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The Apostle Paul has said to the Philippians as the Holy Spirit communicates to us even now to be of the same mind. Having the same love and being in full accord with one another. But because we are sinners There are times that we are going to disagree and when that happens It's up to the whole church to see that everyone comes back into unity in the body when we understand the text.
This is when we understand the text. My name is Pastor Gabe. A joy to be with you as we have been studying through Philippians together this week starting in on Chapter 4. A lot of popular passages come out of Philippians chapter 4 one that I've used several times over the course of this study.
Thus far is Philippians 4 for rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say Rejoice just punctuating that theme of joy that we have all the way through this wonderful letter. We also have a very popular verse verse 6.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God. Verse 7. And the peace of God which surpasses all Understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
And also verse 8. Finally brothers, whatever is true. Whatever is honorable. Whatever is just whatever is pure. Whatever is lovely. Whatever is commendable. If there is any excellence. If there is anything worthy of praise.
Think about these things. Another popular verse quoted from Philippians chapter 4 is verse 13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. We'll talk more about that one as we get closer to it.
So join me this week as we dive into Philippians chapter 4. It'll probably take us a couple of weeks to get through this chapter. But hey, I'm loving every minute of it along the way as we are digesting the Word of God and learning these things together.
Thank you so much for participating and if you would consider a gift to this ministry go to our website Wwut .com. You will see the give button on the top right hand corner of the page. I promise the money that you give does not go to me.
It actually goes to our church if you feel so compelled to give something to me. You can buy a book. That's what I would tell you to do. You can also find my books through the what website Wwut .com all right before we get into Philippians chapter 4 only covering the first three verses today.
Why don't we come before the Lord in prayer our great God such a wonderful thing. It is to be able to open your word and read your mind your thoughts. Know something about the heart of God by what we see written in these pages.
It's all scripture. It's all true tried and true. There is no reason for us to doubt what it is that we read that it truly came from God. Communicating to his people so that we might know your will we might know your plan of redemption.
For us through your son Jesus Christ. It is him that we worship. It is him that we want to exalt and glorify and all that we read and come to understand. Fill us up with more of Christ. Help us to understand more clearly this theme of joy that we that we have been.
Pulling out of this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Church 2 ,000 years ago still relevant to us even now and filling us up with the joy of the Lord. Which is our strength guide us in these things according to your spirit and we pray this in Jesus name.
Amen. Philippians chapter 4 verses 1 2 3 same way. We started off chapter 3. We just covered the first few verses there. So in chapter 4 Paul says therefore my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown.
Stand firm thus in the Lord my beloved. I Entreat Yodia and I entreat Cintas to agree in the Lord. Yes I ask you also true companion help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and with the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life all right, so we go back to verse 1 of chapter 4 and the first word that we see there is therefore and anytime I see The word therefore no matter what I'm doing in my study I always want to get a clear picture of what we just came from because Paul is obviously speaking in light of the previous Thought when he says therefore, all right, let's go back to verse 17.
So we're just gonna jump all the way back into the previous paragraph this is verse 17 of chapter 3 by the way Paul says to the Philippians brothers join in imitating me and Keep your eyes on those who walk According to the example that you have in us for many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears Walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly and they glory in their shame with mindset on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven and from it We await a Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body to be like his Glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself therefore My brothers, so do we get a picture of the therefore now?
Therefore my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown stand firm thus in the Lord my beloved. So going back again Into chapter 3 verse 17. Okay, Paul is encouraging the fellowship in Philippi to imitate those whose Hang on.
Let me structure my sentence properly here to imitate those whose faith has been clearly displayed before them. Paul and his missionary brethren. The the the pastors and the deacons or the elders and deacons that we saw addressed at the beginning of the letter they would also serve as examples in that church as to how one should behave as A steadfast christian, okay.
And so he is encouraging them to imitate those who walk according to the example that they have been given. Why is that so important? Because there are many out there who are false teachers we started chapter 3 talking about them and there are also those who Walk as enemies of the cross of christ.
Their end is Destruction their god is their belly and they glory in their shame with mindset on earthly things. So paul means to encourage the philippians to not let that happen to them. Remember as he encourages them.
Our citizenship is in heaven. And from it we await a savior the lord. Jesus christ who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. So we're going to struggle in this flesh for a time.
But it is it is only for a time christ. Jesus is going to Complete the work that he started in us. Paul started the letter talking about that philippians 1 6. I am confident that he who began this good work and you will bring it to completion at the day of christ.
So he's bringing these things to light again the work that was started in you. God will transform your lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself therefore.
All right, because of the example that you have in solid brothers in christ. Realizing that you need to keep yourself from the dogs. And the mutilators of the flesh and those who walk as enemies of the cross of christ.
Because you know that the lord. Jesus christ will transform this lowly body In the earthly things that you are experiencing right now. It's only for a time. It will pass he will transform your lowly body subject to decay and pain and pain.
And you know aches and all the things that come with living in this flesh temptations. God will transform that body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself therefore my brothers Whom I love and long for.
You are my joy and my crown. Paul expressing again something. He really doesn't have to express again, but he just wants to because he loves Philippians that much. My brothers whom I love and I long for you are my joy and my crown.
I am laboring for you I and I am telling you because this love that I have for you. I'm saying to you stand firm thus in the lord. My beloved stand firm. He can't say this too many times. Going back to chapter 3 verse 1.
Rejoice in the lord to write the same things to you is no trouble to me. And it is safe for you. And so he is saying some of the same things again to encourage them to stand firm in the lord my beloved.
Okay, and then after saying that After talking about those who walk as enemies of the cross of christ. Be follow the example that you have been given hope in the lord Jesus christ who will deliver us from sin and death with all of these things in mind, he says Out of love, which he just expressed in verse 1 of chapter 4.
He says I entreat yodia and I entreat sintash to agree in the lord. Now these are two women that we are told labored with paul side by side for the gospel. There is a disagreement between the two of them and we don't know what it is.
We don't know What yodi and sintash can't agree on but apparently it's significant enough. That when epaphroditus came and visited paul. While he was under house arrest in rome, of course, that's where he's writing this letter from.
Okay. So when epaphroditus came and visited paul, he told paul about it. So paul knows that these two women who have labored with him for the gospel are in disagreement with one another. And as epaphroditus has come back to the church with this letter that he is sharing with the philippians.
He stands in front of the philippians. Maybe he's doing or maybe one of the elders, uh are doing it, but they. They stand before the congregation and they read the letter that paul has sent back. Can you imagine?
Yodia and sintash sitting there and hearing their names called out by the apostle paul as this letter is being read aloud. That Might have been an awkward situation for a lot of people in that church.
Imagine yodia and sintash sitting there and they hear paul say I entreat yodia and I entreat sintash to agree in the lord and they're kind of shrinking down like oh my goodness. Word of our disagreement has gotten all the way to the apostle paul in rome.
But who does paul put it on to see to it that yodia and sintash agree? Verse three. Yes. I ask you also true companion Help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together. With clement and with the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life now.
There are a couple of ways that we could interpret. I ask you also true companion Help these women there could be a person specifically that paul is talking to and that's a very likely case in fact because the Uh, the greek word that appears there syzygos Means true yoke fellow, so it's singular.
And it's talking about one person. So there's somebody in that congregation apparently who would know themselves as paul's true companion. So as paul says I ask you also true companion help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together.
But okay, here's another possibility To understand that passage is that paul is talking to the whole church and and talking to them as A singular group of one mind, right? Because we've we've already seen that address previously in philippians 2 2 the apostle paul says Complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind.
So then he's telling yodia and sintash be of that one mind. Agree in the lord and I ask you true companion. Okay, so the church singular who should be of one mind. Help these women so it could be that paul is putting it on the whole church.
To see to it that these two women agree and that would not be with with beyond the bounds of speculation. Uh that paul would be calling the whole church to to to see that unity is filling that church if two people are out of alignment.
Then there is not any true display of unity happening in that church. So it would be the church's responsibility not just the elders not just the deacons not just the true yoke fellow but the whole church.
Working together with yodia and sintash to see to it that they agree in the lord. Help these women who have labored side by side with me In the gospel together with clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life and what a great comment that is.
Okay, so even though yodia and sintash Are in a moment of disagreement and it has caused a disunity enough so that paul has had to address it. He does not discount them as believers. All right, he actually includes them along with clement and the rest of his fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.
It's as if he's saying look, I know yodi and sintash are saved. There's no doubt about that. But as we are to display the grace of christ that has been poured out upon us. So we need to show grace within the body.
We need to show grace with one another. We're still in the flesh. We're still going to disagree. In fact paul said to the corinthians that there must be factions among you so that those who are genuine might be revealed.
There are people with different gifts and different callings in the body of christ and because we're different and it is Necessary folks for us in the body of christ to be different. It is necessary. For the members of the church to be different.
Yes. We're supposed to be of the same mind, uh in one accord but because we are different parts of the body we work together so that we have a functioning body. If Everyone had the same spiritual gift and the same calling that would actually be a dysfunctional body.
Because not every part of the body can be afoot. All right. Let's say that i'm borrowing this example from mark dever. I did not come up with this but let's say that. That you wanted to go to a church that was missions minded.
I have a passion for missions. So i'm going to go to a church that is all about missions. And so you're going to a church where you can find a bunch of other feet. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring?
The good news that paul talks about in romans chapter 10. So you want to go to a church where everybody's afoot? All right. I love i'm afoot. I want to go to church with some other feet. You're going to end up in a very smelly church.
It's a dysfunctional church. Because not everybody can be afoot in order for it to be a functioning body there must be hands there must be arms. Torsos holding everything together. Eyes to see the needs of others ears to listen to others concerns.
A mouth to speak and prophesy the word of god we have Legs and feet that can take the message to others or can do the work for others. You know these these kinds of parts in the body are all necessary so that we have a functioning body.
So there are going to be differences and those differences are necessary. But as paul says the corinthian to the corinthians. There must be factions among you so that those who are genuine might be revealed.
It means that because we're different there are at times going to be disagreement, but the grace of god is displayed. In that we can still love one another despite those disagreements. You know on tertiary matters we're going to disagree.
But we still love one another despite those disagreements and then the genuineness of the love of god is displayed. So we have this situation here where yodia and sintesh are still acknowledged as believers just because they disagree.
Does not mean I don't know about their faith. We might need to call this in question. Now they're being compared with clement and the rest of paul's fellow workers whose names are written in the book of life.
But as we are supposed to display the grace of christ within the body of christ. So it is important that yodia and sintesh agree. That they come into agreement in the lord. The apostle paul doesn't say agree to disagree.
I really hate that term agree to disagree. I think i've expressed that before. The reason why it's such a bad term is it is it leaves something unresolved? It's like you know what? I am still going to stick to my opinion because I think that i'm right.
You stick to your opinion because you think that i'm right. Although I really know that i'm right. So why don't we just agree to disagree instead of continuing to argue about this and set a bad example?
It actually leaves something completely unresolved. To follow that term agree to disagree. But what have we been told that we need to be? We need to be of the same mind having the same love being in full accord doing nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.
But in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. This is philippians 2 2 through 4 and paul is saying this to yodia and sintesh in light of what he had previously said in the letter.
And including them with those whose names are written in the book of life the lamb's book of life. That's what we're talking about the the registry in heaven that has the names of every believer. Written in it from the foundation of the world as it says in revelation 13 8.
Yeah, that's the book. We're talking about Paul saying yodia and sintesh they're christians clement the rest of my fellow workers myself our names. Written in the lamb's book of life. We know that we are secure for eternity.
And in light of this in light of the grace that we have received from christ jesus. Display unity in this body display grace between one another. I entreat yodia and sintesh. To agree and may we learn something.
From this account as to how we should behave in the body of christ of christ as well our lord christ. We thank you for this word and we thank you for this conviction and whatever it was this disagreement between yodia and sintesh.
I pray that we can learn from this from from these two women who had a moment of quarrel I that i'm sure that they repented of and displayed unity within the body again. Which the church helped them to do.
I pray that we can learn something from this experience and apply it to ourselves to our home life. The ways that we interact with our Spouses with our siblings or roommates or whatever our living situation might be our co-workers.
The ways that we interact especially with others within the church. Help us to learn from these things and apply it displaying The peace that surpasses all understanding found in christ jesus our lord in whose name we pray.
Amen. In first century thessalonica There were some individuals who decided they weren't going to work anymore and started living off the charity of the wealthy. Well, we've sure come a long way since then though, right?
When the apostle paul and his missionary brothers were there they labored to earn their stay. It would have been within their right to expect payment for their ministry. But paul wanted to give the thessalonian christians an example to follow for you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us.
He wrote because we were not idle when we were with you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day. He said if anyone is not willing to work Let him not eat for we hear that some among you walk in idleness not busy at work.
But busy bodies now such persons we command and encourage in the lord Jesus christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living. He went on to say do not regard him as an enemy but warn him as a brother.
Now paul was not talking about people who were infirmed or physically incapable of working. He was talking about those who were able to work but wouldn't. Praying off the welfare of others and having plenty of time to meddle in other sins.
By giving charity to those who don't need it such undeserving persons are taking from those who truly do need it. As we read in proverbs 18 9 whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
It is the command of god to work. So encourage one another in that very thing and do it for his glory when we understand the text. Continuing this theme of correcting one another in love our question today has to do with that.
What video? This is from terrence in missouri. He says dear what thank you for your videos and your ministry. I particularly appreciate your video on working to earn a living if a person doesn't work Let him not eat second thessalonians 3 10.
I shared it with a friend of mine and we disagreed on what paul was actually saying. My friend said that paul was talking about the lord's supper if a person doesn't work. He doesn't get to participate in the lord's table with the rest of the church.
He argued that paul wasn't going as far to say that person doesn't get to eat at all. Is that true? Would you be able to unfold that a little bit more? Thank you for your email terrence to give you a straight answer.
No paul is not talking exclusively about Removing a person from the lord's table. But to fully understand this I want to take you to a few different passages here. Let's first look at second thessalonians 3 in context.
So starting in verse 6. Now we command you brothers in the name of our lord. Jesus christ that you keep away from any brother Who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us?
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us because we were not idle when we were with you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it. But with toil and labor we worked night and day that we might not be a burden.
On any of you it was not because we do not have that right but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you we would give you this command if anyone is not willing to work.
Let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness not busy at work. But busy bodies now such persons we command and encourage in the lord Jesus christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.
So we're talking about a lifestyle pattern here. We're not just talking about Volunteering in the church and if you don't volunteer in the church, you don't get to participate in the lord's table. Okay, this is not a limited thing.
We're talking about lifestyle Christian living and paul says we gave you this instruction when we were with you. If anyone is not willing to work let him not eat. So what kind of church are we talking about here where a person would be excluded from even able even being able to eat bread.
Because they were not doing their jobs. Think of what the early church looked like by the picture that we have in acts chapter 2. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Okay, this is acts 2 i've started in verse 42 if you're following along with me here. And all came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed.
Sorry, I turned my page early. All who all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need.
And day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts. Praising god and having favor with all the people and the lord added to their number day by day.
Those who were being saved you get in the picture here. It's almost like the church existed as a village. And served and cared for one cared for one another feeding one another. And paul is saying to the thessalonians if a person doesn't work.
Because you gotta you gotta work to earn your living. There were people in thessalonica who were praying off of The wealth of the generous which we was mentioned there in that uh in that particular video so they were not working.
They were taking advantage of the fact that hey. Everybody in the church is supposed to care for one another right? Somebody's gonna feed me and I don't even have to work to earn it. Paul is saying no no, no.
No, we gave you the instruction that we were when we were with you. If someone is not willing to work. He doesn't get to eat. In fact, we see this instruction given also to the corinthians first corinthians 5 11.
I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an Idolater reviler drunkard or swindler not even to eat with such a one.
Now the instruction that's given to the thessalonians is a little bit different context because they didn't have. You know, we're led to understand that they did not have a problem with sexual immorality greed idolatry.
Uh drunkenness and swindling one another. What they did have a problem with though was people who are not willing to do their work. You have to work to earn a living in the secular society. It's no different in Living as a christian you still have to work to earn your keep.
Work is not part of the curse folks. Work is something that was designated for adam to do even before he sinned. It says in scripture in genesis 1 and 2 you can read god created adam and put him in the garden to work it.
That was before. There was ever any any curse of sin. We have been called to work. It is a blessing of god to work and so a person who doesn't work Doesn't get to reap the benefits of what a person gets from their work.
They don't get to eat until they learn to do their work quietly. A person who doesn't work has too much time on their hands. They become busy bodies. That is the result. We see that right there in thessalonica, thank you again terrence for your question, let's close in prayer quickly god.
Thank you for this instruction today. I pray that we heed it with joy in your name. Amen.
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