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e e e e e for for e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good evening everyone can turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 149 that's our call to worship this evening reading of Psalm 149 this is the word of God praise the Lord sing to the Lord a new song and his praise in the Assembly of saints let Israel rejoice in their maker let the children of Zion be joyful in their King let them praise His name with the dance let them sing praises to Him with the timberl and in harp for the Lord takes pleasure in his people he will beautify The Humble with salvation let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud on their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute Vengeance on the Nations and punishments on the peoples to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with feathers of iron to execute on them the written judgment this honor have all his Saints praise the Lord amen let's stand together and sing uh our first Psalm this evening will be a singing of Psalm 9B is in Bravo Psalm 9B let's stand together and sing [Music] to ince of my I will sing in the I will joy and exal cry th I will praise praise the Lord praise the Lord let the Earth his voice praise the Lord praise the Lord let the people to De all for is his for all all trust me who know and trust me bless for my Mercy for the soul that has of th Grace to praise the Lord praise the Lord let the Earth praise the Lord praise the let the people to deare his and give him for justice is PR to the mighty of has Chen to toce andong this is the Ling and over praise the praise the the Earth his praise the praise the let the people to deare his and all for justice is my my Mercy andalore Me Lord in the gates of th th salvation and show for th praise praise the Lord praise the Lord let the Earth hear his voice praise the Lord praise the Lord let the people oh to deare his all for justice is [Music] let's go to our God In Prayer let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this Lord's day we rejoice it now the second time we can gather together as the Saints of the Lord Jesus Christ to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit the one and only living and true God and we do pray once again that you would help us to worship you in spirit and in truth we pray that we would have now gathered and have set our minds upon High things that we would not be distracted by worldly by Earthly things but that we would be wholly taken up in the worship of our blessed God do help us in that and we thank you for Jesus Christ Our Savior we thank you for salvation through him we thank you for the Forgiveness of sins by the shedding of his Precious Blood we thank you for his righteousness imputed to us and received by faith alone we know that salvation is nothing of us but all of Christ and so we rejoice in that blessed truth this evening we pray that you would be Lord God with uh the Neil's family and the loss of their son Corey it that Grieves us to hear of these things in the community and we do just pray that you tend with the family tend to the the family that you would bring much Divine Comfort uh that you would be with those who are in Christ strengthening them in their faith and causing them to rest upon their God and we do pray that in such things and in this thing in particular Lord God you would draw those who are not yours to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that you would be in this that you would be over this for your glory and for the good of your people we do pray Lord God once again for those unwell for those sick that you would strengthen them and heal them for those strugg struggling spiritually that you would lift them up we pray for those pregnant women in our midst we thank you for these gifts of uh the gift of life and we thank you for the babies in the wombs and we do just pray uh for mothers we pray for uh the the children in the wombs that you would bless them strengthen them cause them to know growth and health and bring them forth in due time with much health and Lord God for these and for all the young people in our midst that at a young age they would own their creator their redeemer and the uh the the God of all creation and Redemption we do pray that you would uh be with our fellow churches as we uh think of those here in Canada and in the United States a church in Suri and Armstrong and dried in the Reformed Baptist Churches of western Canada we think of our uh fellow churches down in California such as uh uh Grace Baptist Church of in the analou valley and and many others Lord we pray that you'd be with the churches be with those men who Minister uh those officers in the churches we pray uh for all of your churches around the world that there they would be marked by unity and marked by the peace that that only the spirit can bring we pray for the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the nation both in those churches uh churches of yours and also by missionaries tasked with bringing the gospel to uh uh to many foreign Nations and to to many places uh both near and far we do just pray that you'd be with your people strengthen them and guard them and we pray by proclamation of your word and by the the spirit of power you would bring uh many sons and daughters of Adam to be those who are the children of God we do pray Lord God that you would be with Pastor Butler as he preaches to us momentarily uh as we pray this morning and as we always pray we know that ministers rest not upon their own strength but they they lean upon the strength of of God Almighty to uh equip them and to strengthen them and to to G them up in the Pulpit to Proclaim your truth and so we do pray for that this evening help your people to receive well the preached word and help Sinners to be saved by your amazing and Victorious Grace we know that it's not possible with men but it that it is possible with you that each and every tongue would leave this place this evening singing the Praises of Christ and it's in his name we pray amen let's stand and sing together this time the hymn is 209 209 let's stand and sing [Music] together of GL right Eternal ring living Str true allting radi from above for the Holy Spirit on all we for and now to you our pray father [Music] glorious gra for to Hing [Music] our [Music] will hearts and and the TRU oh joyful be passing day with as as for with shining bright our souls Glory the Earth our for the the [Music] father turn in your Bibles with me to the Book of Joshua our Old Testament scripture reading this evening is Joshua 11 the entirety of the chapter so this is Joshua 11 beginning at verse 1 and it came to pass when jabin King of hazor heard these things that he sent to jobab King of maidon to the king of shimron to the king of AKA and to the Kings who were from the north in the mountains in the plains south of Chino in the lowland and in the heights of dor on the west to the Canaanites in the East and in the west the Amorite the hittite the perizzite the deite in the mountains and the hivite below Hermon in the land of mispah so they went out they and all their armies with them as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude with very many horses and chariots and when all these Kings had met together they came and camped together at the Waters of meam to fight against Israel but the Lord said to Joshua do not be afraid because of them for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire so Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly By the Waters of meam and they attacked them and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel who defeated them and chased them to Greater sidon to the brook misra mrao and to the valley of mispah Eastward they attacked them until they left none of them remaining so Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him him he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire Joshua turned back at that time and took hazor and struck its king with the sword for hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms and they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword utterly destroying them there was none left breathing then he burned hazor with fire so all the cities of those kings and all their King uh and all their kings Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword he utterly destroyed them as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded but as for the cities that stood on their Mounds Israel burned none of them except hazor only which Joshua burned and all the spoil of these cities and the livestock the children of Israel took as booty for themselves but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them and they left none breathing as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant so Moses commanded Joshua and so Joshua did he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses thus Joshua took all this land the Mountain Country all the South all the land of Goan the lowland and the um and the Jordan plain the mountains of Israel and its lowlands from Mount halac and the uh Ascent to sire even to uh even as far as baad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Mount Hermon he captured all their kings and struck them down and killed them Joshua made War a long time with all those kings there was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel except the hivites the inhabitants of gibian all the others they took in battle for it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle that he might utterly destroy them and that they might receive no mercy but that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses and at that time Joshua came and cut off the anakim from the mountains from Hebron from deir from anab from all the mountains of Judah and from all the mountains of Israel Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities none of the anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel they remained only in Gaza in gath and in ashdod so Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said to Moses and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes then the land rested from war amen well let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in your goodness in Revelation towards us uh uh it cheers our hearts to read of the conquest of Joshua a and ultimately the conquest of the living and true God over the enemies of God and we thank you for for this account for this summary as we read at the end here of uh the victory Of God over his enemies uh by by way of Joshua and the armies of Israel we thank you that you are true to your promises and we thank you that you do fight for your people and as we we read this final verse 11:23 our minds ought to be drawn to that greater Joshua Jesus Christ who brings us to our own inheritance in rest that that eschatological hope by virtue of the Conquering Messiah we we have our hearts drawn to this one who not just conquers a temporal Canaan who doesn't just uh conquer temporal enemies but uh conquers those spiritual enemies of sin death and the devil and brings us to an everlasting inheritance we thank you for your Revelation to us and we pray as we continue in worship you would cheer our hearts with the knowledge of the Triune God and the the Glorious victories and excellencies of Jesus Christ Our King we pray in his name amen uh our final hymn before the preaching then if you'll stand with me is hymn 400 let's stand and sing that together 4 [Music] 100 e e e e with me in your Bibles to the book of Philippians Philippians chapter 1 while you're turning there just a reminder to members of the church if you have not cast your ballot please do that before you leave tonight there are some ballots in the back and a box to put them in and God willing we can get those counted tonight so Philippians chapter 1 our Focus this evening will be verses 3 to8 but I'll read verses 1 to 11 Philippians chapter 1 beginning in verse 1 Paul and Timothy Bond Servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the Bishops and deacons grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ just as it is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel you all are partakers with me of Grace for God God is my witness how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God Amen well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for the written word of the living and true God we thank you for the ministry of the Apostle Paul both in preaching and praying and defending and confirming the truth of the Gospel but as well writing scripture and we give praise to you that we have these letters we give praise to you that it speaks to us as individuals it speaks to us as families and churches and we just pray that you'd give us the ears to hear and hearts to receive your word may you forgive us for all of our sins and unrighteousness may you provide for us the presence and power of the Holy Spirit may he guide us may he direct us may he may he lead us into all truth and may you affect us for good through the proclamation of your word be glorified now be pleased to sanctify your people and God be pleased to save Sinners we pray that as the gospel has gone forth today on the Lord's day throughout this Earth we pray that it would have run swiftly and be glorified we pray that many would come out of Darkness into Marvelous Light confessing saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for that confidence that we have that we share because of what Paul writes here that you who begins this work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ thank you that you bear long with us thank you that you are merciful to us thank you that the blood of Jesus Christ your son does cleanse us from all sin and we pray in his wonderful name amen well as we come to Paul's Epistles the beginnings and the endings are very helpful for us because we get a glimpse into the Apostle Paul and basically what made him t we know that ultimately what made him tick was the grace of God his Damascus Road experience when Christ saved him and then Christ sent him as the Apostle to the Gentiles but Paul was not just a theology machine he didn't just sit in an ivory Tower and churn out Letters by inspiration of the spirit that would be normative and authoritative for the churches of Jesus Christ he was a real man with real challenges with real affections with a real heart for the people of God now words he was a man of the people and I think that is reflected here in the epistle to the Philippians specifically in chapter 1 veres 3 to 8 but throughout as I mentioned last week in in introducing the book there's not a lot of a p uh there's not a pical emphasis like you find in Galatians where Paul right out of the Chute is attacking heresy he does do that in Chapter 3 of Philippians but he doesn't have that polemical mindset as well it's not the sort of the church that is like Corinth with a multitude of challenges in terms of sanctification so Paul has to write and navigate some tricky pastoral issues with the church at Corinth most of what we find in Philippians is Joy exhortation to further unity abounding in love and peace and the fruits of the Holy Spirit and all those sorts of things so as we come to verses 3 to8 I want to notice first the apostles gratitude for the Philippians we see that in verses 3 and 4 secondly the apostles Commendation of the Philippians Philippians we see that in verses 5 and six and then finally the apostles affection for them in verses 7 to8 so he mentions that he prays but the specific content or details of his prayer are indicated in verses 9-1 so we won't get to that tonight but those are the particular petition that Paul brings to the throne of grace on behalf of the Philippians verses 3 to8 is basically just an overarching expression of his love for them his kindness toward them and his gratitude to God for them so let's look first at the apostles gratitude for them in verses 3 and 4 notice I thank my God the object of his gratitude is not the Philippians he doesn't say I thank you Philippians now that would not be unted that would be something that one could say but here specifically as he expresses his gratitude notice he uses that convention I thank my God and I think that's a wonderful observation or Luther made a wonderful observation that Christianity is a religion of personal pronouns Paul says I thank my God and he uses personal pronouns elsewhere as he communicates the blessings of God to the people of God look at Ephesians 1 specifically at verse three blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ and then specifically Galatians chap 2 at verse 20 where we see the apostles appropriation of the blessings of Christ and he sees them as his own they belong to him notice in chapter 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me he says and gave himself for me now if you cannot say that tonight if you are a stranger to the grace of God if you cannot own Jesus Christ as Lord and savior I've said it before I'll say it again believe on him look unto the Lord Jesus Christ remember the book of Philippians was born out of the founding of the church in Philippi and one of those founding members was a Jailer that was going to do himself in when he thought that the prisoners were going to escape and so Paul and Silas caution him against doing that and he falls down at their feet and he says s what must I do to be saved he doesn't say or Paul doesn't say I want you to go out and try harder I want you to go give more money to your charity of choice I want you to Buffet your flesh I want you to engage in in all these sorts of things no it's very simple believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved that's the promise of God God most high sent his son into this world the Divine word took upon himself our humanity and in that Humanity our Lord Jesus Christ lived a life of absolute perfect righteousness he never transgressed he never lacked Conformity to the law that's important because we always transgress we always lack Conformity unto the law so we need one to stand in our stad but not only is his life absolutely crucial for us but so is his death the APO uh the the Baptist announces Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world now when John the Baptist mentions that in John 1 it's not without a background it's not without a context it's not without the Old Testament that is suggestive of all that happened in the Old Testament with the levitical priest priesthood with the sacrificial system with the day of atonement Israel was taught that you don't wander into the presence of a holy God without blood atonement without the shedding of blood there is no remission so Christ in his life his perfect obedience to that law Christ in his death as a uh substitutionary atonement in our place and Christ in his resurrection and Paul summarizes this in the epistle to the Romans chapter 4 he says that Jesus the Lord Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for our justification so if you cannot say my Lord and my God if you cannot say who loved me and gave himself for me if you cannot see Jesus as your lord then come to him in faith believe on him and you will have everlasting life and you'll know something of the blessedness of those personal pronouns who has blessed us with every SP spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ who loved me and gave himself for me so for the Apostle Paul as he writes here to the Philippians he is sitting in a prison cell and the things that cheer his heart are the contemplation of God the contemplation of God's grace in the lives of the Philippians and here he shows us that relation that he sustains to God I thank my God and for Paul he he was not like those un believing Jews that we see in John 15 remember Jesus upbraids them he reproves them he rebukes them why because they did not receive the one sent by the father and if you do not receive the one sent by the father it indicates that you actually hate the father not that you love him less not that you don't prefer his preferred religion but rather you hate him you despise him remember he who is not with me Jesus says is against me so for the Apostle Paul he's not some general vague ambiguous monotheist the Apostle Paul is trinitarian unashamedly so conspicuously so all throughout his Epistles he predicates Divinity to our Lord Jesus Christ he predicates Divinity to the holy spirit yet not three Gods one living and true God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit in Romans 9:5 and in Titus 213 and in Hebrew 1:8 I take Pauline authorship I Wouldn't Die on that hill and if you don't that's okay you're not going to get thrown out of the synagogue but the bottom line is is that we see that term that title Theos applied specifically to our Lord by the Apostle Paul but it's not just Paul other New Testament authors do that arguably often times in various contexts Lord as it's applied to Jesus is probably reminiscent of the the the the the Divine name Yahweh and so for the Apostle Paul he's not about some vague notion of religion he's not just spiritual he is a trinitarian theologian he is a trinitarian apostle he is a trinitarian preacher and here he thanks my God but then notice specifically the subject of his thankfulness upon every remembrance of you and if we ask the question who are the you verse one tells us notice Paul and Timothy Bond Servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the Bish uh Bishops and deacons so for the Apostle Paul as he's in this prison cell he thanks God upon every remembrance of you and again Brethren if he's in prison he's probably tempted as I'm sure all of us would be to be remembering food to be remembering warmth to be remembering bed to be remembering all those Creature Comforts that we can't really disassociate ourselves from because after all we're creatures that like Comforts and yet for the Apostle Paul as he spends these two years in that Roman imprisonment in ad60 to 62 he writes Ephesians Philippians uh Colossians and philimon and there he expresses his thankfulness to God God not again in some vague way not in some ambiguous way but for the Saints who are in Philippi with the Bishops and the deacons and I think through this he commends for them his love his remembrance obviously and then his Commendation and we'll see more of that as we move through the message tonight but notice we've got the object my God the subject the you with all all the saints and Bishops and and deacons but then notice the result of this gratitude what does gratitude in the heart of a man do well it promotes prayer to God when you contemplate blessings received when you bask in the goodness that is from God what is the reflex response it is to pray to God notice in verse four he says always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy now the apostle we learn from the book of Acts and as he reminds us in this particular passage preached a lot the Apostle taught a lot the Apostle testified a lot the Apostle wrote a lot but the Apostle prayed a lot and I don't take this in the sense of at every moment of every day every every minute or every second he was constantly praying and every time he was constantly praying he was thinking about the Philippians I don't think the textt demands that when he talks about always be praying he doesn't mean that if you're working with farm equipment and you could lose an arm go ahead don't think about that farm equipment just pray that's not responsible I think it means that in his regular seasons of prayer whatever that might have been for the Apostle probably for Paul sitting in a prison cell it was a lot well in those times he would remember these Philippians so the Apostle engaged in prayer he engaged in intercession and intercession is when we go to the throne of grace on behalf of others and we seek to fetch blessings for them and again we'll see those in verses 9 to 11 so the emphasis is not on unceasing prayer but when Paul prays he prays for the Philippians always in every prayer of mine making request for you all but then notice the nature of his prayer it is with joy he's sitting in a prison languishing in a prison for all he knows when we introduced the book last week we saw that the book of Philippians specifically out of the prison Epistles Paul seems to think it it could possibly happen that he would die that he would be executed by the Civil State he makes a couple of statements in that regard now I think that second Timothy he knows he's going to die second Timothy chapter 4 at that time the the the the the temperature in the Empire specifically against Christianity was at a fever pitch it wasn't quite like that in 60 to 62 it's building but it's not what it's going to be in the mid-60s when Paul likely had his head chopped off by Nero not Nero personally but by one of Nero's henchmen so nevertheless there is increasing tension there is increasing opposition and Paul sees that it's possible that he may die but yet he's got joy he's got joy in his God as he reflects upon the blessings that Paul himself has received but he's got joy in God as he reflects upon the blessings that these people in Philippi had received remember the Lord opened Lydia's heart to receive the things spoken by the Apostle Paul remember the Philippian Jailer believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and and you shall be saved what happened the Jailer does that the Jailer invites them in the Jailer tends to their wounds the Jailer and his household are baptized by the Apostle Paul so Paul loves these people Paul has Joy at the contemplation of these people so his gratitude has a particular object it is God and it is the blessing of God upon others and I think this aspect of joy is most helpful in gospel Ministry now this isn't a backhand Ed approach to lambas the people of God in the church that I happen to pastor but it goes right with this sort of mindset just disassociate me and you and I I don't have any cause for non- jooy I mean there's challenges and struggles but there's no absence of joy in my heart I love the church here I love the Brethren try to pray for you regularly but Paul again accepting Pauline authorship of Hebrews writes this in Hebrews 13:17 he says obey those who rule over you and be submissive this isn't civil government Romans 13 civil government passage all the way this isn't civil government obey those who rule over you and be submissive for they watch out for your souls the last thing you want from your civil government is them watching out for your souls he's talking about ecclesiastical government he's talking about the leadership in the churches he's talking about the Pastoral Ministry that is the abiding teaching office and governing office in the ministry of the church notice obey those who rule over you and be submissive for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you other words have a vested interest in the proper functioning the joyfill function functioning of a gospel Ministry it's profitable for the people of God when there's peace when there's Unity when the fruits of the spirit are in operation it is profitable for the people of God when our churches aren't aren't at each other's throats it's profitable for the people of God when there aren't those divisions when there aren't those clicks when AR there aren't those subsets within the context of the local body Paul the Apostle had joy in God and joy for the pH Philippians now notice secondly his Commendation of them in verses 5 and six two things to observe here first the fellowship in the gospel and secondly the recognition of God's grace remember he's in the uh the the attitude the disposition of gratitude and in his remembrance he prays for that and first he highlights their Fellowship in the gospel and he moves from the past to the present to the Future in these couple of verses notice with reference to the Past verse 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now and this Fellowship in the gospel doesn't mean that two Believers go to a hockey game together that that that's not it that's friendship and that's perfectly consistent I guess you could talk about Jesus the whole time as your favorite team is not scoring but but that's not particularly or strictly Fellowship Fellowship par anticipation you've heard the Greek word coinonia it means to Rally around the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ very specifically very conspicuously and so Paul thanks God and as he remembers the Philippians as his heart is flooded with joy the specific reference or the specific Commendation comes in verse 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now Brethren it's probably about 10 years later give or take a couple of years on either end that Paul had been in Acts 6 or been in Philippi in Acts 16 and so when he gets to acts 28 and he's in prison in in in uh uh years 60 to 62 some time had lapsed and as he's writing to them he's able to reflect that what happened on that first day was good it was blessed it was real it was valid it wasn't flash in the pan when Lydia had her art open when the Philippian Jailer bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith when others through their testimony and through their evangelism through the ministry perhaps of Luke who was left behind uh it seems to be indicated there in the book of Acts that Luke was left behind by Paul there for a specific reason so Paul is able to reflect and say you know what you Brethren have been faithful in The Fellowship of The Gospel now in terms of Paul in the gospel he did most of the heavy lifting he was the one that went to the synagogues he was the one that canvased the Roman Empire he was the one that got beaten he was the one that got imprisoned he was the one that had to testify before the civil government but they participated with him they fellowship with him they were engaged alongside of him by virtue of their Prayer by virtue of monetary support by virtue of their encouragement by virtue of their fellow suffering even alongside of him Philippians 1:29 it's been granted to you not only to believe in his name but also to suffer for his name so the Philippians were not immune to the sufferings associated with Gospel Life and so Paul commends them for that Fellowship in the gospel Ministry and that Fellowship in the gospel Ministry was indicated by or indic of a love that they had for the Apostle look over for just a moment at verses 15 and following chapter 1 verse 15 some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife and some also from Good Will the former preach Christ from selfish ambition not sincerely supposing to add Affliction to my chains but the latter out of love knowing that I'm appointed for the defense of the Gospel so these were of the loving sort these were the ones who had an affection for Paul their Fellowship was manifested or evidenced in that reality that when they did testify when they did witness when they did go Soul winning they weren't doing it from envy and strife now we should notice that even though these men were marked by Envy and strife and even though these men had selfish ambition they were nevertheless preaching the gospel properly got to get that in galatia they are not preaching the gospel properly judaizing is heresy adding uh Works to Faith for salvation is condemnable heresy that's why Paul pronounces the anathema but notice in verse 18 what then only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is preached and in this I Rejoice yes and Will Rejoice so whatever the internal problems were in these particular men whatever Envy and strife they had most likely toward the Apostle Paul perhaps they were embarrassed perhaps they looked down their noses on the fact that that he was in prison whatever their motivation was at least in this particular instance they nevertheless preached Christ and him crucified so what's Paul's Point whether it's out of love for me or whether it's out of contempt for me as long as Christ has preached I rejoice in that that is what marks the Apostle Paul well you didn't have good will toward me he doesn't care I mean I'm sure at some level he cares because we all like to be light but for the apostle that the gospel was preached was the most important thing so the generosity of the Philippians I mentioned this last week and we looked specifically at Philippians 4 but look at 2 Corinthians 8 I referred to this just to illustrate the graciousness and the kindness and the large-hearted of the people of God in Philippi so the main emphasis in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and N is to cough up cough up money Corinthians there is famine in Judea our Brethren are starving our Brethren are hurting our Brethren need our help and so the overarch ing concern in this section of second Corinthians is Paul urging the people of God to give uh uh generously and with large Hearts to the particular needs of Brethren elsewhere he uses the example in 2 Corinthians 88:9 of our Lord Jesus for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich in light of that reality Corinthians empty your pockets cough it up give it up be be kind and large-hearted but before he gets to that example of Jesus he goes to Macedonia specifically Philippi notice in 81 moreover brethren we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia that in a great trial of Affliction listen to the language here they're not fat cat Bankers sitting on piles of though they've got real lives real hardships I mean Lydia was well to do but I'm sure a Philippian Jailer in the first century wasn't making bank he didn't have a roll sitting in his driveway and I would probably imagine that a bulk of the others that came to Christ in that particular setting didn't just have money trees in their backyards to go peel off fat stacks for those suffering in Judea he says that in great trial or in a great trial of a Affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality for I bear witness that according to their ability yes and beyond their ability they were freely willing imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and The Fellowship of the ministering to the Saints Brethren often times in the new test when you see that word fellowship or coinonia underg guring it is a financial element The Fellowship of the Saints yes we love each other we talk about Jesus we talk about the Trinity we talk about those things that are that are near and dear to our heart but we seek to alleviate the needs of the brothers and the sisters and that's one of the things that he commends them for here verse five and not only as we had hoped but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then To Us by the will of God so we urge Titus that as he had begun so he would also complete this grace in you as well but as you abound in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence and in your love for us see that you abound in this Grace also so back to Philippians chapter 1 he appreciates he thanks God as he remembers them as Joy fills his heart he is thankful for their fellowship and the gospel that participation along with Paul for Paul and along with Paul for other churches that were in need but then notice in verse six the recognition of God's grace so this is his Commendation again not you guys are great I'm glad you reached down and pulled up your bootstraps and got yourselves saved that's not it at all he recognizes in them the presence of God's grace so notice he moves from the past from the first day until now to the present being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you and then he moves to the future will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ but with reference to this we need to understand what the good work is he's not commending them for their good works plural he's not commending them for the kindheartedness that they demonstrated he's not commending them for the good gift that they gave via apodus as they sent him according to chapter 4 and then Paul sends him back according to chapter 2 he's not commending them for their good works he is recognizing God God's grace in beginning the good work of Salvation so the good work is not theirs but it's Gods the demonstration or confirmation of this good work the way that Paul knows that God's grace is operative in them is through their profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a life lived in light of that profession of Faith just like we do today how do we know somebody's a Believer well they've got to believe the truth and then there needs to be fruit that is consistent with that truth not Perfection not absolute righteousness because we'd be waiting in vain but with reference to the Philippians he had seen God's grace in them through their profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and through their actions consistent with that profession but again the object of his thankfulness is God it's God's grace it is God who is the author of this good word now notice the a text in verse 6 being confident he is by their profession and by their conduct of this very thing that he has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ and in that short verse it encompasses the entirety of God's good grace in the salvation of Sinners basically what we have is the election of Sinners according to God's Sovereign Grace we see that in Ephesians 1:4 we have the Regeneration of Sinners by God's spirit John chapter 3 Titus Chapter 3 as well we have the justification of Sinners by the blood and righteousness of Jesus i' just say everywhere in Paul's letters and then the glorification of Sinners by the power of God so this text emphasizes it is God's grace alone by which Sinners enter out or come out of Darkness into Marvel light it is God's grace alone that keeps them in that place and it is God's grace alone that will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ look at Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2 you see a similar emphasis there Philippians 2:12 therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence I love the way he says that it wasn't a case in PH Philippi that it was look busy Paul's coming be holy Paul's coming you know as long as he's around we got to have a good show no in my absence you're faithful in my absence you're consistent in my absence you're persevering there's always that trepidation that parents feel when they go out for a night and they leave the kids at home it's that last five minutes that the kids say okay we got to get busy Mom and Dad are coming home we' kind of like to think you were busy at whatever you were supposed to be doing for the two or three hours that we were gone so Paul commends these brethren in such a way as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only you're not men Pleasers you're not doing ey service you're not just trying to get the accolades of the Holy Apostle but now much more in my absence the word I get from you when a aphodius AR arrived to me he he speaks and glowing terms of you all your your your first day was was indicative of of your 10th year and I am confident it's going to be like that in year 20 year 30 year year 50 I confident that the good grace of God that has come to you that that good work that he began in you I am confident that it will come to full full expression in glorification when you enter into the New Jerusalem but notice what he then says he says says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling the language there is very specific he's not saying work for your own salvation we're not working for our own salvation we're working out what God put in the God who began this good work in us he says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling and then note for it is God who works in you both to Will and to do uh for his good pleasure so back in verse 6 verse 5 he commends them for their Fellowship in the gospel verse 6 he recognizes God's grace is operative in their lives and he recognizes this not by some mystical connection but by their right profession in the Son of God who loved them and died for them but as well in those Con in that conduct that is consistent with a profession of Faith so The God Who begin the good work will complete it I think this is one of the you know I don't want to say best Texs but it's one of the best Texs with reference to Assurance it's not you that it's all dependent upon now again that doesn't mean you lay down like a slug work out your own salvation with fear and trembling understand that it's God who's at work in you both to Will and to do according to his good pleasure but where's the basis where's the foundation for Assurance of faith it's not in US Brethren if we could lose our Salvation we would lose our Salvation there's no no question yet within a millisecond if we could we would but God is faithful God is gracious God is kind so the apostles confidence is not grounded in the Free Will of the Philippians but in the free grace of God the Apostle's confidence is not grounded in the faithfulness of the Philippians but in the faithfulness of God and the apostles confidence is not grounded in the perseverance of the Philippians but in the power and the preserving power of the holy spirit of God so he's confident not in them as them but he's confident in God's grace operative in them which is Manifest through their profession and through their specific conduct so when we look at this particular section briefly as it may be we learn that that that prayer when we go to prayer for others it's not a celebration of their virtues it's rather a celebration of the mighty power of God Almighty now that doesn't mean we can't say thank you Lord for giving me a nice wife she's great I love her thank you for her kindness but prayer first and foremost is a time to Delight in the good gifts of God Almighty and that brings us then finally to the apostles affection for them in verses 7 to8 we see here an obligation and confirmation note the obligation in verse 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all this is right I'm obligated I need to appreciate and recognize God's grace in your life I need to acknowledge that he began this good work I need to acknowledge that he will continue this good work I need to acknowledge that he will bring this good work to fruition it it's right for me to think of you all as well his confidence in the Philippians he's going to explain that more but they have shown themselves faithful it's not praising God first and foremost for their faithfulness keeping them in the grace of God but that is a fruit a byproduct an effect or consequence of what God's grace had produced in their lives and so he's thankful for that so notice just as it as it is right for me to think this of you all now he goes on because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel you all are partakers of me uh uh with me of Grace note the intimacy that he has with these people Brethren I wouldn't I don't know that I want to go down that road but I want to make sure that we understand that the communication of one's love and affection for others is not a feminine it can be obviously but it's not the mighty holy Apostle Paul had no problem as it were opening up his chest cavity and saying you're right there there's a faction that the Apostle has for the church in Philippi and he is not afraid or you know he's not questioning his masculinity by by by communicating that love for them look at the language just as it is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart I love you people I care for you people I Delight in you people and notice when we have people in our hearts guess what we do with that we bring them to the throne of grace and that's a good thing Brethren having people in your heart evokes going uh for them to the throne of grace and seeking blessings on their behalf this is a good model or Paradigm for all of us to have one another in our hearts so that we can bring them to the throne of grace he continues I have you in my heart and then this is by way of explanation in as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel you all are partakers with me of Grace so basically the Philippians participated with Paul in the good times when God opens Lydia's heart when when God Saves the Philippian Jailer when the Jailer tends to their wounds they leave Philippi as those who had had some very good times together in fact look at four chapter 4 specifically at verse 11 he says not that I speak in regard to need for I have learned in whatever state I am uh to be content I'm sorry to uh for for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content I know how to be a based and I know how to abound so the Philippians were with him in times of abounding but the Philippians were not ashamed of him in ter in times of a basement and that's what he indicates here in as much as both in my chains Brethren if you knew that somebody that you held in high regard ended up in prison there might be suspicion well I wonder you know was he running drugs was he you know selling raw milk what what was he doing what what was it that landed him in that position there is a suspicion that is natural not with the Philippians they knew if Paul's in prison it wasn't because of a crime that he had committed if Paul's in prison it's because of the Gospel it's because of Christ and him crucified it's because of the escalation of persecution and oppression in the Empire they didn't doubt they didn't Wonder there was no quandry with them that's what I think is going on in the 115 and 16 met that envy that Strife that that that embarrassment that irritation that one of their fellows or or the mighty Apostle Paul ended up in prison not so the Philippians they were not Fairweather fans they stuck by the Apostle but also notice he says in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel for God is my uh we'll get to that in a moment one man says in preaching boldly against tyrants and Heretics and confirming the gospel in the hearts of the faithful his imprisonment is not an obstacle for them his his battles it the the synagogues his his battles before the civil government those are not obstacles for them these people love Paul so as much as he has them in his heart they have him in their heart heart and that's a beautiful reciprocating relationship and then he confirms this by Divine testimony and then Express his personal affection notice in verse 8 for God is my witness that's an oath that is an oath that Paul invokes and according to our confession they are to be done in matters of wait and moment matters of wait and moment why is this a matter of wait and moment because the Apostle Paul is in prison he's writing a letter from his you know control center his strategic operations center I love to think of it that way and he sends that letter to fellow soldiers and these fellow soldiers are engaged in Warfare and these fellow soldiers need to know that Paul has their back and he needs to continue to understand that they have his back and so he calls or invokes God as his witness I'm not making this up this isn't literary flourish I'm not just faking that I have you in my heart we are in this together if we are going to continue in an increasingly hostile Empire if we're going to continue to Proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified if we're going to continue to challenge the the power structures of our day both synagogue and Empire we need to have each other's backs I need you to know that you're in my heart I believe that I am in your heart and I call God as my witness that what I am writing to you is absolutely 100% true I want you to be able to lean on me and I want to be able to lean on you and then he expresses again large-hearted personal affection for them for God is my witness how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ This is markedly not markedly different completely different than other Epistles but there is such a note of love and an emphasis on Joy and Delight in this epistle to the Philippians that I don't think it is without warrant one has observed probably others that it has something of a farewell letter nature to it Paul thinks he may possibly die so what is he doing in the 11th Hour he's Gathering his children to him and he is telling them from the heart the things that he thinks concerning them and communicating to them his love Gil says with reference to this this language how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ not with a human and carnal affection but with a Christian ins spiritual one with a love which came from Christ and was an imitation of him and on account of their being in him loved by him belonging to him and being Believers in him it was in the most tender manner that he loved them and was affected to them the phrase denotes that his love towards them was internal in his heart and was most tender and strong and like to that tender concern Christ had for them and which he stirred up in them it is right brothers and sisters to communicate your love and affection to one another it is right and it is good and it is obviously true of God he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son it's true of God the son in the upper room he loved them uh with an eternal love he loved them to the end he communicates that love in John 15 he communicates that love over and and over again so it is not unored it's not eff feminine it's not weird and it's not wrong it's Apostolic to communicate one's love for another well in conclusion I would suggest that we learn from this a couple of quick observation Qui quick lessons first the place of gratitude in the Christian Life we all know that three-fold Motif behind the heidleberg catechism uh guilt Grace gratitude gratitude gratitude displays a recognition of the goodness of God doesn't it gratitude displays a recognition of the grace of God we're not the guy that's playing uh praying next to the to the public and you know I I thank you God that I'm not like other men I thank you that I'm not an adulterer I thank you that I'm not an extortioner I I thank you that I'm not like this Publican no gratitude recognizes the goodness of God gratitude then promotes or evokes from our hearts prayer and praise to God gratitude is a very good disposition position to maintain gratitude acknowledges God's goodness to us and to others in particular it's good to survey the things going on in other people's lives too right there's something about us I remember a sermon that was definitive for me in my thinking this is going back a few years and it was Greg Nichols and he was preaching a sermon on I think it was at least he alluded to First Corinthians 1 Corinthians 13 love love does not behave rudely and and if you've ever talked to me on the phone or if I've ever called you I hope that this is true I I try to ask is is this a good time for you because Greg Nicholls let us have it how many times do people call you now not So Much Anymore texting is a good thing but how many times that people call you just assuming that you have an hour without ever checking to see if you have an hour that's rude don't impose your life on others that way don't just drop yourself in their lap and say Hey listen to what I've got to Yammer on for for an hour listen to All About Me Myself and I love does not behave rudely love rather looks to the concerns the needs the wants the the the issues of others they they might actually have a problem they might actually have a praise report they might actually have something going on in their lives let's try to pay attention to that once in a while so with reference to this we acknowledge God's goodness to us and to others as well and I would say gratitude humbles us and hopefully weans us us from self- dependence when we're basking in the goodness that is God hopefully we are reminded how good it is to bask in the goodness that is God and that we don't want self- dependence we don't want independence we don't want autonomy we don't want to do it on our own we want to rest upon God's gracious provision as he gives it to us abundantly through the gospel of our salvation and I would suggest then secondly and finally the church's Fellowship in the gospel Ministry I think there's this mindset that you know all I do is I I go to church I don't have a particular Ministry I don't have a specific thing that I do so what has that produced over the last generation almost well we got to have a Ministry for everybody got to plug them in got to you know we got a parking lot Ministry you got be the guy that you know waves people in you can be the the king of that Ministry I'm not necessarily denouncing that but Brethren by participating in prayer and in preaching and in corporate worship every member in the church every attender in the church is as important as the minister of the Gospel so again Paul may do the heavy lifting as he goes about from place to place as he stands to defend and confirm the go gospel against unbelieving Jews and and and Roman tyrants but the Brethren are right there beside him not in every instance to be sure but through prayer through their love for him Spurgeon was once asked about the secret to his success in preaching he says there's no secret my people pray what secret we got an engine room down there and there's Brethren praying so that when I preach I know that there's prayers going up to God for his blessing upon the Sinners and for the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit upon the Believers there's no magic it's not esoteric it's not mystical the church participates in the gospel Ministry and Brethren I would say very personally that you just showing up each Sunday is a great Boon and encouragement to my heart I'd rather have you in here sitting than waving traffic out in the parking lot this is a good place for the people of God to be and in the final analysis we have this God who has begun this good work in us we are confident that he will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ I think that's a two-fold reference either our own death when we are uh uh launched into the presence of the Son of God or on that final day of judgment but we have God and His mercy and his goodness and his grace to sustain us and we are all partakers and all participants and all engaged in The Fellowship of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ well let us pray Our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for your Apostle and we thank you for these words penned by the spirit through him and we ask God that you would just fill our hearts with affection for the brothers and the sisters here as well God cause us to reflect often upon your good grace and may it produce in our hearts a gratitude a thankfulness that is expressed to you in prayer that would be uh sweet smelling sacrifice and Aroma unto you and that you would be pleased to continue to bless here may you save Sinners may you continue to sanctify your Saints and we have that confidence that you who began this work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation e e e