everything they need why do they need christ and often that's their attitude they don't need christ and so it's the people that come from circumstances we might least think they would are the people that end up being the vanguards of the truth that's been my experience possibly yours too but here was this little community here in rome beginning a great work and paul highlights all his backgrounds the philippine ecclesia it was all necessary in order to prepare for the work in rome a very great work but you see the tragedy was here was the beginning of the ecclesia in rome a very simple community of mostly prisoners and that community grew to become what is now the roman church what an incredible contrast but yet here was the beginning of the important teaching of the truth in europe and we'll pick it up in our next session

Transcript

in the notes which we've handed out to you all you'll find the structure of the you all you'll find the structure of the epistle epistle which is a very important uh part of any which is a very important uh part of any bible study program it's essential that bible study program it's essential that we really get to know the structure and we really get to know the structure and see the outline of where it's actually see the outline of where it's actually going and you'll notice in this going and you'll notice in this particular chart we've put it on the particular chart we've put it on the screen there ahead of you as well just screen there ahead of you as well just so we can see the direction so we can see the direction and the development of the and the development of the the writing that paul gives us and the the writing that paul gives us and the way in which he develops his theme so way in which he develops his theme so that he can give to us a message that's that he can give to us a message that's going to stay with us quite easily if we going to stay with us quite easily if we look at the epistle in its structure look at the epistle in its structure we'll notice his address is salutations we'll notice his address is salutations which come up in verses one to two in which come up in verses one to two in three to eight we're looking there at three to eight we're looking there at the thanksgiving for their fellowship in the thanksgiving for their fellowship in the expression of his profound love for the expression of his profound love for them which he he demonstrated there for them which he he demonstrated there for us us and then in verses 9 to 11 paul's prayer and then in verses 9 to 11 paul's prayer for their spiritual growth and for their for their spiritual growth and for their fruitfulness and the truth then he goes fruitfulness and the truth then he goes the next division in his epistle where the next division in his epistle where he's making clear now this remaining he's making clear now this remaining section of chapter one how he's set for section of chapter one how he's set for the defense of the gospel the defense of the gospel now this was his whole purpose in going now this was his whole purpose in going forth to rome was to forth to rome was to defend the gospel he wanted to when he defend the gospel he wanted to when he appealed to caesar out of caesarea then appealed to caesar out of caesarea then he was doing so not because he wanted to he was doing so not because he wanted to get himself off scot-free because he get himself off scot-free because he could have done that and as the record could have done that and as the record says and acts had he not appealed to says and acts had he not appealed to caesar he would have been set free and caesar he would have been set free and surely he could see that's what was surely he could see that's what was going to happen he appealed a season going to happen he appealed a season because this was an opportunity now of because this was an opportunity now of getting an official sanction for him getting an official sanction for him going to rome and answering right at the going to rome and answering right at the head of the government of the whole head of the government of the whole world at that time the the roman uh world at that time the the roman uh inhabitable or comedians it's known in inhabitable or comedians it's known in the greek the whole world at that time the greek the whole world at that time was now about to witness the standard of was now about to witness the standard of paul's position of witness for the truth paul's position of witness for the truth so he was holding up this standard right so he was holding up this standard right here in rome and as a result of this of here in rome and as a result of this of course many of the the things which they course many of the the things which they thought were adverse had fallen out thought were adverse had fallen out rather unto as he says the furtherance rather unto as he says the furtherance of the gospel and really this was a of the gospel and really this was a point the philippian brethren should point the philippian brethren should have really remembered shouldn't they have really remembered shouldn't they they should have remembered they should have remembered that their own background their own that their own background their own ecclesia of philippi was founded upon ecclesia of philippi was founded upon the adverse circumstances in the prison the adverse circumstances in the prison in philippi well here was paul now in in philippi well here was paul now in prison in rome they should have of all prison in rome they should have of all people people have understood the benefits that can have understood the benefits that can accrue from such a circumstance accrue from such a circumstance so here was paul in rome in adversity so here was paul in rome in adversity preaching the truth and of course the preaching the truth and of course the truth was becoming known in many truth was becoming known in many different places and now he talks in different places and now he talks in verses 14 onwards now uh concerning his verses 14 onwards now uh concerning his um um his imprisonment and the outcome of the his imprisonment and the outcome of the situation which had actually emerged situation which had actually emerged he said many of the brethren and the he said many of the brethren and the lord waxing confident by my bonds are lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without much more bold to speak the word without fear so he's making it very clear that fear so he's making it very clear that in rome they are going out confidently in rome they are going out confidently speaking the truth now we must remember speaking the truth now we must remember that rome was a cosmopolitan religious that rome was a cosmopolitan religious community community and of course unless you were a roman and of course unless you were a roman citizen you had no security citizen you had no security you could be taken off to any prison you could be taken off to any prison anywhere and maybe put amongst the anywhere and maybe put amongst the gladiators you you could be made to take gladiators you you could be made to take your part in the uh in the arenas of your part in the uh in the arenas of rome rome uh in which case you might have to fight uh in which case you might have to fight animals or fight other men for your animals or fight other men for your survival they could be taken off survival they could be taken off anywhere like that unless you were anywhere like that unless you were actually a roman citizen you had no actually a roman citizen you had no security in rome and of course most of security in rome and of course most of the brethren there would not be roman the brethren there would not be roman citizens and they would therefore go citizens and they would therefore go forth preaching the truth and they could forth preaching the truth and they could be set upon by bullies or soldiers or be set upon by bullies or soldiers or anybody who didn't like the message anybody who didn't like the message particularly when they were telling them particularly when they were telling them repent for your sins and be converted in repent for your sins and be converted in christ a lot of people get very offended christ a lot of people get very offended when you tell them when you tell them they're a sinner they're a sinner and likewise at this time the same and likewise at this time the same situation would emerge situation would emerge that there'd be many who wouldn't like that there'd be many who wouldn't like the idea of this preaching and that's the idea of this preaching and that's the reason why in fact throughout the the reason why in fact throughout the roman world and throughout the world roman world and throughout the world today even there is persecution for today even there is persecution for those who raise issues such as the truth those who raise issues such as the truth raises because it's not intended to make raises because it's not intended to make people feel better about themselves people feel better about themselves i mean the preaching of the gospel is to i mean the preaching of the gospel is to look ourselves in the mirror and say you look ourselves in the mirror and say you are a sinner you are dying what are you are a sinner you are dying what are you going to do about it going to do about it and to come and look at the face of and to come and look at the face of jesus christ and to see yes we are in jesus christ and to see yes we are in fact wretched men as the apostle paul fact wretched men as the apostle paul puts it and we're really in preaching puts it and we're really in preaching the gospel the gospel asking other people to say a wretched asking other people to say a wretched man that i am aren't we really man that i am aren't we really so that's not a very easy thing to tell so that's not a very easy thing to tell people people true the truth has itself a great true the truth has itself a great intellectual persuasion on a rational intellectual persuasion on a rational facility alone it can win in any arena facility alone it can win in any arena of philosophy or debate this is very of philosophy or debate this is very true concerning the truth in its true concerning the truth in its rational department but the bottom line rational department but the bottom line is to say somebody has to say a wretched is to say somebody has to say a wretched man that i am man that i am and people don't take and people don't take kindly kindly to that kind of message to that kind of message the flesh must be crushed in order for the flesh must be crushed in order for the spiritual power of the truth to grow the spiritual power of the truth to grow and that is really what the challenge of and that is really what the challenge of the truth is the truth is so now he talks about the time when so now he talks about the time when there would be conflict in the ecclesia there would be conflict in the ecclesia and there was conflict in the smaller and there was conflict in the smaller collision in rome here you'll see he collision in rome here you'll see he says in verse 15 but some indeed preach says in verse 15 but some indeed preach christ out of envy and strife and some christ out of envy and strife and some also of good will also of good will one preachers christ of contention not one preachers christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing my bonds but the other of love knowing that i'm set for the defense of the that i'm set for the defense of the gospel so already in rome here is a gospel so already in rome here is a terrible situation we've got one faction terrible situation we've got one faction in the ecclesia saying are paul's out to in the ecclesia saying are paul's out to make a name for himself make a name for himself you know isn't this sad that when you know isn't this sad that when brethren may brethren may because of particular facilities they because of particular facilities they have in the in the in the work of the have in the in the in the work of the truth they can go for it and for a truth they can go for it and for a moment of time they might be in the moment of time they might be in the spotlight or in the limelight of the spotlight or in the limelight of the truth truth and others out of envy and others out of envy because they want to be in the limelight because they want to be in the limelight of the truth of the truth they raise accusations against such they raise accusations against such brethren and say look at him he's out brethren and say look at him he's out there trying to make a name for himself there trying to make a name for himself he wants to get all these disciples he wants to get all these disciples after him he's trying to take the after him he's trying to take the limelights limelights and so envy grows amongst others and and so envy grows amongst others and they end up with petty personal they end up with petty personal criticisms criticisms of the brethren who may for a period of of the brethren who may for a period of time be in the limelight time be in the limelight that's a very sad thing that's a very sad thing it's happened right through the history it's happened right through the history of the truth of the truth it's happened right back into the it's happened right back into the earliest days of genesis earliest days of genesis it really was the beginning of the first it really was the beginning of the first crime of death crime of death because abel because abel had a greater acceptability before god had a greater acceptability before god than what cain did than what cain did cain became envious of abel and he slew cain became envious of abel and he slew him him hatred hatred malice unbrotherliness very sad very sad indeed but that's what very sad very sad indeed but that's what happens in the history of the truth paul happens in the history of the truth paul is now suffering for us but nevertheless is now suffering for us but nevertheless he was looking at this division and he he was looking at this division and he said look there's one redeeming thing said look there's one redeeming thing about this if a person is out there about this if a person is out there preaching the gospel of the truth to try preaching the gospel of the truth to try and out do what i'm doing in the prison and out do what i'm doing in the prison okay let him go okay let him go after all christ is being preached and i after all christ is being preached and i rejoice in that i don't i don't mind how rejoice in that i don't i don't mind how much he opposes me in this but if he's much he opposes me in this but if he's preaching the truth i'll rejoice preaching the truth i'll rejoice what a wonderful attitude paul had what a wonderful attitude paul had here they were adding affliction already here they were adding affliction already to the bonds of paul to the bonds of paul but paul wasn't worried about that but paul wasn't worried about that though they had a petty competitiveness though they had a petty competitiveness against paul against paul he was rejoicing that they were he was rejoicing that they were preaching the truth and that's really preaching the truth and that's really one of the highlights of paul's one of the highlights of paul's wonderful mind wonderful mind what he goes on to say in verse 18 what what he goes on to say in verse 18 what then notwithstanding in every way he then notwithstanding in every way he says whether it's in the pretense or in says whether it's in the pretense or in truth christ is preached if christ is truth christ is preached if christ is being preached he says i rejoice he says being preached he says i rejoice he says and therein will i rejoice and therein will i rejoice for i know that this shall turn to my for i know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers and the salvation through your prayers and the supply of the spirit of jesus christ supply of the spirit of jesus christ the outworking of this will always be to the outworking of this will always be to salvation no matter how much we are salvation no matter how much we are opposed by pettiness and remember this opposed by pettiness and remember this brethren assistance all the way through brethren assistance all the way through the truth we find this today it's right the truth we find this today it's right through our community as well through our community as well you know the the little backbitings that you know the the little backbitings that take place the criticisms of brethren take place the criticisms of brethren the attack upon their the attack upon their personality or the attack upon their personality or the attack upon their morals in some way trying to raise morals in some way trying to raise discredit to them discredit to them often it might be said well i wouldn't often it might be said well i wouldn't stand on that platform with that brother stand on that platform with that brother it makes it sound as if that brother is it makes it sound as if that brother is a terribly immoral person or something a terribly immoral person or something these sort of things happen it's most these sort of things happen it's most unfortunate but it goes on all the time unfortunate but it goes on all the time and inevitably brethren in the front and inevitably brethren in the front line become the the target for criticism line become the the target for criticism by either by either brethren who are competitive against brethren who are competitive against them who are also striving for the them who are also striving for the limelight or striving to get disciples limelight or striving to get disciples or followers themselves or else the or followers themselves or else the criticism comes from others in the criticism comes from others in the background who'd like to be in the background who'd like to be in the limelight they haven't got a capacity to limelight they haven't got a capacity to do that so they end up ridiculing your do that so they end up ridiculing your brother for some other charge or some brother for some other charge or some other false reason other false reason it's gone on since paul's day just it's gone on since paul's day just remember that but what our attitude remember that but what our attitude should be should be is to try and preach christ with is to try and preach christ with sincerity and truth sincerity and truth and hope that the furtherance of the and hope that the furtherance of the work will go on work will go on notwithstanding the petty oppositions notwithstanding the petty oppositions that tend to disrupt the unity of the that tend to disrupt the unity of the ecclesia in the face of the witness that ecclesia in the face of the witness that we are trying to carry forward to the we are trying to carry forward to the world as we try to show our lights from world as we try to show our lights from a beacon of the ecclesia a beacon of the ecclesia paul had the right attitude paul had the right attitude and if ever we get caught in the and if ever we get caught in the crossfire of a collegial circumstances crossfire of a collegial circumstances or ever we feel you know where we become or ever we feel you know where we become the brunt of others criticisms the brunt of others criticisms and slander or whatever it might be just and slander or whatever it might be just remember remember paul's got the right attitude paul's got the right attitude follow the attitude of paul don't take follow the attitude of paul don't take it personally and always remember that it personally and always remember that out of whatever happens god is in out of whatever happens god is in control and he will ensure that whatever control and he will ensure that whatever the outcome is it'll be for the the outcome is it'll be for the furtherance of the work of his community furtherance of the work of his community so don't be too depressed by too much so don't be too depressed by too much opposition opposition get on and do the work get on and do the work be positive be positive see the outcome of everything we do is see the outcome of everything we do is for the furtherance of god's glory and for the furtherance of god's glory and that will never fail and the lord will that will never fail and the lord will be with us be with us and so he goes on to talk now the rest and so he goes on to talk now the rest of this chapter of this chapter uh as we see in the outline there up on uh as we see in the outline there up on this screen he talks in verses 12 to 18 this screen he talks in verses 12 to 18 about of course how god had used him about of course how god had used him though a prisoner for the progress of though a prisoner for the progress of the gospel the gospel how in verses 19 to 26 though wishing to how in verses 19 to 26 though wishing to die at times their need for him confirms die at times their need for him confirms his hopes of immediate deliverance and his hopes of immediate deliverance and of course in the last few verses we have of course in the last few verses we have an exhortation for his steadfastness in an exhortation for his steadfastness in adversity and he makes this point in adversity and he makes this point in verse 27 verse 27 he said only let your conversation that he said only let your conversation that means your manner of life be as it means your manner of life be as it becomes the gospel of christ that becomes the gospel of christ that whether i come and see you or else be whether i come and see you or else be absent i may hear of your affairs that absent i may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit you stand fast in one spirit interesting term this stand fast because interesting term this stand fast because it's a military term and it means to it's a military term and it means to stand your ground ready to meet the stand your ground ready to meet the enemy enemy and of course standing fast in christ is and of course standing fast in christ is standing here not as a military enemy standing here not as a military enemy not clad with the literal armaments of not clad with the literal armaments of this world but rather clads as the this world but rather clads as the spiritual warrior of ephesians chapter spiritual warrior of ephesians chapter six you know the sword of the spirit the six you know the sword of the spirit the shield of faith helmet of salvation shield of faith helmet of salvation these are the things we need to have these are the things we need to have to be a spiritual warrior and what that to be a spiritual warrior and what that means is that when we never flag our means is that when we never flag our confidence that the work of the truth confidence that the work of the truth can go forward progressively in god's can go forward progressively in god's blessing never feel depressed never feel blessing never feel depressed never feel threatened never feel as if you are now threatened never feel as if you are now beaten beaten every good soldier will stand fast every good soldier will stand fast he'll stand his ground and he will he'll stand his ground and he will progress the truth on a broad fronts progress the truth on a broad fronts he'll stand fast in one spirit with one he'll stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together vigorously mind striving together vigorously cooperating for the faith of the gospel cooperating for the faith of the gospel oh what a message and a challenge this oh what a message and a challenge this is to the ecclesial world today as it is to the ecclesial world today as it was in paul's day the ecclesia ends up was in paul's day the ecclesia ends up breaking up breaking up because of factional interests because of factional interests which is very sad and it happens which is very sad and it happens worldwide within various countries worldwide within various countries you'll notice there can be within you'll notice there can be within central fellowship various groups of central fellowship various groups of brethren who officially are in brethren who officially are in fellowship fellowship but they won't cooperate together but they won't cooperate together isn't that sad isn't that sad officially they're in fellowship but officially they're in fellowship but they won't cooperate together and but they won't cooperate together and but paul says striving together literally paul says striving together literally vigorously cooperating vigorously cooperating and that's not what we do we become very discontent with the standards or what others are doing standards or what others are doing yes they're still in fellowship they yes they're still in fellowship they still believe the truth but we don't still believe the truth but we don't want anything to do with them we don't want anything to do with them we don't want to associate with them unless they want to associate with them unless they in some ways contaminate us or threaten in some ways contaminate us or threaten us so we feel insecure about their us so we feel insecure about their presence so we become segmental in our presence so we become segmental in our activities we divide off we won't have activities we divide off we won't have anything to do with them and we go into anything to do with them and we go into our own little fortresses our own little fortresses and that's very sad and that's very sad but it happens throughout the world but it happens throughout the world strive together with one mind and in strive together with one mind and in nothing he says don't be terrified by nothing he says don't be terrified by the adversary that's always the first the adversary that's always the first principle of a warrior do not be principle of a warrior do not be terrified by the adversary and certainly terrified by the adversary and certainly david wasn't when he walked out of the david wasn't when he walked out of the plane of ezekiel and challenged plane of ezekiel and challenged goliath he wasn't threatened he wasn't goliath he wasn't threatened he wasn't terrified because he said very simply terrified because he said very simply the battle is yahweh's the battle is yahweh's it's god's battle it's god's battle it's not my battle it's not my battle i'm just a warrior and he is the power i'm just a warrior and he is the power and the strength behind my arm and the strength behind my arm i'll go forth to do the work of the i'll go forth to do the work of the truth and it's his battle he is my truth and it's his battle he is my strength he will give us the victory strength he will give us the victory and we thank our god through jesus and we thank our god through jesus christ our lord that he does give us the christ our lord that he does give us the victory victory so don't be terrified of the adversary so don't be terrified of the adversary but he says for unto you is given in the but he says for unto you is given in the behalf of christ verse 29 not only to behalf of christ verse 29 not only to believe on him but also to believe on him but also to suffer suffer for his sake now look the first principle of the truth is this and always remember truth is this and always remember baptism is important baptism is important it must be the beginning of a gateway to it must be the beginning of a gateway to life in jesus christ but remember this life in jesus christ but remember this there's only one person who has ever there's only one person who has ever been truly baptized literally and that is the thief on the cross he died with christ with christ our baptism a nicer you know convenience our baptism a nicer you know convenience baptism baptism into possibly warm water gives us a token of our symbolical death and suffering with jesus christ we come and suffering with jesus christ we come out of that watery grave out of that watery grave as a token of the resurrection as a token of the resurrection and yet and yet what that is a symbol of what that is a symbol of is suffering and dying with christ is suffering and dying with christ and the only person who's done that and the only person who's done that literally was the literally was the thief on the cross thief on the cross you put yourself in his position you put yourself in his position that's what your baptism is that's what your baptism is that's what our baptism is that's what our baptism is a baptism a baptism as a token of what we intend to do for as a token of what we intend to do for the rest of our lives in christ is to the rest of our lives in christ is to suffer with him suffer with him oh boy that's a problem isn't it oh boy that's a problem isn't it and where is our suffering with him and where is our suffering with him today identify the sufferings can we identify our sufferings can we identify our sufferings i don't mean the minor inconveniences i i don't mean the minor inconveniences i mean the sufferings some brethren conclude why is it that we don't suffer today you know brethren and sisters we make our own suffering our own suffering according to our dedication paul was here he appealed to caesar he made his he appealed to caesar he made his suffering suffering because he knew what the consequences of because he knew what the consequences of that meant that meant he knew for a start he would be put in a he knew for a start he would be put in a chains chains paul the prisoner paul the prisoner he'd have a long arduous hard and he'd have a long arduous hard and difficult journey from caesarea to rome difficult journey from caesarea to rome he'd go into the queue for months and he'd go into the queue for months and months into the queue of all those months into the queue of all those people and prisons that were now under people and prisons that were now under house arrest that appeal to caesar they house arrest that appeal to caesar they must have a long prison term before they must have a long prison term before they can appeal to caesar and if the outcome can appeal to caesar and if the outcome is against them they're executed he put himself into that position knowing he was probably about to get off knowing he was probably about to get off scot-free scot-free and he could have said look i'm getting and he could have said look i'm getting a bit old a bit old i've got arthritis in my fingers i've got arthritis in my fingers gout on my in my toe i've got a saw back gout on my in my toe i've got a saw back i've after all i've had all these i've after all i've had all these beatings five times i've been flogged by beatings five times i've been flogged by the jews let alone the romans the jews let alone the romans had a very sore back had a very sore back i'm just going to i'm just going to scale down my preaching efforts look scale down my preaching efforts look young timothy you go out there and do it young timothy you go out there and do it timothy i'll scout it i'll sit back and timothy i'll scout it i'll sit back and write epistles write epistles nice soft chair near a nice warm fire in nice soft chair near a nice warm fire in winter winter and somebody can look after me you see that could have been paul's attitude couldn't it attitude couldn't it he was threatened enough he was threatened enough he'd suffered enough he'd suffered enough he'd had three he'd had three difficult journeys in which he'd been difficult journeys in which he'd been stoned to death more than once stoned to death more than once he could have sat down and taken it easy he could have sat down and taken it easy in jerusalem in jerusalem said to james and the other apostles said to james and the other apostles there well there well you you take up the work of the vanguard you you take up the work of the vanguard of the truth brethren i'll sit back into of the truth brethren i'll sit back into the rear guard and i'll answer the the rear guard and i'll answer the questions i'll be a counselor i'll i'll questions i'll be a counselor i'll i'll sit down and write letters i'll do all sit down and write letters i'll do all these things but these things but but i won't go into the terrified ground but i won't go into the terrified ground of the frontier of the frontier that wasn't paul's attitude paul created that wasn't paul's attitude paul created his suffering in christ because he went his suffering in christ because he went forward to continue the work as forward to continue the work as vigorously as he believed his lord was vigorously as he believed his lord was with him to do it and as he had received with him to do it and as he had received command and commission and as he command and commission and as he believed that he was able to perform believed that he was able to perform that work of god he went into it that work of god he went into it he didn't sit down and take it easy he didn't sit down and take it easy like a lot of us have like a lot of us have we really have we've become a very very we really have we've become a very very soft community soft community the convenience of the times has taken the convenience of the times has taken us over us over we fit the truth in to our otherwise we fit the truth in to our otherwise busy busy careers our busy life our busily family careers our busy life our busily family preoccupations our busy preoccupations our busy capital acquisition programs capital acquisition programs and the truth becomes second fiddle and the truth becomes second fiddle to the primary life of just living and to the primary life of just living and getting on with life in this world getting on with life in this world that wasn't paul's attitude that wasn't paul's attitude he went into a life of deprivation a he went into a life of deprivation a life of great difficulty a life of life of great difficulty a life of striving a life of conflict amongst striving a life of conflict amongst false brethren being vilified and false brethren being vilified and eventually crucified in his own life eventually crucified in his own life because he stood for the truth because he stood for the truth and look at us and look at us we have no suffering do we we have no suffering do we and yet paul says and yet paul says we've been called to believe on him not we've been called to believe on him not only believe on him but suffer for his only believe on him but suffer for his sake sake and if we're not suffering and if we're not suffering perhaps it's because we've backed off so perhaps it's because we've backed off so much in our work of the truth that we're much in our work of the truth that we're not even exposed to the opportunity of not even exposed to the opportunity of suffering suffering perhaps we've sat back to take it easy perhaps we've sat back to take it easy and of course the soldier can very well and of course the soldier can very well ease his exposure to danger by getting ease his exposure to danger by getting out of the battlefields out of the battlefields and we can do the same thing and we can do the same thing and i think brethren a lot of us have and i think brethren a lot of us have done the same thing done the same thing we've backed right out we've backed right out of course we won't receive any petty of course we won't receive any petty persecution if we don't speak the truth persecution if we don't speak the truth if we don't take it to the if we marketplace our words we won't receive any persecution will we receive any persecution will we we can back off to the point where we we can back off to the point where we can say well i won't preach the truth can say well i won't preach the truth i'll just be ready to give an answer to i'll just be ready to give an answer to every person that asks me about the hope every person that asks me about the hope that's in within me and we can quote that's in within me and we can quote scripture to defend this rather negative scripture to defend this rather negative attitude attitude well that wasn't paul's attitude it well that wasn't paul's attitude it wasn't paul's example and it's not wasn't paul's example and it's not paul's words paul's words he goes on in chapter two he goes on in chapter two if there be therefore any consolation in if there be therefore any consolation in christ if any comfort of love if any christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercies he appeals to the brethren of mercies he appeals to the brethren here and says look fulfill ye my joy here and says look fulfill ye my joy brethren and you know what my joy is brethren and you know what my joy is for you to be like-minded for you to be like-minded having the same love being of one accord having the same love being of one accord and one spirit and one minds and one spirit and one minds you know the the biggest concern and you know the the biggest concern and care of paul when he writes to the care of paul when he writes to the corinthians he gives us that list of all corinthians he gives us that list of all the things he'd been deprived of you the things he'd been deprived of you know in shipwrecks often in in in know in shipwrecks often in in in difficult circumstances and difficult circumstances and flagellations in perils of false flagellations in perils of false brethren perils of the highways and all brethren perils of the highways and all the perils he had he said look the the perils he had he said look the greatest peril i've got the greatest greatest peril i've got the greatest preoccupation i have is the care of all preoccupation i have is the care of all the ecclesiastic they're just not the ecclesiastic they're just not unified and now he appeals to the philippine brethren sisters who had a division in brethren sisters who had a division in their midst and had a little fight going their midst and had a little fight going on between two sisters and had obviously on between two sisters and had obviously different flavors of performance in the different flavors of performance in the work of the truth there were divisions work of the truth there were divisions yes yes he rejoiced that they were in the truth he rejoiced that they were in the truth but nevertheless he said look if you but nevertheless he said look if you really want to really want to take away my sufferings take away my sufferings you've written to me saying look poor you've written to me saying look poor paul he's suffering here he's a prisoner paul he's suffering here he's a prisoner in rome he's afflicted he's sick he's in rome he's afflicted he's sick he's cold he's he's not very well looked cold he's he's not very well looked after his his well-being is suffering after his his well-being is suffering now look he says if you think about me now look he says if you think about me give me a note of joy in my hearts give me a note of joy in my hearts take away my afflictions he says take away my afflictions he says be like-minded be like-minded have the mind of have the mind of christ get unified together in the work christ get unified together in the work you're doing you're doing say the same things put love in your say the same things put love in your heart for one another he says and that heart for one another he says and that nothing be done through strife or vain nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness he says humbly he glory but in lowliness he says humbly he says says let each person esteem the other person let each person esteem the other person not as a competitor not as a competitor but but better better than themselves notice that in verse 3 than themselves notice that in verse 3 there let each esteem other better than there let each esteem other better than themselves and really themselves and really that expression has to do with treating that expression has to do with treating each person each person with dignity with dignity treating your brother and sister with treating your brother and sister with dignity dignity seeing them as a dignified person treat seeing them as a dignified person treat them in a dignified manner them in a dignified manner often we look at them and we see a often we look at them and we see a competitor competitor we tend to set ourselves at war with our we tend to set ourselves at war with our brethren instead of at war with the brethren instead of at war with the flesh and the world around us flesh and the world around us the unity of mind escapes us the unity the unity of mind escapes us the unity of purpose the love of the truth the of purpose the love of the truth the mind of christ gets lost mind of christ gets lost in the competition of the collegial life in the competition of the collegial life look not every man on his own things look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of but every man also on the things of others don't take self-concern of what others don't take self-concern of what you're doing you're doing what about your consideration for the what about your consideration for the welfare and the work in the truth that welfare and the work in the truth that your brethren are doing what about their your brethren are doing what about their work their care their program of work their care their program of activities activities get involved for them and with them get involved for them and with them that's a very simple message that's a very simple message but notice how the apostle paul but notice how the apostle paul highlights it now as he goes into this highlights it now as he goes into this study as he does of the like-mindedness study as he does of the like-mindedness with jesus christ so you'll see there with jesus christ so you'll see there our section commences in chapter two our section commences in chapter two with his impassioned call for unity with his impassioned call for unity through self-forgetfulness and love on through self-forgetfulness and love on the basis of christ's example look not the basis of christ's example look not every man on his own things but look on every man on his own things but look on the things of others the things of others how best to do this how best to do this than to remind us in verse five about than to remind us in verse five about the mind of christ oh this is absolutely the mind of christ oh this is absolutely beautiful he says let this mind be in beautiful he says let this mind be in you you which was also in christ jesus now it's which was also in christ jesus now it's interesting to see incidentally the interesting to see incidentally the single mindedness that he talks about to single mindedness that he talks about to us comes right through his epistle us comes right through his epistle we saw it in verse two of chapter two he we saw it in verse two of chapter two he says be like-minded says be like-minded but at the end of that verse he says but at the end of that verse he says with one mind with one mind then he says as we said in verse five then he says as we said in verse five let this mind be in you look over the let this mind be in you look over the page there in chapter page there in chapter three and he says in verse 15 there three and he says in verse 15 there looking at the same theme let us looking at the same theme let us therefore as many as be perfect and that therefore as many as be perfect and that word means mature word means mature be thus minded with the same mind look be thus minded with the same mind look in the end of verse 16 in the end of verse 16 let us mine the same thing the same mind let us mine the same thing the same mind again verse two of chapter four i again verse two of chapter four i beseech you odious and zentiki that they beseech you odious and zentiki that they be of the same mind in the lord one mind be of the same mind in the lord one mind so necessary in the truth so necessary in the truth now that's the unity of the mind of now that's the unity of the mind of christ it's to have the mind of christ christ it's to have the mind of christ in us in us the same mind that christ had and what the same mind that christ had and what does that mean the mind we can talk does that mean the mind we can talk about a brain we can talk about a about a brain we can talk about a thoughts we can talk about a mind thoughts we can talk about a mind now the mind has to do with now the mind has to do with the quality the quality of thinking of thinking the quality of thinking the quality of thinking so we can talk about a person being of so we can talk about a person being of the same mind as we are the same mind as we are we're referring to the person's thoughts we're referring to the person's thoughts as having the same quality of ours as having the same quality of ours now if christ has got equality minds now if christ has got equality minds isn't it so brother sisters that that is isn't it so brother sisters that that is the mind which has to be in us all the way through paul's epistles he talks about it talks about it think with jesus thoughts think with jesus thoughts and what we do in effect when we come to and what we do in effect when we come to baptism is we determine war on baptism is we determine war on serpent thinking serpent thinking the mind of the flesh the mind of the flesh which means which means effectively in a process of time effectively in a process of time we cut off the literal head we cut off the literal head and we put christ's head on there and we put christ's head on there instead instead and it changes the management and it changes the management like a shop you know under new like a shop you know under new management the old management has gone management the old management has gone out new management's taken over there's out new management's taken over there's a different sort of service in this a different sort of service in this household household the new services the new services it's governed it's governed by christ's quality of thinking by christ's quality of thinking and that quality of thinking and that quality of thinking changes the behavior of the hands and changes the behavior of the hands and the fingers the fingers and the feet and the toes and the legs and the feet and the toes and the legs and the tongue changes because it's a different brain a because it's a different brain a different mind a different quality of different mind a different quality of thinking thinking and this is what makes the difference and this is what makes the difference between people governed by flesh between people governed by flesh and those governed by the spiritual mind and those governed by the spiritual mind of christ of christ now that's what he means when he talks now that's what he means when he talks here in verse five let the mind of here in verse five let the mind of christ be in you now he tells you by christ be in you now he tells you by christ's example the kind of head christ's example the kind of head he's got he's got now christ has different faces now christ has different faces but one head one brain one quality of but one head one brain one quality of thinking look at the way he sets it up thinking look at the way he sets it up verse 6 who being in the form of god verse 6 who being in the form of god thought it not robbery to be equal with thought it not robbery to be equal with god well let's just correct that god well let's just correct that translation there did not count equality translation there did not count equality with god a thing to be grasped at with god a thing to be grasped at says virtually the opposite of what it says virtually the opposite of what it is in the king james authorized version is in the king james authorized version who being the form of god did not call who being the form of god did not call rank rank he didn't say well i'm god's son so he didn't say well i'm god's son so therefore i'm a cut above the rest of therefore i'm a cut above the rest of you you he didn't say i'm god's son i'm in the he didn't say i'm god's son i'm in the form of god and therefore i will claim form of god and therefore i will claim all sorts of privileges for myself all sorts of privileges for myself i'll call rank i'll call rank no he's saying he was in the form of god no he's saying he was in the form of god but he never grasped at the position of but he never grasped at the position of god god verse seven he said he made himself of verse seven he said he made himself of no reputation he emptied himself out so no reputation he emptied himself out so he took upon him the form of a servant he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men and and was made in likeness of men and having been found in fashion as a man he having been found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient humbled himself and became obedient under death even the death of the cross under death even the death of the cross look at this wonderful position look at this wonderful position as we said earlier as we said earlier christ has one head christ has one head but different faces and you know this but different faces and you know this was what was set up with the caribbean was what was set up with the caribbean remember the caribbean the tabernacle remember the caribbean the tabernacle and the temple of god and will yet be and the temple of god and will yet be occurring again in ezekiel's temple the occurring again in ezekiel's temple the caribbean were a picture of one head but caribbean were a picture of one head but four faces four faces the face of the lion the face of the ox the face of the lion the face of the ox the face of the man the face of the the face of the man the face of the eagle eagle and the whole of israel marched under and the whole of israel marched under the standards of those four faces they the standards of those four faces they all assembled three tribes behind each all assembled three tribes behind each standard the lion was the great symbol standard the lion was the great symbol of the line of the tribe of judah which of the line of the tribe of judah which led three tribes led three tribes we have the ox under ephraim we have the ox under ephraim we have the tribe of reuben was the we have the tribe of reuben was the leader of the standard meaning a man to leader of the standard meaning a man to see a son and we have the tribe of dan see a son and we have the tribe of dan which means the judge was the face of which means the judge was the face of the eagle and they were the four signs the eagle and they were the four signs under which israel marched they were the under which israel marched they were the four faces of the caribbean and they four faces of the caribbean and they showed four dimensions of the one mind showed four dimensions of the one mind of god manifestation in christ of god manifestation in christ you see it in the four gospels you see it in the four gospels jesus christ is shown as the king in jesus christ is shown as the king in matthew matthew so many more references to christ the so many more references to christ the king and matthew than any of the other king and matthew than any of the other three put together three put together so this matthew shows us the lion aspect so this matthew shows us the lion aspect of christ he is the king of christ he is the king mark's record shows us christ mark's record shows us christ as the suffering servant as the suffering servant shows us jesus christ serving like the shows us jesus christ serving like the ox was a symbol of the ox the symbol of ox was a symbol of the ox the symbol of the servant of man the ox was therefore the servant of man the ox was therefore the symbol of servant he was a servant the symbol of servant he was a servant to god he was the suffering servant to god he was the suffering servant in the case of the record of uh luke it in the case of the record of uh luke it shows us jesus christ as the man shows us jesus christ as the man the son of the son of man the son of the son of man many occasions luke brings out the many occasions luke brings out the humanity of christ where the other humanity of christ where the other records don'ts records don'ts brings us out showing us how jesus brings us out showing us how jesus christ would weep in the garden how he christ would weep in the garden how he would show his fine thoughts his his would show his fine thoughts his his needs for god's strength his humanity needs for god's strength his humanity christ the man that's luke's record christ the man that's luke's record emphasizing that points and then we come finally to john's record and whilst matthew mark and luke record and whilst matthew mark and luke are called the synoptics are called the synoptics they all show you the aspect of christ they all show you the aspect of christ in his human form in his human form john's record is different very john's record is different very different and you notice many of the different and you notice many of the trinitarian takes his references from trinitarian takes his references from john because they want to say that jesus john because they want to say that jesus christ is god christ is god he's not god proper he was the son of he's not god proper he was the son of god he is god manifestation he's a god he is god manifestation he's a remarkable manifestation of god and that remarkable manifestation of god and that shows us jesus christ as the face of the shows us jesus christ as the face of the eagle the divine spirit from on high and eagle the divine spirit from on high and like the eagle being different from the like the eagle being different from the other three animals who all have their other three animals who all have their abode on the earth that's the lion the abode on the earth that's the lion the ox and the man the eagle dwells in the ox and the man the eagle dwells in the heavens it's a bird heavens it's a bird it's closer to god and of its own energy it's closer to god and of its own energy is the one creature that can fly closer is the one creature that can fly closer together any other creature upon the together any other creature upon the face of the earth face of the earth the eagle is a symbol of the divine the eagle is a symbol of the divine spirit it's also a symbol of divine spirit it's also a symbol of divine judgment as the word dan means it comes judgment as the word dan means it comes down swiftly and executes its judgments down swiftly and executes its judgments upon the earth with its talons with its upon the earth with its talons with its beak beak the eagle represents the divine spirits the eagle represents the divine spirits it represents the son of god it represents the son of god manifested when the word became flesh manifested when the word became flesh and dwelt among us there you find the and dwelt among us there you find the four aspects of christ presented in the four aspects of christ presented in the four gospel records the four faces of four gospel records the four faces of the caravan and look at them here in the caravan and look at them here in this chapter this chapter verse 6 verse 6 who being in the form of gods there's who being in the form of gods there's the eagle the eagle he was in the form of gods he never he was in the form of gods he never called rank though he never took up the called rank though he never took up the the position of saying i am your judge i the position of saying i am your judge i am the divine spirit am the divine spirit he was in the form of god as no other he was in the form of god as no other human being has ever been human being has ever been he was the divine spirit john's record he was the divine spirit john's record shows jesus christ in the form of gods shows jesus christ in the form of gods but he made himself of no reputation he but he made himself of no reputation he took upon him the form of a took upon him the form of a an ox a servant an ox a servant he was the servant the suffering servant he was the servant the suffering servant of isaiah 53. of isaiah 53. and it says and it says at but he was made in the likeness of at but he was made in the likeness of men he was a man there he is and being men he was a man there he is and being found in fashion as a man he humbled found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient under death himself and became obedient under death there is the man jesus christ the face there is the man jesus christ the face of the man of the man what about the other one it says verse what about the other one it says verse nine nine wherefore wherefore god also hath highly exalted him and god also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every other name given him a name above every other name but the name of jesus every knee should but the name of jesus every knee should bow there is the king there is the liar so there we see in jesus christ one mind's mind's brain one central housing management brain one central housing management area from which all these manifestations area from which all these manifestations come we find the four faces of the come we find the four faces of the caribbean caribbean the lion the ox the lion the ox the eagle and the man the eagle and the man and that one minds and that one minds is behind every one of us is behind every one of us that one mind is behind us and should be that one mind is behind us and should be behind us governing our actions behind us governing our actions controlling our thoughts controlling our thoughts deciding our judgments our deciding our judgments our discernments and executing our love discernments and executing our love but you see now but you see now we must be the ones who imbibe the we must be the ones who imbibe the divine spirit of truth divine spirit of truth the word must enter our heart the divine the word must enter our heart the divine spirit must come and dwell in us to spirit must come and dwell in us to govern us to change our patterns of govern us to change our patterns of fleshly thinking that the mind of christ fleshly thinking that the mind of christ as the son of god the eagle can come and as the son of god the eagle can come and dwell in our hearts dwell in our hearts and start to judge the things of the and start to judge the things of the flesh and execute the judgments upon the flesh and execute the judgments upon the actions of human activity which are actions of human activity which are contrary to the things of god we must be contrary to the things of god we must be the manifestation of god limited though the manifestation of god limited though it is it is to continue the work that christ began to continue the work that christ began we are the body of christ on earth today we are the body of christ on earth today and his mind must govern us from above but we should also be not strutting around saying be not strutting around saying we are christadelphians we are christadelphians we are better we are better than other mere mortals we are more than other mere mortals we are more righteous than gentiles out there that is done by some that is done by some that is done by some our attitude should be the opposites our attitude should be the opposites we should consider ourselves as the we should consider ourselves as the servants of almighty gods and humbling servants of almighty gods and humbling ourselves like a servant does humbling ourselves like a servant does humbling ourselves and becoming obedient not only ourselves and becoming obedient not only to not only unto death but to not only unto death but paul says paul says but the death of the cross what was he but the death of the cross what was he saying saying he wasn't emphasizing that it was a much he wasn't emphasizing that it was a much more painful death more painful death as much as he was as much as he was emphasizing it's a humiliating death we are crucified and christ was and christ was crucified naked naked upon that cross and the record says that the women and the record says that the women though few decent ones there may have though few decent ones there may have been stood up far off been stood up far off as much as they loved that man as much as they loved that man they stood up far off they stood up far off but until even his own mother but until even his own mother was drawn to the foot of the cross and are we prepared like christ like christ to be stripped off to be stripped off humiliated humiliated to become the point of ridicule of the to become the point of ridicule of the worlds worlds for christ's sake for christ's sake you know we come out go out sometimes you know we come out go out sometimes and we want to talk about the truth and and we want to talk about the truth and we want to talk about it and we think oh we want to talk about it and we think oh no i won't do this they'll think i'm no i won't do this they'll think i'm strange they'll think i'm just a bible strange they'll think i'm just a bible bachelor they'll talk about me behind my bachelor they'll talk about me behind my back when i go away and they won't like back when i go away and they won't like me as much as they like me now doesn't that restrain us doesn't it doesn't it christ considered himself of no christ considered himself of no reputation he took upon himself the reputation he took upon himself the servant's position and he went out servant's position and he went out knowing that in the greatest humiliation knowing that in the greatest humiliation which they executed upon them and they which they executed upon them and they did it in his crucifixion it didn't did it in his crucifixion it didn't worry him worry him remember remember it says it says for the joy that was set before him for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross he endured the cross despising despising the shame the shame and the humiliation of it that's what paul's reminding us about what is your work in the truth chris what is your work in the truth chris adelphians adelphians don't worry about what other people don't worry about what other people think of you spread the word of the truth tell them about it tell them about it doesn't matter what they say doesn't matter what they say share it with them do the work of an share it with them do the work of an evangelist do the work of a humble evangelist do the work of a humble servant humble ourselves likewise before servant humble ourselves likewise before men and be found in fashion as a man we men and be found in fashion as a man we are men let us go out and preach it to are men let us go out and preach it to the point of the ultimate humiliation the point of the ultimate humiliation if they crucified us naked if they crucified us naked won't worry about us we won't worry us won't worry about us we won't worry us we will we will we will not despise the shame we will not despise the shame we'll do it for christ's sake and what's we'll do it for christ's sake and what's more when we're in the midst of that more when we're in the midst of that we'll sing hymns as well because then we've got something to rejoice about rejoice about we are worthy we are worthy to suffer to suffer for christ for christ brethren and sisters this is almost a brethren and sisters this is almost a foreign language of the ecclesia as we foreign language of the ecclesia as we come to the end of the 20th century come to the end of the 20th century almost a foreign language where is our dedication where has it gone where do we spend our saturdays now who is our employer which lord do we who is our employer which lord do we work for is it christ or is it mammon is it the value system of this world what is it what is it that's driving the christadelphian that's driving the christadelphian machine today i think we've got a lot of soul searching to do searching to do i think we should do a lot of personal i think we should do a lot of personal examination as to how well we line up with paul silas silas paphroditus timothy paphroditus timothy when we stand next to them with the when we stand next to them with the judgment seat judgment seat will we really will we really compare with them compare with them will we look like them will we look like them will the four faces of the care of them will the four faces of the care of them shine through us you know the ultimate face of the caribbean caribbean will only come will only come when we are king priests upon the face when we are king priests upon the face of the earth and that's when we have the of the earth and that's when we have the face of the lion face of the lion we don't have that yet we don't have that yet it's not our position to bring judgment it's not our position to bring judgment in the sense of becoming lords yet that in the sense of becoming lords yet that with a rod of iron we bring into into with a rod of iron we bring into into commission into servitude the rest of commission into servitude the rest of the world that's not our position now the world that's not our position now our position our position is to do the work of the evangelists is to do the work of the evangelists our position is with the divine spirit our position is with the divine spirit of the eagle within our minds converting of the eagle within our minds converting our thinking to do the work of a servant our thinking to do the work of a servant in the form of a man in the form of a man that's the great example that's the great example of paul of paul timothy paraphrases silas the others timothy paraphrases silas the others so what are we doing so what are we doing now now where do we spend our saturdays he tells us that god will surely elevate the lord jesus christ and he shall have the lord jesus christ and he shall have the name that ev that is above every the name that ev that is above every other name that at the name that jesus other name that at the name that jesus has every knee shall bear doubtless has every knee shall bear doubtless that's the name of god it's the name of that's the name of god it's the name of yahweh jesus christ headed by very the yahweh jesus christ headed by very the very fact he was called yahushua said it very fact he was called yahushua said it is yah is the savior he bore the name is yah is the savior he bore the name which is above every other name there's which is above every other name there's no doubt what that name was and what it no doubt what that name was and what it meant meant it meant it meant god must be manifested in the sons of god must be manifested in the sons of this earth this earth that's what the name means he who will that's what the name means he who will be manifested be manifested and if christ had the name of god we and if christ had the name of god we also have got the name of god on us too also have got the name of god on us too because as james declared god is calling because as james declared god is calling out of the nations of people for his out of the nations of people for his name name and that name there's only one name and that name there's only one name the name of god this is the name that's the name of god this is the name that's above every other name above every other name god's name means god's name means you are my children bearing my family you are my children bearing my family name doing my family business upon this name doing my family business upon this earth you represent me earth you represent me and you've got my name a great and you've got my name a great responsibility a very great and a solemn responsibility a very great and a solemn responsibility responsibility and we've been asked to take it up and we've been asked to take it up in taking on christ into our hearts and in taking on christ into our hearts and minds minds so when christ rises up and every knee so when christ rises up and every knee bows and every tongue confesses that bows and every tongue confesses that jesus christ is lord it is to the glory jesus christ is lord it is to the glory of god the father and that's what we of god the father and that's what we must do too must do too wherefore my beloved he says in verse 12 wherefore my beloved he says in verse 12 as you have always obeyed as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling salvation with fear and trembling that's a high order that's a high order what does he mean work it out with fear what does he mean work it out with fear and trembling and trembling should we be petrified to be a should we be petrified to be a christodolphian fear there means with a great respect with a great respect an ever conscious respect of the an ever conscious respect of the presence of god presence of god and trembling has to do with the fact and trembling has to do with the fact that in this great respect we have for that in this great respect we have for god we recognize that we are accountable we are accountable accountable to god accountable to god he doesn't ignore what we do he doesn't ignore what we do we are never outside his presence and we are never outside his presence and his omniscient mind and knowing eyes his omniscient mind and knowing eyes upon us upon us we must work we must work work work labor in his vineyard work out labor in his vineyard work out that which comes to salvation that which comes to salvation with fear with fear with respect and accountability with respect and accountability that's a tall order that's a tall order and it says don't forget who you are and it says don't forget who you are you've been called to a very high you've been called to a very high calling calling respect it respect it remember the presence of god remember the presence of god and get on and organize your lives as my and get on and organize your lives as my servants that is a great responsibility oh it's got its great benefits and oh it's got its great benefits and advantages it's great privileges it's advantages it's great privileges it's glory in the age to come he's got many glory in the age to come he's got many wonderful positives to it but to be wonderful positives to it but to be sober for a moment and talk about the sober for a moment and talk about the responsibility responsibility if we don't honor our responsibilities if we don't honor our responsibilities it's got a negative it's got a negative and who much is given and who much is given of him shall much be expected of him shall much be expected that is our position therefore let us that is our position therefore let us recognize recognize paul's example a shining example paul's example a shining example a wonderful hope a wonderful hope a wonderful witness a wonderful witness just how much do we measure up to it just how much do we measure up to it well well we'll look at it further in our next we'll look at it further in our next session

Transcript

This comment about getting people out of fellowship hall sounds like you're all disfellowship when you're in here. This is a different sort of fellowship hall. Right, so the Apostle Paul is reminding us now of the fellowship and the unity of mind that we have to have. Okay, so now he builds into his picture here. Notice this down in chapter 2 and in verse 14. He says, do all things without Boy, that's hard, isn't it? Ever been in an ecclesial meeting to try and get things done without murmurings and disputings? I mean, it's a great difficulty of human beings. It's endemic to human beings that we murmur and dispute about absolutely everything. I mean, it gets down to the point of, you know, exactly what colour is the wall going to be? Apricot or beige or, you know, with a slight form of pink. You know, we can have a whole business meeting over the little details of ecclesial life. And what's more, we might not only dispute about it, we might even fall out about it. And this kind of problem is just so human. And as we have the difficulties today over mere details and peripheral things that are of no real consequence to our work, it can create a great deal of division. And we can be caught in the midst of a division over something quite trumpery of little consequence. But he says, do it without murmurings and disputings. Verse 15, he says, that you may be blameless and harmless or inoffensive. That's a pretty important word, that. Remember, Christ said, be as wise a serpent and harmless, blameless, as inoffensive as a dove. And if you look at a dove and the qualities of a dove, you can hold a dove, you can see a dove, it's harmless, it's a symbol, the right symbol of peace, isn't it? It is not an offensive creature. Or take the picture of the lamb. The lamb is in no wise an offensive creature. Jesus Christ was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The lamb slaughtered by the ferocious beasts of his own time. And that really is inoffensive. And can we imagine ourselves being like that? Are we like inoffensive or do we tend to reserve aggression, retaliation, explosions of intemperance, having a bad temper, very strong in human spirit. We can't let the bone alone, we just keep gnawing it and gnawing it and gnawing it. These are characteristics which we are advised to limit in our lives, as he says, blessed are the poor in spirit. And that doesn't mean the spiritual mind. We're not blessed if we're poor in the spiritual mind, are we? It's blessings upon those who are poor in human spirit. Guile, push, push, push, aggressiveness. Those ones who rather see, I don't wish to offend others by what I do. That's the attitude he's really highlighting. So that you may be blameless and inoffensive, the sons of God without, without rebuke means that you're irreproachable. You're not standing there as targets that other people can easily pick on. And then he says, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and it's more crooked and more perverse today than it was in Rome, and we're in the midst of this kind of generation, here at Christ of the Dolphins, are we vulnerable? Are they really going to pick holes in us because of the way we do things, the sort of things we say? Are we sitting there so vulnerable that they're going to pick on us and they can see what we're like? After all, we can have two standards. We can be a Sunday morning Christ of the Dolphin and a very different Christ of the Dolphin during the business week. That gets to be known. Sometimes embarrassingly so to our community. Like at one time, I was most embarrassed when with one colleague it came up that we had a mutual acquaintance in our business, and I said, oh yes, he's a Christ of the Dolphin, and I said he's a Christ of the Dolphin, and he said, oh, one of your better ones? And I didn't know what to say, but he said, well, he wouldn't have considered him to be a very religious man by what he does. I mean, I made no comment. I asked no questions, but I must confess I was taken back by the statement. He may have been entirely wrong. Hope he was. But then again, he could be right, and this damages the reputation of our community. Again, it was rather difficult because this person had not made it known that he was a Christ of the Dolphin. Evidently, he hadn't let that much shine in his job with his business colleagues. He was surprised to learn that he was a Christ of the Dolphin. I think it's a shame when that happens that it certainly does damage to our whole community. Anyway, Paul makes it clear that we live in a wicked and abominable generation. Let's not try and fly our worst washing in the face of the world. He goes on to say here, look, I love you, brethren, and I want you to hold fast the things of the Word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, verse 16, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. His point being that Paul has been put to great personal sacrifice in order to try and secure the brethren and sisters at Philippi. He was put at great personal sacrifice. We saw it there in the prison. Here he was beaten brutally and then thrust into the innermost prison in a painful situation. He went through all of that, plus all the other sacrifice he'd given in his letters, in his writings, in his prayers for the brethren and sisters at Philippi. He was simply saying, now, don't let any of this be in vain, brethren. I have labored for you as my children of the faith. Never let it be said that you're gonna fail in the day of Christ. I would just hate to think that I went through all that for nothing, that my love would be lost in the end, and I would lose the precious children that God had blessed me with. So his attitude was loving and caring all the way along. He says now in verse 17, yay, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with all of you. Now isn't that a testimony of why he was singing in the prison in Philippi? He says, look, if I have to be sacrificed, and that word you'll see in the margin for offered is poured forth, and what that means is to take the blood of the offering and pour it out at the base of the altar while the animal is sacrificed upon the altar. He's referring here to an animal sacrifice under the law of Moses, and he's saying, look, if I have to be offered myself on the altar like as Jesus Christ was, there was the flesh on the stake on the sacrifice of God's altar, and there was the blood poured out at the altar at the bottom of the altar, symbolized by the law. The body totally given up in pouring out its life for God's dedication. Paul says, if I have to be that for your sake, he said, I'll sing songs of joy. I joy and I rejoice with you all for the same cause also you can join and rejoice with me because if sacrifice has a meaning, it's all important, but there's nothing more damaging, nothing more vain than a sacrifice given where no life is redeemed. It's like coming into the truth, living half a life of dedication, and the rest of the half of life it's given up. The flesh takes over, the person goes back to the world and forgets about the truth. That's a vain dedication, worthless, all that for nothing. And so Paul goes on to say, looking at his own circumstances now, he talks about Timotheus, verse 19, and says, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that when I may be of good, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. So he's going to send Timotheus as soon as he can because he says, for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state. Now this is a very interesting point that he makes here. For I have no man like-minded according to my standard, he says, who will naturally care for your state. There's no other brother here who could care for you as good as well as sensitively for your needs as what Timotheus can. He's exactly like me being there. Remember this very close relationship that Paul had with Timothy, a very unique relationship because Timothy was his son in the faith, a wonderful, wonderful young man. He took Timothy, remember, Timothy, he circumcised and yet Paul was the one who said, look, circumcision doesn't matter. It's nothing whether you're circumcised or not circumcised. It's where the Christ reigns in your heart that's important and circumcision of the heart's what important, not circumcision of the flesh. Why should Timothy be circumcised? But he circumcised Timothy because he saw Timothy as being his brother, a close ally and protege and understudy of his who he could take into the synagogues and reason with the Jews Sabbath by Sabbath by Sabbath but he couldn't take Timothy in if he wasn't circumcised. So Timothy underwent a rather painful operation for a young man in order that his exposure to the Jewish community might not be limited. Paul made the request, Timothy happily exceeded and Timothy became a man through much suffering and tribulation to be with Paul in his work of the truth and a wonderful father-son ship relationship grew up here. Timothy became the clone of Paul, sensitive, very sensitive. Remember Timothy was one to whom Paul wrote and said, look, don't let them upset you, don't let them despise your youth, take a little wine for your stomach's sake, they're upsetting you, your tummy's in turmoil, you're a very sensitive young man but go on Timothy, work for the love of the brotherhood. Timothy was always at his side laboring for the love of the brotherhood. He had love pouring out of him. It's a wonderful attribute that Timothy copied from Paul. A sensitive young man but he took on all the towering fortress of Paul's love and I think that's a very sad thing in our community, brethren and sisters, that we often have great difficulty in showing that love. Remember when Paul goes to the Ephesian Ecclesia and he talks to them and warns them there finally on his way back to Jerusalem on his third journey, they fall on his shoulder, he weeps on their shoulder, they embrace, they kiss, they cry. That's the love of the brotherhood, that's the bowels of mercy, that's the tears of joy and our culture says we don't touch, we limit touching. Our culture says, perhaps we've inherited from the British stiff upper lip or whatever it's We have ceased to be warm and emotional, ebullient people and I think often our love is restrained because we can't show our emotions one to another. It's great pity, great pity. We miss out on one of the warmest joys the Apostle ever had and maybe if we haven't got it now, maybe we'll learn it in the kingdom age if we're acceptable to show that love and that great emotion with one another. So often Paul talks about my bowels yearned for you all, my emotions reached their peak when I considered you, your needs, your sacrifices, your faithfulness. He rejoiced, he just rejoiced. When you see it, a brother visits another Ecclesia and he comes like saying it's terrific to see the way they're holding the faith, they're strong and firm and the young people are so dedicated to the proclamation work and the senior brothers and sisters are right up there the front with them advising and counseling and caring. They're a loving Ecclesia, frontline of the truth, going ahead in a very broad base and they're getting on with it, rejoicing, rejoicing that another Ecclesia is strong in the truth. That's the sort of attitude Paul had. So often in his writings, rejoicing in that very fact that the brothers and sisters were strong, working together in love and care, welfare for one another. That's what shines out of this entire epistle that he writes of the Philippians. How was it born? Born as a result of being in a jail. Both in the circumstances of the foundation of the Philippian Ecclesia, in the circumstances of the letter he writes, it's all coming out of jails. Perhaps we should start a new Reformation. Maybe if we came out of things we might have a better contrast. Maybe if we had more deprivation and suffering to start with, we'd appreciate what the truth is when we got it. I think one of the biggest disadvantages of the Christadelphian born in the household is exactly that. Oh we can't overlook the advantages. A young person brought up from the kindergarten in the Christadelphian Sunday school, gone right through Sunday school, baptized into the wonder and beauty of the truth at the teenage age and goes into a wonderful marriage with a partner in the truth, that is a wonderful legacy. We can never deny the wonder of that and the beauty of it. But often because these things happen so nicely, we lose appreciation for what the truth really is. We've never seen the stark contrast between the flesh operating in the world and the spirit of the truth in the household. And therefore a lot of our young people who become the new generation of Christadelphians lack dedication, lack insight, lack a true appreciation of the contrast of flesh and spirit, lack a mindedness to understand how those people out there think and how they need us. And I must confess, as a fifth generation Christadelphian, it's very easy to slip into that area and say yes, Christadelphians, we're Christadelphians, we've got it all. We just keep within each other, nice secure circle, confidence, anticipation. We can lack the true beauty of a person who's seen the other side of things. And often it's those brethren who come into the world from outside, those sisters who come in from outside, they'll come and say look you just don't appreciate what you've got here. Very often that's the case. True it is. And we have to revamp our minds, rekindle that fire within us, redeem the time, create the beauty of the truth from within, appreciate it, meditate upon it, think about how wonderful it is and what God has done for us and how much those people out there need us. And I often think brethren and sisters, if we thought more about what the needs are out there and the people who need the truth, we give more time to it, less fighting amongst ourselves over what color the curtains in the hall are going to be and more discussion about how we're going to deal with that city over there and preaching the truth. The old problem is that when we all have an enemy, a common enemy, we cohere together, don't we? Oppression from without brings cohesion within. The old adage about how to destroy a city, just put the vision in it and it'll internally destroy itself. I think we can very effectively degrade the Christendolphin community in this age by creating our own divisions and factions and different ways of doing things and power struggles. It's a great shame. It's very human. The antidote to it, set the common enemy out there. It's the flesh, it's the world, it's the devil. We want to go out, we want to beat it, we want to challenge it, we want to go out as warriors and warfare, warfaring for the beauty of the truth. Going out as spiritual warriors to challenge it as Christ did, as Paul did, as the disciples did, as Timothy did and hence they got suffering, didn't they? If we haven't got suffering, let's really take stock to see why we haven't. We don't put ourselves in exposure for suffering for the things of Christ. So Paul's example is just wonderful. He rejoices with them if they progress in the truth. So he's going to send Timothy to them. Timothy understands them. He's been well tutored by Paul. And now he goes on to talk to you a little bit more about Epaphroditus. He says, well verse 24, he was hoping that he himself would be able to come shortly. He was rather hopeful of a good result to his trial, his trial before Caesar when he makes his official appeal. He believed and he had a good mind on legal affairs. Remember that he was a very educated man Paul was, very educated. He had good understanding of the Greek language, the Latin language, the Hebrew language. He was able to discourse in many of their political viewpoints. He had a knowledge of literature, Greek literature, Roman literature, an expert in Hebrew literature. A very well educated man. He knew of the legal system very well and he knew that he had a good case to make in his appeal to Caesar. He got free. He'd all did all the witness there and he was able to leave behind temporarily a strong Roman ecclesia as a result of him being in chains in his appeal to Caesar and therefore he could go back to the And that was his hope he could do that. And so he says, I hope also I trust in the Lord that also I shall myself come unto you, but in the meantime I'm gonna send Epaphroditus. Yet he says, verse 25, I suppose it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother, and he's my companion. Notice this, laborer, fellow soldier. Notice all these terms there, companion in what? Tribulation. He is my fellow laborer. He is a laborer, a worker, a hard worker. He's a fellow soldier. He's dressed in the equipment of the spiritual warrior. He is having to embattle himself against the difficulties of life. But your messenger, he says, he that ministered to my wants. So they send Epaphroditus back to Paul. Now he says, for he longed after you all. He longed after you all. Verse 26, he was full of heaviness because you'd heard that he'd been sick. Isn't that amazing? He was full of heaviness because he had heard that you knew he was sick. Look at those amazing connections. Look at the love, the consideration that's floating between them. Love is dominating that scene, just dominating it. Epaphroditus was sick and many sicknesses, viruses, diseases, malaria, all kinds of things abounded in that age. Now he was sick and he longed after you all and he was very sad when he realized that you were sad because you'd heard that he was sick. Isn't that incredible? That little piece of information is recorded in the Word of God as part of the Word of God alongside the great doctrinal foundations of the scripture. It's part of the divinely inspired record, part of what God considers you and I need for salvation. And all it's saying is, Epaphroditus was very sad because when he knew that you were sad about the fact that you knew that he was sick, he felt worse. In other words, he was so emotional over his feelings for them that even when he was sick, he was sad that they were sad. Incredible, isn't it? We read that daily readings, goes over like that, it's gone. We don't stop and think about what dear Epaphroditus was experiencing. Look at verse 27, for indeed he was sick, he was very sick, he was near to death. That's in that sickness he was still so eaten up inside over his love and care for his brothers and sisters at Philippi. But God had mercy on him and not on him only but also on me. I was sick, I had these needs, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. What was he so sorrowful about? Because he was in chains, because he was a prisoner, because he might have faced the executioner, because he was sick. Was this why he was so sorry? No, not at all. He was happy to do that for Christ, rejoicing in it, singing psalms in it for Christ. He was happy to suffer. There's no sorrow for him in that. What was his sorrow? His sorrow, brethren and sisters, was his feelings for the welfare of his brothers and sisters in Rome, in Philippi, and the care of all the ecclesias that was on his shoulders. He cared for them, he loved them, he nurtured them. And when they weren't doing too well, either physically or more importantly spiritually, he was so sad, tearing his heart out. Is that how we feel about our brothers and sisters? When we hear of a problem in an ecclesia somewhere, we hear about spiritual difficulties, we hear that a brother or a sister is on a spiritual low, they're not coming out to the meetings any longer, they're not as regular as they used to be, they don't worry about study days or anything like that, they're all optional extras, so you know, we just go to the necessary things. And sometimes I start backing off on the memorial meeting of a Sunday morning and what do we think about them? Ah, they're weak. We can despise them. We can despise the weakness and say, gosh, I don't even know why they bother coming to the memorial meeting, they're not interested in anything else in the truth, no other part of the ecclesia, the brother doesn't do anything in the meeting, he just comes along and we could feel really quite despicable towards them, rejecting them, saying yes, they're just weak, they may as well not come, why are they here? Don't bother to come, I won't bother talking to them. And that would be the reason, that would be the reason why the Apostle Paul would go into a fit of depression, because he would love them and feel for them and do everything he possibly could to try and rehabilitate them spiritually. You know, some of our brethren and sisters, because we see them only on a Sunday morning, we don't really know them. We really don't know them very well at all. And yet we do nothing about getting to know them. We never visit them, we never invite them to our home, we never make opportunities for meeting them in another environment somewhere else. We don't bother about them. Let them go, let them drift out, let them wander off, they're just weak, don't love the things of God. That's not Paul's attitude. He says, don't heap sorrow upon sorrow upon me, he says, because I love you all so much, I just want to hear that you're doing well, I'll do whatever I can to help you and I'm going to send to you my personal assistant Timothy. Now Paul knew that Timothy was his closest aid, he desperately needed the company of Timothy because Paul wasn't able to move around, he was a prisoner, he was also somewhat older now, he didn't have the health, he didn't have the strength to do some of the things that young Timothy could do. He needed Timothy as his right hand man to extend the work of the truth. But he was now saying, I'm going to send you Timothy, I'm going to send you my right hand man, I'll do without him, but he can benefit you. That's a big sacrifice on Paul's account. Nevertheless, he goes on and he talks about this matter. He says that when he sends Epaphroditus, he's sending Epaphroditus before he sends Timothy, verse 29, receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation, respect him, honor his position, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death. Notice that? For his work in the truth, he was just about dead. Not hazarding his life, he says, to supply your lack of service toward me. He really went out to fill up his own life, to bring the deficiencies, to make up the deficiencies in the ministration designed for me. He risked his life in coming to visit me. Look what he did. We don't know particularly what his sickness was. It may well have been that he could have been beaten up being a Christian coming to visit Paul. The Christians were now beginning to get a bit of a name in Rome because there were the sects spoken against everywhere throughout the Roman world. Maybe when he came back to Paul, he was beaten up on his way to see Paul. The soldiers ill-treated him or some thugs and local marketeers set upon him as he came over to see Paul in the Praetorium. Whatever it was, he was very sick on that account. Maybe he had to go through very difficult circumstances, shipwrecks like Paul did. Nearly died in the process. Maybe caught sickness and disease on the routes. Up all night without any sleep. Traveling in the most unhygienic conditions. Living in the most high unhygienic quarters. He did this for their sake and for Paul's sake. And Paul says, look what he went through. He was nearly dead for this. Just receive him. Receive him back. Respect him and love him. He's just about dead for the truth. This was real sacrifice in action, what he had done. And that's why, brethren and sisters, the example of Paul and Timothy and Epaphroditus are so, so important for us to meditate on. They're there for a message. The message is for our learning and our edification that we might know how to copy their lives. In the third chapter now, Paul takes our attention to the next phase, which of course in the notes we can see, introduces another topic for us. In chapter three, he says that he is going to press on toward the mark for the prize. So in chapter three, he rejoices in God and gives the exhortation that you must put no confidence in the flesh at all. He then gives Paul seven surpassing fleshly credentials here. He now comes to talk about flesh and spirit, making it clear that in fact if we're going to follow after Christ, we have to deny the flesh. And he makes this clear in his next section. So looking there at verse one, he says, finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Again, he puts this word in rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. In life has indeed changed his life, and he's writing things which he hopes they will not consider grievous any more than the things they wrote to him. But now he gives a warning. His warning is concerning the household. And he says, beware of dogs. Beware of dogs. You know, the dogs are those really cited in verse 19 of this chapter. He talks about this classification or category and says, whose hand is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. They are governed by the carnal minds. They're like dogs returning to their vomit. He says, beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Those are the people who will come into the midst of the Ecclesia and work evil, feigning themselves to be brethren. They are really corrupting and overthrowing the foundations of the ecclesial unity. Be aware of the concision, the concision with the mutilators. Those associated also with with pagan worship, as well as those Judaizers that come into the midst and require people to be circumcised, as if by the mutilation of the body they're going to make these people righteous. Beware of them, he says. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, he says. Confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof, he might trust in the Lord, then I can trust in the flesh more than what he can. If you get people coming to you saying, well I'm really quite a reputable person, not like this Paul who's a prisoner. I've never had any moral question raised against my integrity. I have never done anything illegal. No fines imposed upon me. You know, people with that, you know, spark of absolute Omo whiteness that they say, I'm absolutely clean. The highest degree of moral integrity. Or I've got better education than you people have. I after all, I'm quite locatious in the Greek language. I can speak anything in the Latin language. I also know the Hebrew language extremely well. I have great qualifications and of course my knowledge in the law makes me better than you. The law of Moses. Knowledge in Judaism. See, people were flaunting their degrees of knowledge in religion to make them better than somebody else. A person could flaunt his credentials in her own brotherhood and say, look, you know, my Bible is much better marked than yours, therefore I must be a better student than you are. So don't question what I'm telling you. Or we might say, well I know more about this. I've been to so many Bible schools than what you have. I'll be much longer in the truth than you are. I mean, I've got a great pedigree list in the truth also and I can cite this as the reason why I'm a better person than you are and also you should listen to me and I don't have to listen to you. This kind of attitude promotes the caste system in our community. The brother who might say, oh well I'm a teacher of Bible schools, I should know what I'm talking about. I teach in more Bible schools than what he does, I should know what I'm talking about. This sort of prestigious reputation that we can also fall into a foul position with in our own lives, that we can end up with a caste system of, you know, the extra cleans and the questionable ones down the other ends. We are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no one brother better than another in our community. No one sister better than another in the eyes of God. He is not a respecter of persons credentials. But God acknowledges the humbleness of the mind into which he can come and dwell. The mind of a person who trembles at his words, the heart of a person who is humbled by the power of the spirit truth. This is the sort of person God comes and dwells with, not the arrogant, the high-minded and the proud. Notice how Paul brings himself into this position, says, look if they want a glory in the flesh, I can glory a lot more than them. These are the Judaizers who are making the flesh and the credentials of flesh a better degree of righteousness before God. He says concerning himself, verse five, circumcise the eighth day. Right, I was right on the eighth day there. You've got to be circumcised on the eighth day or your circumcision is not as good. And if you happen to be circumcised afterwards, then it's not as good. You're not as righteous. He was of the stock of Israel, so Israel was the righteous tribe, the the righteous nation on the earth and all the Judaizers believed that was so. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was an elitist tribe, the smallest tribe in Israel, but an elitist tribe attached to the tribe of Judah. So he belonged to that. He was also an Hebrew of Hebrews, so he had the renown that he was well and truly entrenched in the Hebrew generation of people. He was absolutely without question a Jew of Jews. He goes on to say here, as touching the law, there was no person more righteous than a group of the Pharisees. So he was a Pharisee under the law. Concerning zeal as a zealot, he was one that persecuted the early Ecclesia. As touching the righteousness which is of the law, what righteousness of the law? He says he was blameless by the righteousness of the law. Now how could a person be blamed? What was he talking about? After all, Paul went about to say that no man could claim righteousness from a law that condemned him for breaking it, and he was talking about the law of Moses. What he now talks about is the vain tradition which the elders of Israel had, in that they recognized that if you were to pinpoint personal failure, then everybody was a sinner. But in order to get out of that situation and designate themselves as righteous, they had another formula for creating it. And that formula was that if your good works exceeded your evil works, then you were righteous. Simple as that. Get the beam balance. Simple beam balance. Good works in this dish, bad works in that dish. If the good works exceed the bad work, so they go down like that, they are heavier, they are weightier, they are heavier than you are righteous by the law. Of course it's got a very subjective approach to it, because who knows what good works and bad works are done. All the bad works are done in a secret corner, in the closet, away from the main public eye, not ready for scrutiny or speculation. The righteous works are done when they would walk out, put on their fine garments, walk up to the temple, cast in sprinkling money, down into a great clang, clang, clang, clang as they went to the treasury and say, there you are, I'll put in more money than you have. They just figure their faces, they make it look as if they've been fasting when in fact they've been eating nice roast turkey all week. And they go into the temple and say, look at me, I've been doing more things for God than what you have. And then they say, I thank you God, I'm not like that public and that sinner down there. These were righteous people, subjectively righteous people. And the one great fallacy of this system was that it was not only subjective but it was very human because they happen to have a rather good memory for the acts of righteousness and an incredibly bad memory for the things they did wrong. And so they only thought about the committed acts of righteousness and not all the sins of omission, the things they didn't do that they should have done. So a person would make himself righteous by the law simply because he had a better memory for his good works and his bad works and he called himself righteous. Paul said by the law, by that criteria of judgment, I was blameless. Nobody convicted him of sin. He was marching the front line of Judaizers, persecuting the Ecclesia everywhere, taking the letters of the high priest, advancing Judaism in its purity, getting rid of these Gentiles out of concern with Israel. And so he went on. He was blameless. He was a man with enormous Jewish religious credentials. But he said, all these things I counted as nothing. He says, they were not gains to me. He said, I counted them as loss for Christ in verse 7. Yea doubtless. And I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. And I do count them but dung that I may win Christ. I counted them as dung, fit for the dung heap. It was not his academic qualifications, his knowledge of the law of Rome, his learning of Greek literature and letters. They were not the things he counted as dung. He used those efficiently and effectively in his service. His knowledge of language, speaking in Greek and in Hebrew to his accusers. This was all part of an education outside that of his religious education. It was his doctors of divinity, his bachelor of divinity that he denied. It was his religious education. The fact that he had a degree in divinity, a doctor in this area. He was a man established as a great leader and a righteous man in the Jewish household benefiting above many of his own equals in the Jewish religion. Youngest member of the Sanhedrin council that probably had. He counted all that as dung. Dung that he might win Christ. But there were those in the ecclesia who are flaunting their supposed religious credentials why they should be listened to and others should be denied any hearing or consideration of their opinions. To some degree we have these difficulties in our own midst. To some degree a brother with a greater position or rank in our community believes that his opinion therefore ought to be more reputable. He takes more of a first class in any dispute over some other lesser brother than him. That kind of attitude does exist. We must resist it brethren and sisters. We must challenge it and we must correct those brethren who have such attitudes else their own salvation is at stake. We don't call rank like that. We must serve each other humbly. Believing and esteeming each other better than ourselves to be. That's what the apostle Paul is on about and that's why he reminds us that if he wanted to call rank he's got more rank and privilege than anybody else but he said I treated it as dung. Follow my example and don't divide the ecclesia up over these meaningless matters. But look now Paul wants to return again. He's always doing this in his epistle of the Philippians. He wants to return again to consider the reputation of Christ's sacrifice and what that means to our sacrifice with him. Look at verse 10. This is powerful this is. He says that I may know him Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might advance unto the resurrection of the dead and he says and not as though I'd already got it I haven't already caught hold of this great resurrection to glory. He says it's not mine either we're already perfect I'm not I'm not entirely mature in this matter I haven't reached full age of righteousness but he says I pursue my course that's what the word follow after means I steadily pursue my course if I may attain catch hold of it catch hold of that for which I'm apprehended in Christ Jesus brethren I count not myself to have caught this yet I haven't got my hands on eternal life but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towards the great object of my aim the mark the prize he says of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus what a wonderful picture he draws here he says look I strive for this that I might know the power of his resurrection now what's that what's he saying there what he is saying is the resurrection has two powerful influences on a person remember in the first case where the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans says that they that have been raised with Christ are those that have died with Christ and he makes it clear in his his excitation when he goes through to say if you've been buried together with Christ in his death you should be raised up with him with likeness he says as also Christ was raised from the dead you should walk in newness of life now that's the first phase of resurrection that's when we come out of the waters of baptism we're in the first stage of resurrection and in fact those who die in Christ today and have died many centuries ago will be raised up again to exactly that position we are in now the first phase of resurrection mortality heading for desiring to apprehend immortality now in this state pardon me as we go forth toward the prize the power of the resurrection touches us in the first stage of resurrection mortality redeemed from the power of the sin and death to walk in newness of life that's where we are and that is a power that must grasp hold of us it is Christ in us the hope of glory this is a very very powerful matter and if we apprehend this and what it's talking about it's saying Christ will change your life and is our life being changed is it really is there a vast difference between the pre-baptized Christodophian and the post-baptized brother and sister in Christ is that difference discernible has it been a power in our lives of transformers from fleshly thinking people the spiritual thinking people has the mind of Christ taken over from the mind of the flesh is the new Adam now where the old animus dead all of this is whether the power of the resurrection has touched us if it hasn't transformed our life now there is absolutely no way we are going to get into the second stage of the power of the resurrection to transfer our bodies out of death to life out of weakness to strength out of mortality to immortality that will never happen unless the power of the resurrection changes us now that I might know him the power of his resurrection and what do we mean by that what we mean by that is the fellowship of his sufferings there it is fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his putting to death the mind and the works of the flesh there it is becoming the body of Christ today burying the flesh putting on the spirit cutting off the works of the flesh putting on the life of Christ and taking the mind of our Lord that governs our actions our behavior our thoughts our performances of love to one another that's the dominant power that's behind the Son of life and the death to the flesh be made conformable to his death that pattern brethren and sisters is what we eat and drink to every Sunday morning the bread put the flesh away the wine put the life of Christ on and the balance of that brings us to a true sacrifice with our Lord is that what we've got now have we known the power of his resurrection are we grasping at the prize as we run the prize for eternal life is that mark that great lol at the end of the channel is that what we're looking at looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith faith as we race down that life shedding off every weight that possesses us every sin that so easily besets us shedding off the flesh and it's and as great armor as we run with greater skill and and swiftness towards the prize of the mark of the high calling of God in Christ that's a lot of work that is a lot of dedication a lot of insight a lot of love a lot of caring a lot of teaching a lot of sharing and all of that brethren and sisters is what he means when he says in verse 15 let us therefore as many as be mature that understand these matters as a spiritual person be thus minded if anything be otherwise minded God shall reveal this nevertheless he says we are aware too we have already attained let us walk by the same rule we have got this much anyway he says let us have the same mind be thus minded not divided off not creating difficulties and problems not creating division in our midst not creating competition and the simulation but rather striving for the unity of the faith in the bonds of peace striving with our minds one to another in which we are able to share the truth as nobly as we've been given it striving for the unity of the household in the bonds of peace wonderful words wonderful words that Paul gives to us for like-mindedness and if we've got that mind of Christ it won't be hard to be the suffering servants suffering with Christ now that may we may rejoice in his glory in the day of his visitation let us therefore remind one another constantly this is Paul speaking follow his example and then we'll know what the sufferings of Christ are and what the unity of the spirit is and what the bonds of love mean when our bowels move for one other in the household

Transcript

I think I'm all wired up. Can you hear me? Good. Well, having enjoyed a nice meal, we now turn again to spiritual food. And of course, if we deny feeding the spiritual man, we get the consequences of it, don't we? We become spiritually anemic or emaciated. We lose the opportunities of feeding the inner man and therefore of losing the opportunities of growth, spiritual growth. And of course, it's always been necessary that we feed ourselves in moderation, the same as we don't, you know, gorge ourselves at an ecclesial meal and find ourselves having the pleasure of seeing the meal for the second time. And gives us an opportunity. Otherwise, sometimes when we try with spiritual indigestion to put too much in, we don't get the value out of it, do we? So we've got to take it in small pieces. It always had to be broken up under the law, didn't it? And each day that lamp stand was lit by oil, which was crushing the olives by all the people of Israel, a little bit put in each day. Breaking it up, making it small, making it meaningful, and hopefully that's what we achieve in the pattern and methods of our Bible study. Well, coming to continue now, Paul's wonderful letter to the Philippian brethren and sisters. In his fourth chapter, he moves now to consider more particularly the direct problems of division in the Ecclesia and tries to encourage the Ecclesia into the clear keys to solving the problems that they are experiencing. Now, in this fourth chapter, looking at our outline again, we again put it on the screen. If you haven't got the outline in front of you there. So in the fourth chapter, we rejoice in the Lord always, the persuasive appeal for reconciliation in the case of two sisters who were named here. He talks here in verses four to seven about the way to peace. Rejoice and pray for the Lord as at hand. In verses eight to nine, he gives us the antidote to spiritual decemper, which we'll look at in a little more care, verses eight to nine. And then verses ten to nineteen, we have thanks for the gift as the fruit of their account and not as a provision of his needs as he has learned to do without. He doesn't desperately need it, but he thanks them for it, but it's more important for them to give than for him to receive. And then he gives, of course, his descriptions of praise and salutations at the end of the chapter. Well, looking then at the conclusion of chapter three, which we didn't quite conclude, the Apostle Paul was looking here at the time coming when he exhorts himself in his conversation, his conduct before God in verse nineteen. He talks about those who actually were going away from the truth, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame. They mind earthly things, but he says for our conversation, our commonwealth, that's actually what he means there, the commonwealth, the citizenship that we have is in heaven. So our citizenship belongs in heaven, so where is our heart? Where are we being led from? If we're being led by the flesh, by earthly considerations, we simply prove that our citizenship belongs here on earth. But if our position of mind is in the heavenlies, being born from above, seeking the things which are above and not on the earth, storing up our treasures in the heavens with our Lord who is at the right hand of the Most High, where the book of life is and where our citizenship belongs, being born from above through that spiritual city Jerusalem, then it means our whole mind is set up in heaven. Now that doesn't mean we're elevated from the practicalities of earth, it means that we consider ourselves to be led by the mind of God, demonstrated in the mind and works of his son, and therefore our aspirations are towards heaven and not like animals towards the earth only. Hence this aspiration of seeking higher things, seeking closer to God, like the eagle does, as it rises up and sets the focus of its eyes upon the sun, it looks into the sun, and therefore the eagle tends to rise up with the strength of the sun. And this is where we have to look too, that we are born on the eagle's wings of the divine spirit. So here he talks about our citizenship, our commonwealth belongs in heaven, from where we look for the Saviour. Now that is a very different case of animals that live by looking at the earth, they're looking for the next bit of food, the next bit of prey, the next bit of satisfaction the animal can have. In our case we look to heaven, why are we looking to heaven? We want to see Jesus Christ coming back, we want to see him bringing the book of life with him, we want to see him bringing the spiritual city New Jerusalem with him. All this has to do with aspiring to heavenly dimensions, looking at things that are not earthy, sensual, fleshly, carnal. So in his end here he talks about the fact that if we look to Christ looking for the coming of the Saviour, who shall change our vile body, perhaps a better description there is, the body of our humiliation, it really is a humiliating body when you look at it, isn't it? I mean what really are we but a dying mass of meat eventually returning off into dust? That's what we are, we might look at the young strong man who might glory in the strength of his legs and glory in the strength of his body but if we do that eventually we will see the body breaks down, it becomes weak, it becomes humble and eventually goes into old decrepit age and then as the wise man says it falls broken into the system. Well this is what happens to human bodies, we're a dying creature and when the Apostle Paul of course looked upon his own life and his own failures, he never had indifference to sin, did he? He didn't say, well never mind, I'm just a poor weak human being, I'm going to sin, God knows I'm going to sin, Christ knows I'm going to sin, so therefore forget about sin. That was never Paul's attitude, he said, oh wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me from the body of this death? And the body of this death means a rotting corpse, literally. That was how many people were condemned by the Romans, they had a dying, a dead body tied to their own live body and they were sent around to eventually let the putrefaction of that dying body corrupt the real body until they both fell into the pit. And that's how Paul looked at it and now he refers to his body again and he says I'm looking forward to the change of this vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he's able even to subdue all things unto himself. Isn't that a lovely description, to subdue all things unto himself? He wanted to have his own body in complete command and possession of the mind of the spirit. But he couldn't do it. Every time he tried to do the right thing, he'd be doing the wrong thing. And the very things he didn't want to do were the very things he found himself perpetually doing. He frustrated himself and in righteous anxiety and frustration he says, He meant it. He really meant it. And that's why he refers now to the vile body. He cannot achieve what he wants to. He's all the time hung up with the weaknesses of this mortal system. He would love to get rid of it and that's why he says earlier on, look, I'd love to be rid of this body, I'd love to be with the Lord. Not in heaven but when the Lord comes of course. He wants to be with the Lord to get rid of this vile body so now the body can rise up like the eagles and rise up like the heart and the row and jump upon the mountains for the spiritual work that must be done to get rid of a body of weakness. And all of us, brethren and sisters, should desire that. In so analyzing and self-examining ourselves, we can appreciate just how weak we are, how much we fail, how much we do not measure up to the standards that Christ would have us to measure up to, how much we fail ourselves, we don't meet our ideals, our aspirations, our objectives, the ideals we want to see that we can achieve. We never get them. We're all the time stepping back and saying, another failed opportunity, another failed achievement, another failed goal because our minds have been reborn but our bodies have not. So the weakness is there. Paul desired to get rid of that weakness, get rid of this vile body, this body of our humiliation that I can simply have a body that is subject completely to the demands and commands of the divine spirit. And in that capacity, there will be a body that now rises up to serve Yahweh in the glory of all its strength. And I suppose to some degree myself, I tend to feel exactly like Paul says, but even if I am unacceptable to God on the Day of Judgment, I must confess my feelings are, even if I can't have a body of immortality, that I might get rid of this body, which has been such a miserable failure for so many years. In other words, the battle will be over. The struggle itself is a struggle, a fight to contention all our lives, isn't it? We're struggling, striving to bring the body under the control of the spiritual minds, always failing, but nevertheless, the fight is a good fight, a fight of faith. And when Christ returns, I feel just the wonderful relief of saying the battle's over. Be it won or lost, the battle's over. And if we have that wonderful body, the glorious body of immortality, what a wonderful thing it will be. Just imagine, 24 hours a day, serving the things that we love, successfully throughout eternity. The mind boggles, doesn't it? We really can't conceive of that. A little bit we can. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a week without sleep, serving the Lord like a perpetual, ongoing Bible school with Paul there and Christ there and Joseph there and Jacob there, everybody all there, all, you know, wiped up by the wonderful things of the truth, sharing the fellowship with Jesus Christ, no weaknesses, no ecclesial divisions, no backbiting. It would be wonderful to have that. And it's an aspiration we've got to hold in our spiritual minds' eye. And if we can hold that as a wonderful thing to be gained, it'll inspire us for the prize at the end and consider therefore that the sufferings of the present are not to be compared with the glories that shall be revealed. All this is very wonderful stuff. It shows us that the mind of Paul was just so beautiful. And Paul was the one who could say, be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ Jesus. And if only we could do that, just follow Paul's mind. But you know, I love to read Paul's writings because I feel they are so warmly disposed towards me. I feel that he understands weakness. And I feel in his presence that he understands me. Of course, he doesn't know me yet, and I don't know Paul yet. I mean, I love Paul. I know him through his writings. And I'm looking forward to meeting him. I really am. But I look forward to his words, hearing what he says, listening to every word, hanging on every word he says, because every word here is the word of God divinely inspired for us. We need every word he says. And that's where the help and the strength comes from. But yet, brethren and sisters, we can go sometimes a week without reading this word. And as we find out, you know, seven days without the word makes one week. And we find that we lose that word. We miss out on that word. We lose the strength. We suddenly find all these flooded fleshly thoughts take us over. Because unless the mind is fighting them, they'll take us over as sure as anything. Because that's where we live. We're attached to this earth. Put your mind on things above. Our commonwealth belongs in heaven. Put your heart and your mind there, and the rest of the body will not be so hard to fight. Anyway, in chapter four, he turns our attention now to look at a little problem. He says, therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, can you imagine walking into the memorial meeting of a Sunday morning, greeting the brother at the door and saying that to him? You'd probably think you'd been out the night before or something. See, he meant those words. He really meant those words. Do we feel those words? If we don't feel them, why don't we feel them? Perhaps we just don't value our brothers and sisters enough. And if that's the case, then read, read, and reread what Paul says about his brothers and sisters. My brethren, my dearly beloved, longed for, you're my joy, you're my crowning glory, he says. Stand fast in the Lord. There it is, that military term again. Stand your ground. Fight for the truth. Be ready to ward off the encroaches of the devil and of the influences of the world in every way to try and break down the catalysis of the Word of God working within us. So he warns. Now he says, look, brethren, I beseech you now, sisters, Euridius and Syntyche, two sisters in the meeting, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Now he actually names them. And to do that is very important because he has actually brought out names here which clearly identify two sisters and has identified two sisters through history by name. Now obviously these two sisters had a problem. Whatever that problem was, we're not told, but what we do know is that led to division in the meeting. What was wrong? I think we're eating between the lines here. I would suggest that if the brethren had been doing their job in the Ecclesia, if there had been sufficient and proper spiritual leadership taking place, then this would not have got out of hand and we would not have had a two-sister brawl going on in the meeting. And I'm not suggesting they were physically brawling, but what we have is an embattled situation that has become so noteworthy that the apostle Paul had to say, these two sisters must get together and stop the feuding, whatever it is. And this is very sad because the Ecclesia at Philippi was a strong Ecclesia. But you must also remember too that this Ecclesia was first founded with a sister. It was Lydia, the first sister. Maybe this led to a problem here because the second sister was probably the woman who was taken by the spirit of divination. And these two sisters, therefore, became the beginning of the Ecclesia in Philippi, to which was then added the Jailer and others. Maybe some of the prisoners were added in that same day. Maybe this little bit of history had created a problem for the Philippian Ecclesia. They thought maybe the sisters should, because they were the foundation members of this Ecclesia, they should have a more particular dominant position than otherwise Paul had told the Corinthian, brethren and sisters, and told Timothy in regard to the sisters' position in the meeting. Perhaps they had too dominant a role. Maybe, again, for the same reason the apostle Paul said that the sisters ought not to be in the teaching class of the Ecclesia. And he makes that clear. He said why? And it doesn't demean women. I believe it treats women in a very precious and a particular way. He says that the women were more emotionally based in their thinking than men. And God made them that way. Because that's what the man needs. Now, I'm being general here, not specific. The man can be too harsh, too cold, too rational, too scientific about it, too practical to the point where human feelings are not respected. And I know a lot of brethren like that, and probably you do, too. But yet the sister has that great capacity to evince from the man his emotional response. It can soften a man's temperament, bring him back to earth, bring him to consider the warm environment of affection and love and care, which often the man on his own forgets about. He's too preoccupied with his rational objective to think about the sensitive feelings en route to achieving those objectives. As Brother Thomas once said, that man on his own is cold and as frigid as the poles, unless his environment is humiliated by the warmth of a woman. And I think God intended that. And for that reason, Eve was deceived. Adam was not. Remember that was the very point Paul made when he wrote to Timothy. He said the sister ought not to teach him the Ecclesiastical because Eve was deceived. Adam, with being in the transgression, he wasn't deceived. Adam made a clear, conscious decision, my wife or my God, and he chose his wife. He loved her, surely he loved her, but he put her before God, and she took his heart to herself. And an emotional decision, he did choose his wife, his heart, his flesh, his bones. She came out of it. Eve, however, was seduced, deceived, by the rationalization of animal thinking that came to her from a snake. She was deceived. And because of this difference in capacity by which God made men and women, he had declared what his wishes were through his apostle Paul. And now we go out and find that we've got women priests being ordained all over the place, women rabbis and everything coming up, because the women's liberation says, man and woman are equal in every way, and history has never proved that. And even Germaine Greer didn't prove that. She went back and had a baby and kept things at home. So really, the best position to adopt is that of scriptural guidance. And the women here have had a dominant position in the Ecclesia, and there was a division in the Ecclesia because two women were divided. And the brethren should not have permitted that to happen. If they were doing their job, that division would not be there. Again, we might say if Bayrac did his job, Deborah wouldn't have had to go out and lead them either, and that's probably true too. And better to have a sister in command of a situation than no one. And if no brethren are going to rise up to do the work of the Lord, then surely the sister has to do something. And here we can't condemn these sisters, but Paul encourages them. I beseech you, Eudas and Syntyche, get your mind together on the truth, because you are causing disturbance in the Ecclesia at Philippi. And whether this was because there was a matriarchy emerging in the Ecclesia, much as a result of the Foundation members of its meeting, of course, as we've mentioned, or whether it was just that the brethren were just too lazy, not considering carefully enough their needs to be up front with the work of the truth, not considering their responsibilities that they were given. They had lots of love, lots of warmth, lots of emotion. That's very good and very true and very needful. But there was a lack of brotherly direction in the Ecclesia. That's what does come out. So now he exhorts them, I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, with others of my fellow laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life. He's got no doubt that they're there. What is he saying then? I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the Gospel. They were not helping them. Why weren't they helping them? The brethren were falling down in their duties. Not enough care was being given. Therefore, the Ecclesia was suffering some degree of disunity on this account. But he says, Rejoice in the Lord's ways and again I say rejoice. Comes back to his central theme. Whatever problems are there, fix them up. Deal with the issue. Don't let it fester away until it divides the whole Ecclesia up and makes wreck of the household of God. Deal with the problems in the godly way. Paul's doing it here by letter. These two sisters had to get their mind together on the truth. They had to become true sisters in Christ. The brethren had to get in there more and manage the situations they should have been doing and not let it get out of control. And if they were helping the sisters more, perhaps the sisters didn't have to help themselves as much as they were. And taking commands. The brethren were not in the front line as they should have been. And now he brings us to a lesson here which is very important in verse 5. Let your moderation, your gentleness be known unto all men for the LORD is very near. Let your gentleness be known. That's not often what we exhort from, is it, in the platforms of a Sunday morning? We don't hear a lot of exhortation on being gentle, do we? Gentleness. Gentleness here approximates the expression that we have in the Hebrew Chesed which is the word everywhere translated as loving kindness. Not just kindness, but loving kindness. And that's a very powerful term because that's the quality of God. Loving kindness. It's a wonderful attribute because what it really highlights to us is that we're not only kind, but it's done with the most careful, loving, sympathetic disposition. And in that atmosphere, you're able to generate a warmth of love and a wonderful response to the problem you're trying to solve. Do it with loving kindness. And let that become really a reputation belonging to the Philippian Ecclesia. Let your gentleness be known to all men. Show it. Do it. Repute it. And then your problems will be much solved. But now he has a very meaningful message when he talks to them about anxiety. This is a real message for the 20th century, the latter half of it in which we're in. Be careful for nothing. We've got it in the words of our hymn, haven't we? Be careful for nothing. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing means have no great anxiety about this matter. Really, that's the biggest killer today, is anxiety. Heaps and heaps of heart attacks. Anxiety. Lots of cancer-related diseases. Anxiety. Anxiety affects the condition of our lives, the conditions of our families, the conditions of our minds towards other people. Anxiety means frustration taking its long-term toll upon a person who can't trust. And as Scripture says, we must trust. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. If we can't do that, we'll probably kill ourselves with anxiety. Anxiety has a long-term effect of breaking the body's metabolic system down. It destroys the endocrine, the hormone systems in the body. Disrupts all sorts of processes. Fertilization is disrupted by it. A normal pathway of the nervous balance of the body is disrupted by it. The whole body works upon the fact that we must have a flow of the right sort of hormones going through the system, which feeds the body, feeds the system, and makes all the organs work properly. And when we feed lots of adrenocortisols into the body system, that's, you know, coming from the adrenal gland, lots of anxiety, we upset the balance of the body, and it causes diseases in all the essential organs. And a lot of cancer is very, very critically related to anxiety. In fact, some diseases, you can almost predict, come upon a person within 12 months to 18 months after a particular problem that they feel anxious about, and a certain cancer grows. So really, it's very true, as it says here, rest in the Lord. Don't be overanxious over things. Wasn't it Christ who said the same thing also? Take no anxious thoughts for tomorrow. Sufficient under the day is the evil thereof. Why get all worried and stressed over things which are not in your control anyway? Leave it in God's hands. Get on and do what you can. Believe the Lord is behind what you're doing. Pray for his guidance, his care and his direction, and go ahead in faith, not doubting, but believing he's in control. You know, the most wisest of our brethren, I think particularly even here, the wiser and older brethren here can tell us a lot about anxiety. I'll probably say, yes, you'll get all anxious about that problem. Pray about it, and that's all you should do for the present. You can't do any more. The opportunities of working are not open to you. And wait for the Lord to cure it, and you'll probably find a lot of problems to solve themselves overnight anyway. You got all anxious about it. You got ready for the next day to face an anxious problem. All of a sudden, it disappeared through some unknown reason and cause to you. Leave it in God's hands. That's tough, isn't it? If you worry, you don't trust. If you trust, you don't worry. Learning that is a life's experience. But our senior brethren and sisters can tell us a lot about that, and encourages a lot in it, too. Don't be overanxious. Simply trust in God, and these things will work out for the good. Look at Paul. He's in Rome. He's in prison. Things are black for the ecclesia of God. The whole front gear assembly for the proclamation of the truth and the front line work of Paul is all snarled down in a Roman prison. That's what they thought. That's what they wrote to Paul. He couldn't go to Spain. He couldn't go elsewhere. He wanted to go to all these other places. The proclamation had stopped, according to them, but not according to God. Paul had gone into a hole in Rome where God had wanted him there, and a tremendously active ecclesia came out of that. And Paul's example was a towering piece of strength that we're still learning from. Years and years of accumulated teaching and an excitation comes out of Philippians. Paul's in prison writing it. The truth hasn't stopped working. It's just stopped on a new plateau until it rises to a new dimension. And sometimes, brethren and sisters, our ecclesia seems to do that. It goes into a plateau stage. We feel there's no progress. The numbers are dwindling. We haven't got young energetic families coming up. Well, okay, that's a plateau, but often you'll find a few years down the track that ecclesia now turned around and a lot of young people had joined it. It's now splitting at the seams. They need a bigger hall. Well, these things happen. But basically, we must trust in the Lord and work on with good objectives and noble insights into the work of God and trust that he will strengthen us, which he does. The work doesn't stop because we don't seem to be doing a lot of progressive work that we can statistically write out as our achievements in the last 12 months. Work takes place sometimes quietly and humbly in a corner where a great deal of catalysis is going on, a new wave of being spread, a new kind of institution of resourcefulness is being bred, and it'll break out and rise to greater heights than we ever thought possible, just like the little grub that goes into the chrysalis, hides itself for a while, and then comes out and flies in the heights of heavens as a new creature. That happens from time to time in our experience in the truth. So let's not reject the day of small things. Let's value the greater and the higher and noble objectives of the apostle Paul and follow his example. Now, he turns our attention now to a very important point of spiritual stasis. By spiritual stasis, we mean of spiritual standing in which we create like a homeostasis, a spiritual homeostasis where we grow together and hold the floor. And he shows us now the grounds upon what spiritual stasis can be founded and grow. It needs a right foundation to keep it going. And now he gives it to us in what he calls the peace of God. Now, in effect, when you look at the cause of anxiety, the cause of anxiety is that we believe we are out of control, we have a responsibility, but we don't have the power to fulfill it. That's what causes anxiety. You can often find a person, a young man, in a new executive responsibility in his job will have this problem. He's given a lot of responsibility. I want that sales record up by next year or your head's on the line. And then he gets into the job. He says, sure, we'll do that. We'll fix that problem. He's got a responsibility to get the sales record up by next year. It's got to be doubled. And then he goes back and says, right, now I want some more salesmen. Oh, sorry, we've got no money for more salesmen. Well, I've got to have somebody. Well, you just have to work harder yourself. Typical situation in business institutions. No money, but there's the objective. So here's a young executive who says, I must achieve, but I haven't got the power to achieve it, but I've got the responsibility to achieve it. That's a typical anxiety attack syndrome. We find in our lives in the truth. And you know one way we find it too is that we feel responsible for other people in the meeting. It's good to feel responsible, but it's not good to feel over-consumed with governing the lives of other brethren and sisters. We think they should be doing this. They should be doing that. They should be doing different things. We want to organize everybody and tell everybody what to do. And all of a sudden we find people don't want to do what we want them to do. Maybe we don't pay them enough money. But of course in the truth, it's all voluntary, isn't it? And we can get reactions and counter reactions very easily by going about the things the wrong way and not giving enough love and care and consideration for what the other person might think is right too. We think we're the managers. We know what should be done, and we want to govern others to do it. And all of a sudden we find, hey, these brethren and sisters are not doing what I asked them to do. Should they do what you asked them to do? Well, they've got their own salvation to work out. We should all try and work centrally to the work of the truth, but we should not try and organize the lives, the private lives of other brethren and sisters. That's not our task. Some brethren get a little bit off course, and they try to do that too much. We must all have a voluntary, willful, skillful hand to put to the work because it's coming from us. Remember that. Every person who brought things for the tabernacle when it was built in Moses' day had to bring it from a willing heart. If they didn't want to give it, Moses did not want it. God's the same. Unless we bring a willing offering here in the morning, he doesn't want it. He'd prefer we stayed in bed till half past eleven than bring along an offering which is lame and blind and maimed and the worst we can give to God. He doesn't want that offering. If that's the kind of offerings God's getting, says the prophet, close the doors of the temple and don't let them in. God doesn't want that. Unless our offerings come from our hearts, willingly, voluntarily, it's no use to God nor use to the Ecclesia. And that's the reason why Paul is reminding us, don't be anxious about things and the truth over this. Why, we can't control other brethren and sisters' lives. It's not for us to do so. And often brethren get anxiety attacks because they have a responsibility. They take a great responsibility upon themselves for Ecclesia work and then they find they can't do it and they go into anxiety attacks. Anxiety attacks are really common. Maybe you've had some yourself. You get these panic attacks. You get the hyperventilation. You start to shake. That's a typical anxiety attack. And we get it because we build up and up and up till the tension in the spring becomes so, so tight that the spring breaks temporarily. And we get a reaction to it. We're overanxious. Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for him. And how do we get this peace of God? Now the peace of God really means that in the midst of a battleground, we can relax in the Lord, laboring furiously as a warrior, but saying the outcome does not concern me. God's in charge of the outcome. I leave it in His hands. Now that's the capacity we need to develop. The outcome is in the hands of Yahweh. Let us labor on to the best of the wisdom and insight we have, seeking His guidance and His care and His direction all we can. Get on with it. Do the work. The Lord will fault it out as He wants it to go. Trust in that. After all, it's not the achievements we make with our own hands. It's what He does in us that achieves His victories, not what we achieve. Therefore the peace of God is that wonderful inner contentment that says, Yahweh is in heaven. I'm upon earth. Let us keep silence before Him and rest in Him. Wait patiently for the solutions that He has in mind. There's the peace of God. Wonderful peace. And those brothers and sisters that have learned that, they last a lot longer. They do a lot more in the truth, and they spread a wonderful, calming nature to sometimes the tumult in the house of the Lord. Well, He tells us about how to achieve this first heaven. When the peace of God, which passes all understanding, it shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, a peace which is superior to every human state of meditation. Passes our understanding. And it passes the understanding of people who look upon a Christadelfi in the midst of a battlefield, and they say, Aren't you worried about what's going to happen? And the Christadelfi says, No, not at all. God's in control. Doesn't matter who wins this war. The Lord's hand is in control. Much the same as when there's a furious war about to erupt in the Middle East, or something happens which threatens the world's security and peace, and everybody's running around with anxious face, and the Christadelfi says, Terrific, it's happening. Because it means the crisis is getting closer to Christ's return. And our peace passes their understanding. We've got to have the peace that we share, too, in the ecclesial ambit. Well, He says, Finally, brethren, let's look at the foundations of this peace of God. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, the beginning of eight qualities of divine character that Paul appeals to. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, honorable, whatsoever things are just, where justice and righteousness exist, whatsoever things are pure, unassailed and impregnated with the decay of man's inventions, whatsoever things are amiable, loving and caring, whatsoever things are of good reputation, of kindly speech. If there is any virtue, goodness, if there's to be any praise, attentively consider, Meditate upon these things, those things which ye have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Do them. That's why He says, Be followers of me. And He says, The peace of God shall be with you. Isn't that wonderful? The peace of God shall be with you. That's how you establish it. So here was the Apostle Paul. He's going back towards Jerusalem on his third journey. All the way back he was passing by the Ecclesiastes and brethren and sisters were coming out who had the power of the Holy Spirit in prophecy and they were warning, Paul, you're going back to face chains in Jerusalem. Don't go. Agabus, the prophet, comes and says, Look, with the same rags with which I bind your arms up, Paul, this is going to happen to you when you go to Jerusalem. He says, Paul, brethren, I must go. Paul, don't go. If you go, you're going to be bound up. They're probably going to kill you. And then where will the truth of God be? Who's going to be the vanguard for the proclamation of the Gospel then? They warned him everywhere. Paul gets to the end. The last place he leaves approximately, Ephesus, on his third journey. They say the same thing to him again. He says, Brethren, why do you keep breaking my heart like this? You weep upon my shoulder. You mourn over circumstances that befall me in Jerusalem. Look, pray, brethren, that I'll be able to escape these bonds. Pray that I might. Not for my benefit, but to keep the work going. He knew what was going to happen in Jerusalem. Did this lead to an anxiety attack? Did this lead Paul to take a quick trip off to Spain somewhere, find a boat for Spain, get out of it? To do a Jonah? You know, get out of the work so that you can be safe and secure and not be put into any threatening situation? This wasn't Paul's work. Paul went off. But you see, Paul had that peace of God. He knew the Lord was in command. And even in that one moment when he was, you know, incarcerated in the prison in Caesarea, the Lord appeared to him and said, Paul, be of good cheer. I'm with you. Sometimes, brethren and sisters, we could do with that, couldn't we? You know, when we feel really against the wall, we're battling things ecclesially, spiritually, or whatever it is, we feel embattled. And sometimes in those moments of depression when problems overcome us and we feel so depressed, oh, why is it going like this? I wish I was dead. Have you ever said that? Have you ever thought that? I wish I was dead. I think most of us have. At one time or another had that thought. I wish I was asleep, dead, away from all this anxiety and pain and sorrow. It's a very human wish. And often at those moments, we would just wish the Lord Jesus Christ would break through the silence and say, brother, I'm with you. Sister, I'm with you. Everything's all right. It's going to be all right. But, you know, oftentimes we mightn't have the Lord Jesus Christ breaking the silence or any other angel from heaven. But I tell you what, at those moments, it would be very nice if some brother or sister broke through the silence and said that, wouldn't it? Sometimes we don't know each other well enough to know when we are suffering and when we're not. We're too distant, too preoccupied with our own words, our own pre-considerations. We don't tend to see when others are troubled, under anxiety, in need of a little comfort, just a little sympathy, care, an embrace, a warm kiss, a warm hug, just to help say, yes, we know what you're going through. The Lord's in control. Don't worry. See, Paul had that inner peace that gave him that monumental strength by which he gave peace in the hearts of the whole ecclesial world at this time to those in Philippi. He gives it again. He sends his dear friend to them, Epaphroditus. He sends his right-hand man, Timothy, unto them to comfort them. They needed it, too, and they were trying to comfort Paul. And here's Paul in the midst of his crisis, and he sends them the help. What a wonderful, selfless, spiritual mind he had. So he talks to us about the peace of God and gives us a very important proverb. In verse 11, Oh, boy, isn't that important? I just want to learn this. Learn to be content. And though Paul said himself, look, I'm in the twigster straight here in chapter 1. He said, I have a desire to be with Christ, but it's better if I'm in the flesh. I can continue to serve you all once then. I'll continue laboring, having all my problems overcome me, having all the sufferings I go through. If I go through these for you, it's better for you that I stay alive, but I'm happy to die. I'm happy to see the executioner do his work because the next moment is Christ is here, the one thing I long for. He had a wonderful mind, a wonderful attitude. That's how he saw it. Paul had learned how to be elevated. He'd learned how to be praised, and he'd learned how to be vilified with contempt, with slander against him. He'd learned both. He could live under both. And with whatever state he was in at the time, he was content that this was the Lord's doing and not an accident of history that he was the unfortunate victim of always notwithstanding divine providence. He'd learned to be content. Now he gives us a rather beautiful message in verse 12. He says, I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full, to be hungry, to abound, to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And do you know that description there, I am instructed, is a definition of the word mystery in the Bible. In the New Testament we find this word mystery frequently used to write the mystery of ungodliness, the mystery of Babylon, the mystery of the nations, the mystery of God calling out the Gentiles for his name, the mystery of godliness. This word mystery, misterial, means a sacred secret known only by the initiated person. So you're inducted into a secret that God gives you. And only the initiated understand it. Now that's the word he uses here. I am instructed. It's the same base word misterial. I have been inducted into this sacred secret. I know how to abound. I know how to be abased. And he's really saying not many people know this secret. The saints of God are the only ones who know it. Not many know this secret. It's a very valuable and a wonderful and a precious piece of information. And it's only known by the initiated into the truth who love and know the things of Christ. He says, I am initiated. I understand. Do you know the secret? Do you understand the sacred secret? If you do, then you'll know how to be elevated without pride and you'll know how to be crushed without abject depression. You'll be content with what God gives you. And isn't this a wonderful word coming from the Apostle Paul here because here he is in prison, in Rome, in chains, awaiting a possible execution and he's rejoicing in the peace of God that passes understanding, content to be in whatever state God has given to him because he's been initiated into that sacred secret. He knows how to go forward. He knows how to go backward. He knows how to be hungry. He knows how to be full. He knows how to suffer. He understands it. Suffering is not the evidence of God's rejection. It's the testimony of his love. He chastens every child that he receives. And sometimes we reject his chastening. No chastening for the present seems to be a joyous thing, but afterwards breeds the peaceable fruits of righteousness. The fruits of that which is true, honest, just, pure, amiable, good, virtuous. Meditate on those things, says Paul. If you meditate on all your problems, you never get to sleep at night. And it's better to count sheep than do that. But rather, count your blessings while you may. And that sends us to sleep without anxiety, without sleeping tablets, no syrupx, no valium. We don't need the drugs. We need to rest in the Lord. Count our blessings. Count the wonderful gift of the truth. Think about the peace of God which passes understanding. And then we will be fine, because as he says to us, it's vain to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows. We can all do that, anxious about everything. No, says the wonderful psalmist. It's vain to do that, because God giveth his beloved sleeper. Don't be anxious. Be trusting. Don't be depressed and overawed with problems in their presence. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, and count your blessings while you may. Wonderful words from Paul, words that our community desperately needs today. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And if that's the attitude we have, we shall build mountains. We shall change great things, because the Lord is behind us, and who can stand against us? So he directs his attention to his beloved Philippian brethren and sisters. Now you Philippians know also, verse 15, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church or ecclesia communicated with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. You were the only ones who were there, concerned about the giving and receiving of the brotherhood. For even in Thessalonica, you sent once and again unto my necessity, that even when he was in Thessalonia, and the Thessalonian brethren should have looked after him, they still sent gifts unto Paul. They were constantly concerned about Paul. And not because I desire a gift, says Paul, but I desire fruits that may abound to your account. I don't want the gifts, but I tell you what, I love the fact that you want to give it to me, because that means you are loving, you are caring, you are outgoing, you are trusting. That's what I love to see. I don't want the gift, I want the fruits of your open heart to come forth. That's how he puts it. And he says, but, he says, I have all and abound. I'm full, he says. I've got everything God wants for me. Having received of Epaphroditus the thing which you sent from you, it was like an odor, it was like a sweet-smelling sacrifice, except them were well-pleasing to God. It was like you took through a great truck full of wonderful odors on the altar of incense, and you offered them up to God as your prayers and a sweet-smelling savor to God, well-pleasing. It's like you took a whole semi-trailer load of cows and sheep along and offered them on the altar of God as your demonstration of sacrifice. That's what it's like. What you've done for me has made me so happy. I've seen the evidence of your love at work. But nevertheless, he says, verse 19, but my God shall supply all your needs too. I know that. You have needs as well as me, according to the riches of the glory by Jesus Christ. God will look after us. Never worry. Don't be overanxious. I might be in prison. You may be under difficult circumstances. Work together in harmony in the brotherhood. Work for the same mind as Christ. Strive for that unity and the peace of God and the wonderful fruits of the Spirit to work through your lives. And then God will give us everything we need. Every little thing we need will be there. What a wonderful testimony. A wonderful confidence he had knowing that God was there. The peace of God that passes understanding. And so in conclusion he says, now unto God, our Father, He's always there. May there be glory unto him for the ages of the ages. Coming up, of course, the kingdom age, the ages of the ages. May his glory shine throughout this earth when the kingdom of God fills this earth as the waters cover the seas. That was what was on the mind of Paul, when the glory of God fills the earth in the ages of ages. That day would be coming. Christ would be returning soon. Salute every one of the saints in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me, they all greet you. Every brother in Rome here, all the brethren and sisters in Rome, we're all sending you our love. Isn't that beautiful that that takes place? The love is sent, the spontaneous warm greetings they go. And all the saints salute you too, but chiefly they that are fellow prisoners with me in the Praetorium guardhouse, Caesar's palace. Isn't that beautiful? Of course, the Ecclesia of Philippi founded in a jail. Now from the jail of Rome comes comforting, stimulating, spiritual greetings to the Ecclesia at Philippi. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Wonderful words, comforting words, spiritual and sincere hearts speaking. And it will be a wonderful time, brethren and sisters, when Christ returns and we have the opportunity, if God's grace is upon us, to meet Paul. Can you imagine the scene of Paul, reunited with all his brothers and sisters that he knows so well? He wept over them, his bowels yearned for them. When he's reunited with them all, imagine Paul, imagine Paul and Stephen looking at each other, the one whose murder he had helped to conspire. Imagine that scene. Stephen looking up, when he had looked up previously to see Paul there, Saul there, holding the garments as the official witness of the Zadheteran council, that this death sentence was executed efficiently. Stephen looks up, remember Stephen's prayer, lay not this sin to their accounts. Like Christ said, Father forgive them. And there, one man was forgiven. One man came out of that death. One man turned the Roman world upside down. He witnessed the death of Stephen and Stephen prayed for him. You imagine when Stephen and Paul face each other in the kingdom? Imagine how Paul's going to feel when he sees Stephen. I murdered you. I really helped to murder you. And yet the grace of God has been so great that I, I, Saul, the Christian hunter, I'm here today, the kingdom of God. Incredible thinking about it. And what is Stephen going to think? He won't be saying, what are you doing here? Stephen will be saying, oh, I never realized the grace of God was so abundant. And when Paul comes and talks with Christ, and when Paul looks back, he takes hold of the hand of Abra. He takes hold of the arm of Isaac. He embraces Jacob. And he even kisses Benjamin, whose tribe he belonged to. Can you imagine the scene of Paul's bowels moving on that occasion? What enormous love will fill this earth in that day? And if the grace of Yahweh is upon me to be there on that day, I just look forward to going to Paul and embracing Paul. He might even be smaller than me. He was called Paul the Little. That's what the name meant, Paul the Little. He selected the name Paul rather than Saul, that means chosen of God. He selected Paul meaning little. And I just love to hug Paul and say, thank you, Paul, for everything you wrote, because your example has helped me come here this day to the kingdom of God.

Transcript

Dearly beloved brethren and sisters, I also share the fellowship and greetings of the brethren and sisters who met a few hours ago in Blackburn in Australia. We have the wonderful opportunity, brethren and sisters, of sharing fellowship as we do this morning each Sunday as one of the great gifts that God has given to us. It is a source of enormous strength. It is a wonderful consolation in a world where there is so much war, where there is so much hatred and malice, where there is so much murder of reputation and persons all around us. We have the wonderful opportunity of sharing this with our Lord because he also has been through the veil of the flesh and is able to understand and perceive the many difficulties which we experience in life. He is indeed the sympathetic high priest who was made perfect by the things which he suffered and is therefore able to succor those who experience problems in their lives. The Lord Jesus Christ, of course, being made the Son of God, was a very unique man in a way in which we can never follow him. Whilst we as individuals sustain a personality made up of the influences of both environment and heredity, from that heredity we receive the weaknesses and the personal benefits that are attached to both our maternal and paternal origins. In other words, we receive a double injection of human weakness into our characters at birth. It's there to start with. It ensures that we will all sin and fall short of the grace and the glory of God. Because of this condition, this perennial, complete and ever ongoing sin, man was never able to survive his own sin and his own death. Therefore it meant that the law of sin and death was inexorably tied to mankind and all the descendants of Adam, whether they sinned as he did or not, would sin. This is the legacy of the fallen states and the consequences of Adam's sin. But the sin is ours, the weakness is ours, the failure is ours. How then would redemption ever occur? Only by God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and on account of sin, condemn sin in his own flesh. Sin not morally, that which Jesus Christ had done as any lawless act against his Father's will, but the sin he condemned was the cause of sin, that metonymical sin, serpent thinking, the old flesh, the devil. That was what the Lord Jesus Christ crucified. Thus he made that wonderful moment of the fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis 3.15 that there would be a crushing of the serpent seed and therefore the beginning of a new type of Adam, a new system in the earth, a new way of thinking, a new leadership of human beings. It's that leadership to which we have come this morning, it's that leadership we adopted in our baptism and declaration that we were joining his victory, we were joining his sacrifice, joining his battle. And we've come here this morning as part of that battle to seek a resource of strength and upbuilding and encouragement, ideas that will help us through the coming week to battle a little more successfully than we have last week. Because of this reason that Jesus Christ had to be a unique man, which he was, because he never inherited any weaknesses whatsoever from his father. There was the possibility of victory over sin and its flesh nature, which he inherited from his mother. But of course this means that Jesus Christ was different to us. He had to be, but yet he also had to be our representative. This means as he went through life and was able to succor us knowing of our feelings and the passions of humanity that surround us all, he is ever able to understand the impulses to sin, the striving against weakness, the difficulties of dealing with the lusts and affections of the flesh. He understood the impulses, but he never understood the experience of sin. He made in the mind of his father, in the likeness of the image of the personality of his God, he had assumed the great and wonderful admonition against mankind, but in himself had had a wonderful mind in which he rejoiced, in a capacity of mind far greater than ours as the heavens are above the earth. He was monumental in his moral structure. He was a giant in the earth. He was the one that was able to understand human weakness, but never ever experience human sin. That was the unique way of overcoming the problem which mankind had brought into the world. And so we come to a time in scripture where the Apostle Paul takes up a role in which he leads us in a way that Jesus Christ never led us, and that's what we have in the introduction to chapter 11, 1 Corinthians. Here the Apostle Paul said, Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Of course this wasn't the first time he said that. He also said it in the fourth chapter. Verse 16 he said, Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you, Timotheus, who was my beloved son, unfaithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in all ecclesias and every ecclesia. Now isn't it so that the Lord Jesus Christ is our exemplar? He is our example? He's the one we aspire to follow? He is the leader, he is the author and finisher of our faith unto whom we look? Isn't it so that he is the only example? Why then is the Apostle Paul saying that we should be followers of him? Because in this distinguishable way, Paul was something that Christ never was. Paul was a man of human weakness. Paul was in fact at one stage in his life a murderer of the brethren of Christ. Paul was at one time an arrogant Pharisee, a self-made man, one who benefited above many his own equals in his own religion, a man who aspired to great Judaistic greatness and was a great man, there is little doubt of that. And in the records of the rabbinical writings it has been said that since Rabbi Gamaliel has died the glory of the law has ceased. Now that's true. The Jewish people have had to completely revise their whole understanding and notions of following any mosaic legal system since Rabbi Gamaliel died. But you know, Rabbi Gamaliel was the teacher of Paul. And it is truly a poor teacher that cannot put out a student better than himself. Gamaliel was no poor teacher. He was a great leader, an exponent, a writer, a commentator, a great foundational father of Judaism and rabbinical Judaism. But since he went, of course there has been none greater but Paul. And Paul ceased the job. Paul turned to Christ. And in Paul's greatness and the arrogance of his own mind and heart before God, he was who set out to win salvation and win righteousness by actions of a zealot until he saw the light. And when he saw the light then he turned to God. He turned to his Lord and he followed him with great insurmountable dedication. Now the apostle Paul became one who was chief among sinners but became the most humble servant of the most high God. He in his dedication turned towards God to serve him with as much dedication as he once served himself and his own mistaken view of righteousness. Paul now served himself and he dedicated his mind to the things of God in serving himself as part of that truth, as part of his Lord. He was now part of his Lord. Now the apostle Paul was one who in absolute dedication turned the world upside down and gave to us messages and writings which are so great and so helpful and so monumental in an exposition of the reason why Christ died. We all need them. We all are encouraged by them. We are exhorted by Paul's writings. But Paul was still a human man after his baptism. He was still a man who failed. He was a man who had sins that surrounded him. He was one who constantly needed the grace of God. And you'll recall when he reflected upon his own failings of service before God, he besought the Lord three times to remove his own infirmity in the flesh. But the Lord said, Paul, my grace is sufficient for you. For in your weakness is my strength made perfect. What was it the Lord was saying to Paul? We do understand that grace is given where sin abounds. Therefore the grace given to Paul was given to him because he was failing to achieve the of righteousness he aspired unto. Because of his own weaknesses and failings, he also was sinning like we do every week and every day. But the difference was he was a man who needed that grace. He obtained that grace and that grace became a means through his weakness of God perfecting his strength in that man. Very wonderful example for all of us there. It kept Paul humble. It kept arrogance a thing of the past. It made him a servant to God, aware of how great God was and is and how supremely righteous was the Lord that he served. And that's the reason why, brethren and sisters, we can read those words in 1 Corinthians, be ye followers of me, because we follow Paul in a way that we can never follow Christ. Christ was perfectly obedient, Paul was a sinner. But you see the key to understanding what it means to follow Paul is in that chapter we read back in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and in verse 16 where he said, be followers of me, then clarifying what he means in verse 17, for this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you in a remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. My ways. What were the ways of Paul? The ways of a servant of God who was able to humbly and truthfully admit, I am a chief among sinners. It was the ways of a man who turned his dedication to God to serve him day and night, wherever and whenever and to show the love of God unto his brothers and sisters and to serve them with absolute dedication, pouring out his heart, his mercies, his bowels to their benefits. That's the ways of Paul. And that's the way in which we follow Paul. No, we don't aspire after human weakness, we don't seek to serve sin. We seek only the Lord in that position. But all of us, brethren and sisters, fail every day. You know it's a rather foolish suggestion, but if we try and think back to the failures of a day, if at the end of this day we put our head upon the pillow and we try and reflect upon all the things we've done wrong today, we will reflect upon the first weakness that we've got. Bad memory. We probably couldn't think of everything we did wrong. Some things we like to exorcise from our lives, things we never want to remember again, those moments of life of indecision, of foolishness, of stupidity, we just hate them and we want to exile them. But nevertheless, the biggest sins are probably the ones that we never think about. We tend to think of sins of commission, the things we do wrong, but however can we think about the thousands of things we never did that we should have done? The sins of omission. They're so omitted from our lives we don't even know about them. How can we think about what we don't know about? How can we meditate upon a list of findings so great that compared to the Lord Jesus Christ we are woeful indeed? Now that's the truth of it. Some have suggested foolishly in the past that there might be a day in which we haven't sinned. That might measure a bit more victory for the spirit, a little more victory towards that goal of perfect obedience that that person seeks. But in truth, brethren and sisters, we can never seek a goal of perfect obedience. Not for us. The foolishness of the flesh to ever contemplate one day in which we have not sinned is gross foolishness indeed. Paul could only say, I am dying daily because I fail to appreciate the level at times of how great God is and how foolish am I. It is foolishness, brethren and sisters, to think that we could ever aspire unto, let alone achieve any measure of sinlessness. It is necessary, brethren and sisters, for us to see Paul as the one that we follow because there was a man as great and as monumental as he was in the work of God, was one that failed every day to achieve perfect obedience. That's why we follow Paul. He is our model of how to follow Christ in his grace. And that's what he meant. As he reminded the Corinthian brethren and sisters, Timothy will put you in remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. And Paul's ways are what we must follow. Which really brings us to the 11th chapter of Corinthians where now he again commences with those words saying, be ye followers of me even as I am also of Christ. And he brings us now to consider in appropriate preparation for the memorial meeting the words that took place surrounding Christ's memorial supper. He raises those words we often read on a Sunday morning, verse 23, for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. Now I would see, in a sense, verses 2 through to verse 22 as being in parenthesis, like they're in brackets. So I would read from sort of verse 1 saying, be ye followers of me even as I am also of Jesus Christ, for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. There's the connection, Christ, Paul and us. Then he says, in the Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread. Why was he saying it that way? The same night in which he was betrayed. He could say, well look, in the same night in which he died, in which he was taken by the Jews in an illegal arrest, in which he was arraigned before the Gentiles. But he put it the same night in which he was betrayed. A brother in his midst turned him over to the lawless ones. A brother in his midst was a hypocritical taker of the emblems at that table. A brother in his midst did not understand the significance of his death and therefore obtained his own greater condemnation because he had great privilege in being at the memorial table of the Lord, didn't he? But in the same night in which there was a hypocritical brother who really stood as part of a conspiracy of murder against his Lord, he took the emblems. And so the apostle now picks up from that and he shows us the significance, the importance, the solemnity, the meaning of the memorial meeting we're now entering into. For he says here, and when he had given thanks, he break it. He break the bread and said, take and eat, this is my body, which is for you. This too as a remembrance of me. Now the important thing of that solemn occasion was that he was to highlight a memorial service there after which, of course, his death, his resurrection, many, many thousands of his brethren would be involved in the solemn memorial feast and all of them with the opportunity of thinking about what had just happened with the Lord. He had died. He was raised again. He lives in newness of life. He has gone onto heaven and he is the head now of the body, his ecclesia. He has gone on ahead, but now where is his body? His body was put into the grave. His body was taken out of the grave. That mortal body was consumed of immortality. That body of flesh and blood ceased to exist so that a body of flesh and bones went to heaven, a great spiritual body. So where is the flesh body of Jesus Christ? It has ceased to exist. Has it? Isn't it the excitation of the apostles to the Colossians that we are the body of Jesus Christ today? He is the head. What we are therefore left to do is complete the sacrifice that Jesus Christ started. We are now the body of Christ and therefore when we come to the table before us here, we are partaking of the body of Christ and it's us, we are the ones who are eating it. We are the ones who are consuming his body into us by the symbol of this bread. We are the ones who are now the body of Christ continuing his sacrifice, albeit an incomplete and insufficient sacrifice. But on the basis of following Paul's example, it's a sacrifice under grace in which by God's The measure of our insufficiency will be built up by the measure of that grace which will forgive us and call us righteous, though not one of us have a right to that title. So he says when you do this, take this is my body, this is you, share my sacrifice, be with me. As we've said recently this week, our baptism is into the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. But our baptism is only a symbol of what the thief did on the cross with Christ. Some of us have suggested that the thief on the cross was not baptized. He in fact is the only one that has ever been baptized. He died with Christ and he was given that wonderful token, thou shall be with me in the garden of God. There's his reward held out for him. He died with Christ on that stake. Brethren and sisters, our baptism simply symbolizes that horrible pain that this man went through. He acknowledged his sin, acknowledged he was a sinner, acknowledged his failure to achieve righteousness, but said, Lord, I acknowledge you as my Lord. He saw him as the Redeemer and then he said, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. There he gave an exposition of the gospel, the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ. He understood it and now he died with Christ and thus the covering of Christ was with him. His body died with Christ's body. And that effectively, brethren and sisters, what the Lord meant when he said, take my This is the word made flesh that the flesh might be overcome, repudiated, buried in the earth, rejected as a governing force and power over his life any longer. When we partake of these emblems, brethren and sisters, we come here to eat his flesh, to eat and partake of the principle for which he died, a repudiation of serpent thinking, a repudiation of the lusts and affections of the flesh. And they that are Christ, says the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. That's our labor. That is the work of the labor of the saints of God. That is what the bread represents to us. And that's effectively negative, isn't it? It's what we are putting away, what we are rejecting, what we have declared war on, what we are neutralizing as a powerful force in our lives to lead us or to command us. So we put it off. But that's only half of the emblems, isn't it? Now he goes on to say, after the same manner in verse 25 also, he took the cup when he had sub saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. What is it we're remembering? The dedication of the life blood poured out of the Lord Jesus Christ upon that stake for us. And when we remember it, we are putting his blood into our veins. We are putting his life into our minds, into our hearts, into our souls, into our strength. We are putting Christ into us. We are putting him on. He is now the new governing force of management over our bodies. And that becomes the force to govern, to direct, to move, to inspire and to give us the mind of God as he gave it in his words and his works. This is what we're remembering, the Lord's death in us. That's why we are doing the eating. We are doing the drinking to make it ours. And so he goes on to say, the apostle, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death. How do you show the Lord's death? The Lord died on that stake. How can we show it by what we might eat and drink? The only way we show it is showing it in us. We show it in us. We are remembering our death, not just Christ's. We're remembering our sacrifice, not just his. We're remembering us putting off the old man of the flesh, not just what he did and putting on the mind of the spirit, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he says, wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord's, that word unworthily is better translated as a common thing, as if we were to come along here and have a party without thought to what we're eating and drinking. Then he says, this person shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and that was exactly Judas's situation. He was guilty of the body and blood of the Lord because he drank that cup as a common thing, thinking not for what it meant. He took that bread and ate it, thinking only of how much money he was going to earn out of this transaction dealing of conspiracy to betray this Jesus, who looked as if his shining light was going out anyway. And yet when we come to the emblems here, brethren and sisters, it's so easy to follow a tradition. Yes, we take the bread and the wine, and as we take the bread we think a little about Christ. We take the wine, we think a little about his blood. And there can be no connection between him and us. There may be no careful consideration and meditation of the connection. Because unless we get that connection, there is no life for us. So he says, but let a man examine himself, and a woman, and so let them eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks, the word unworthily is best omitted in the translation, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself if he does not discern what the Lord's body is. That's what he's saying. If you don't discern what the Lord's body is now, then you've lost the whole point of the emblems. We are the Lord's body now. And if we can't discern that we are the Lord's body now, we are surely eating and drinking to our condemnation now, which shall only be confirmed at the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a very important matter, isn't it? And to most of us, yes, we do recognize the significance and solemnity of this feast. But sometimes, brethren and sisters, we need to rekindle the insight as to what we are doing and why we are doing it. It is not a tradition of communion, as the churches call it. It is the significance of the sharing of our dedicated sacrifice with the Lord Jesus Christ. When he set up his law and the policy of his kingdom, he did so upon the demise of the institutions of the law of Moses. And whilst the law of Moses had many, many rituals attached to it, of necessity, it was a schoolmaster to teach principles. It had many rituals. When we come into Christ, we have only two rituals, two rites, baptism and taking of the emblems. And they both tell us the same message, identification with the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else in our ecclesial autonomy, our ecclesial organization as an institution is optional, interpretive and cultural. These are the only two things we have been commanded of. And they tell us the same message. Why were we given this tradition, this ritualistic part of our lives, when almost all literature or all the literal legal systems and declarations of customs under the law were done away with? Because brethren and sisters, we have to appreciate that by doing something physically, baptism, a physical act, by partaking of these emblems physically, we are eating and drinking physically, Literally, we are reminding ourselves of how much the sacrifice of Christ must become a literal, a personal, a physical thing in our lives. And if it's not, we fail altogether. But we know that when we leave this meeting hall, we go outside, yes, we go out to the world again around us, we're going to fail to achieve those aspirations. We're going to fail through weakness with sins of commission and omission. But that's why the Apostle Paul so gracefully reminds us, discern the Lord's body and be a follower of me, even as I also am of Christ Jesus. But we are greatly strengthened to do this when we know the ways of the Apostle Paul. And that's why he sent Timothy to the Corinthians to remind them of the ways of his life, the method of service, the dedication that he gave to his Lord. That, brethren and sisters, is what we must meditate upon now. Yes, think about our failures, confess our sins, come confidently to the grace of God and obtain that help in a time of need. But above all, brethren and sisters, follow Paul's ways. One who served his God with incomplete holiness. One who served his God without perfect obedience. But such dedication, such love, such labour showed that he belonged to the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we can contemplate the wonderful words in Matthew 26. I will next eat these emblems, eat this bread, drink this wine with you in my Father's kingdom. And that, brethren and sisters, will be done literally and physically. And that will be a wonderful feast as we sit down with our Lord Jesus Christ and we all contemplate together that we have come here through the mercy of God. We shall eat the bread then, drink the wine, take the cup and share in a wonderful post-victory feast that through the blood of the everlasting Lamb has the whiteness of the garments of righteousness come upon us. But only through Yahweh's grace, only through his forgiveness and our alertness to our failings that we are the body of Christ and that we so much need that forgiveness and grace. That will humble us, brethren and sisters, humble us to serve one another in the beauty of holiness as we serve our Lord. Although with difficulty at times, although with great failures, although sometimes with abject oppression, if we serve him that service will spell out for our Lord and for our God the desire of our hearts that want to so much be the body of Christ. May we rejoice with our head in that day when the head and the body once more come together.