Philippians 4:1-3

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Well, we're going to continue in Philippians this morning.

We're just gonna look at three verses and we are going to be wrapping up Philippians pretty soon.

We're in chapter 4 the last the last chapter of Philippians and so Paul

is wrapping and wrapping up his letter.

He he's.

He's.

Writing down getting down his final thoughts before he he wraps this thing up and gives it to the messenger and

sends it from prison to the church at Philippi and.

It's.

It's a long journey.

It's a hard journey.

It takes it takes someone whom God has worked in their heart where they they love.

They they want to glorify God.

They want to share the truth.

They they're they're willing to make this sacrifice.

You know being being with Paul ministering to him in prison ministering the gospel in

prison You know is is a tough deal but also being the

messenger is a tough deal and in it.

May it.

It called for sacrifice because it was a long long journey from

from where Paul was to these churches and It took it was

miles and miles and miles and and Christians were were not popular at that time.

So these these messengers really took a lot upon

themselves and had to sacrifice but you know when it's When it's something that

you you're you're drawn to something you're passionate about something you love.

Something your heart has changed for you know, it no longer becomes sacrifice it becomes joy

and so it was it was joy for Paul to be in prison so that It

just in a different way.

The gospel was being preached.

It was joy for these folks who were ministering to him and Helping to minister the gospel while he was

in prison.

It was joy for them for for the messenger like a Paphroditus who was a messenger from Philippi

to Paul.

And Paul was sending back.

It was a it was a joy for him To be able to to minister the gospel to

deliver these messages.

And.

We can see clearly in verses 19 through 30 of chapter 2 what

love Paul had for the Philippian Church and what love The Philippian Church had

for Paul and then what love Paphroditus had for the Philippian Church and they had for him and

he had for Paul and Paul had for him.

It it just It was just a love that the Holy Spirit works in each and every one of

them and works in each and every one of Us when we become saved when he works on a heart and changes us

We begin to have a love for one another and and this is just example.

This is This it's clear what the Holy Spirit

does in the in the work of believers and how they begin to love one another.

There there was so much love concern for one another that the Paphroditus

Paul That was between those two and and the Philippian Church and it was

there was love there was joy For for one another and in serving the

Lord on behalf of one another for their good.

So the the book of Philippians Is just a wonderful

example of what Our Christian life should should look like

what it should be aiming for Where we should be going what we should be

doing.

And and what a what a wonderful example of the work that the Holy Spirit was doing in Their heart

and in their lives and and what a what a prayer that we can have.

To to.

To desire that God would work in us the way he worked in the Philippian Church and in a

Paphroditus and in Timothy and In Paul that they had such.

And then we're going to look at a few other Folks this morning that they had such

a joy in ministry that they had such a love for one another a passion for God's

glory a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And It's evident and it's dripping from every word of Philippians

and.

And what it would it would be such.

It would be so good for us to to read over Philippians over and over and over again because it's a short

little book four chapters and and to let it saturate us and

and desire what's going on between these folks in the Philippian Church.

And then their their beloved Paul and their messenger.

And their interaction and their love for one another and their their work in ministry their love for ministry.

Their desire for God's glory and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It would it would do us well to Be praying that

God would work what's going on here Philippians in our hearts and our lives

the the world.

That God has saved.

And that is sanctified.

He is sanctifying.

Will.

Will be useful in in this world as he is sanctifying it if we.

If we put this in our hearts if we desire to desire to apply this in our lives.

So with that being said, let's let's look at The beginning of Philippians chapter 4 and

we're just gonna look at the first three verses this morning.

So it shouldn't take it's too long.

Philippians chapter 4 verses 1 through 3.

I'm gonna read it and we're just gonna.

He's he's closing up the books.

He's wrapping it up.

So the the closing remarks are not so much

Teaching or things that he wants.

You know doc doctrines that he wants the Philippian Church to digest.

Learn knowledge and then apply it to their lives.

It's it's more of a Closing wrapping things up.

Here, let me let me tie up some loose ends either.

These are things that have been on my mind for a while.

So I want to share these with you.

So that's what he's beginning to do is wrap this book up.

And so Philippians chapter 4 verses 1 through 3 is as therefore.

My beloved brethren whom I long to see my joy and my

crown.

So stand firm in the Lord my beloved.

I urge Udea and I urge Satucci

to live in harmony in the Lord.

Indeed true comrade.

I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the

gospel.

Together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book

of life.

Wow.

He can to just he's just Continuing with this

Love for the people at this church we could we could feel it.

When we looked in verses 19 through 30 of chapter 2

I could almost feel it.

I could feel Paul's heart is his passion his compassion His love

for the the church there.

That was in his heart that was in the heart of Epaphroditus.

That was in the heart of the Philippians and and here is a continuation of

Paul just revealing his heart to the church and

revealing how he His leadership style

with With a church that he loves with the people that he loves his

brothers and sisters in Christ.

Because I mentioned this before the the apostolic ministry.

The apostolic office that Paul was in is the greatest office in the

Christian Church that that ever was and ever will be

as far as us as Members of creation members of the

church.

That is the highest office there.

There's not there's never been there's not gonna be there's not now a higher office than the apostolic

or the the office of Apostle that these Few gentlemen in the New

Testament Held there's there's not Apostles today.

There there's not any higher office than the Apostle but Paul was an appointed an

apostle and we can discuss the Qualifications and why there's not Apostles today and why

there's no higher office than Apostle today.

Wherever will be or ever has been we can discuss those things and that's a good conversation.

But the Bible is clear it was only for a Certain few

gentlemen here in the New Testament when the office closed and that that office

Had the highest authority so if Paul was in this office of

Apostle being having being being the highest office and having the the highest amount of

authority.

Then Paul in his leadership skill or not skills, but leadership style could

Just tell them what to do, but that's not the work of the Holy Spirit.

That's not the leadership style that the Holy Spirit is working in Paul

as as he is Commending exhorting his his brothers and sisters in Christ in

Philippi and we can learn from His leadership style as well when you when you

have authority.

How you exert that authority Will reveal a lot about your character and

and who you are here Paul having the authority to command things

and and be authoritative because These apostles

these folks the Holy Spirit God breathed and used them as

Writing instruments to write scripture.

So so what they wrote through the inspiration of Holy Spirit here is authoritative it's from God

and There there's that's not going on today either.

There's not going to be any more scripture.

So, you know what Paul is saying here through the through the Holy Spirit writing

through him is God's Word, it's authoritative and He could you

know, he could abuse that power He and which would have been wrong.

But he also could have legitimately Commanded things but he didn't do that.

His his leadership style his leadership skill here was Was a form of

love appealing to a begging and a an appealing.

This is what this is what I would have you to do this is what I want you to do.

This is this is where you should go Philippians individuals

I'm exhorting you.

I'm appealing to I'm begging you do this do it in this way go about this.

Can you do this for me?

That type of leadership style is the Holy Spirit has worked in Paul as he is

exhorting and Encouraging the church at Philippi so we and we can learn a lot from that.

So let's look at these first three verses of course He begins with the word therefore and we always

want to know what the therefore was therefore and then we have looked In chapter 1 2 3 and

that's what the therefore is.

Therefore, you know Everything that he has been saying and leading up to through chapter 1 2 & 3.

But just a reminder as Paul began in Chapter 2 with with this theme

of emptying yourself Paul says it even if I'm a drink offering

a cup that's being poured out who is now empty.

We've got to remember that when the drink will drink offering is poured.

The cup is then empty and that theme of emptying yourself Emptiers of yourself

your desires what you think is best what you think is right emptying yourself so that something else can enter

in and fill you up and That entering in and filling you up is is

is the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ and his desires his will and and what?

He wants you to do in his life so we that theme of emptying yourself of

Idolatry of self of sin.

It is a theme that begins there in chapter 2 and it continues all the way to the end

whether it be through explanation whether it be through Paul giving us a examples like

immediately after that When he brings up the emptying of yourself and and says

Put others interests before your own.

He says here's here's the prime ultimate Example Jesus Christ who who

emptied himself Becoming in a become coming down in the form of a man

Dying in in obedience even death on the cross.

So he's Jesus is our ultimate Example and sacrifice of what it means to

empty yourself and then he he shows us.

Not.

Not intentionally and I mean that by us.

By this that when when Paul goes through chapter 2 verses 19 through 30 and he talks about

His love and and who Timothy is and who Epaphroditus is, you know, he doesn't begin that by saying

here's another example for you.

Would you look at my life and the life of Timothy and Epaphroditus?

That's not how he starts at all.

He just it's just a full flow of the letter

information coming from his heart just things that he needs to share with

these folks and and share for two Christians throughout all time and.

It's not it's not one of these, you know, here's another example for you.

So that wasn't the Intention of being in an instructional letter

for them it was just It happens to be an example

of what this looks like it's a It's instruction.

It's information that he wants to share with the church at Philippi about

Timothy about Epaphroditus about His Epaphroditus

Near -death experience for his work in the gospel or during his work in the gospel.

Their love for one another and and as he is explaining all this to them.

It becomes an example of what this emptying yourself looks like.

And so and then in in chapter 3 We have the spiritual work

that we desire that Paul desires to be working in him and and working

in us and then at the end of chapter 3 the the physical transformation

that we long for is coming and.

And and of course to for that to happen for those things to happen there has to be

you know, this an emptied self For God to work for the Holy Spirit to work.

There has to be this empty emptied self and then the Holy Spirit then begins

to fill your cup to fill you and and and

your life therefore changes.

In.

What comes out of you and.

So therefore my beloved he's wrapping things up based on what all that he has Written so far

and so he he has exhorted the Philippian Church.

He has exhorted us to empty yourself.

To empty ourselves and in light of this work this spiritual inside work of the Holy Spirit.

This this citizenship that he talks about in chapter chapter 3 verse 24 Our

citizenship is in heaven.

So we have We have a citizen we live somewhere else.

But our citizenship is somewhere else like just like Paul he was he traveled around and he was he was able to

invoke His Roman citizenship, even though he was in different places.

At different times he invoked that that Roman citizenship so it afforded him some privileges.

So just like us we remember though.

We don't live in heaven.

We live on earth.

Our citizenship is is the eternal Sonship

of God the Father our our citizenship is in heaven.

So therefore We behave as if we are citizens of

somewhere else we we're not.

We're not of this culture.

We don't live as Citizens of this culture we

live and behave as citizens of heaven.

And so that's that's our behavior.

That's our mindset.

And then because of all that also we eagerly wait for the

Savior a Savior the Lord Jesus Christ to to come and to

to change our physical body to match our inward body and so

when all is said and done when when everything is is Came to the

consummation of all things our spiritual selves and our physical bodies are

going to be redeemed and glorified and and he says That is part of who

we are as Christians is is eagerly longing and looking for Christ to do this

in our hearts and in our bodies and Changing all things to where there is is

no more pain.

No more sickness.

No more tears.

And we eagerly look forward to that day when when all things are accomplished

and so Paul says With all that in mind everything that I said with all that in mind.

He he begins this.

This this closing with with love with this with this love language my beloved brethren.

Such compassion such love such a heart for these people my beloved brethren whom I

Long to see so he's he's conveying to these folks

Who they are in his heart he wants to see them again.

He wants to go back to them again My beloved brethren.

I long to see you you are my joy.

Those those whom I've led to the Lord those whom I've discipled those who are my brothers and

sisters in Christ.

You when I think about you are my joy.

You you are this and pastor Jeff and I have have looked at this fruit of the Spirit joy

and and how there's counterfeit joy and there's There's authentic joy that that the Holy Spirit produces.

And of course, this is this is going to be the authentic joy that the Holy Spirit produces.

It is a contentment in God.

That's long -lasting that he has.

When he thinks of these folks when he's with these folks.

That.

They give him this contentment.

This strength.

To move forward in prison sharing the gospel.

And no matter no matter and despite the circumstance they they fill his heart

with joy.

Giving him strength to move forward.

That that is his That is his heart and his his love for these people

and he says that they are his they are his crown.

The the these folks as brothers and sisters this church in Philippi.

They are his crown and of course, this is this is a reference or the the language

Reminds us of the you know, the events that they would have where they would they would crown

crown folks with the Celebratory wreath with leaves and it would.

It would be a wreath of gladness a wreath of celebration.

When when an athlete would would win a victory they would place that crown of course on their head.

And it would be like I said celebratory.

It would bring gladness and joy and and so they the people

Of Philippi the the church at Philippi they They bring him gladness.

They bring him celebration.

So that's that's kind of the context there of when he thinks about this church when he when he looks around

at his chains when he looks looks around at the the damp dark dungeon and the rats and the

malnutrition.

The the poor treatment.

Whatever his circumstance is he's thinking about the joy that they give him

the gladness that they give him the the Opportunity for celebration that they give

him when it when he is in those circumstances.

So think about strength that you need to move forward in difficult circumstances.

You can have in your heart those things that God gives us that To bring

joy in our lives to bring gladness in our lives to bring celebration in our lives to give us strength to move

forward.

Because that is that is God using those things in our lives, you know, we we want to

think.

I don't want to focus on those things I just need to focus on God because he's gonna give me that peace and that strength.

But those those things are good things from the Lord that he gives us.

To give us joy and gladness and celebration so don't so don't push away those things in your life.

That God is using to give you joy and gladness and celebration because

Paul uses them here Paul Paul is not trying to be super spiritual and

and and push push God's work away and Seem super

spiritual to say my my strength is in the Lord and I'll wait upon him.

Though that is correct the way in which he does that is he Embraces

God's work God's working in this world and

And brings it into his heart.

He receives it as Joy and gladness and celebration.

So so let's do that in our lives.

Not push away where God is working.

You see God working in your family.

You see God working in the church.

You see God working at work.

Wherever you work wherever you play the relationships that you have.

If you see God working you see God moving you see and this is part of a chapter 2 where he says put

others interest.

Before yourselves think of others greater than than yourselves.

You see God Building someone else up you see God

Blessing them that they're beginning to make more money.

They're beginning to make or their ministry is growing.

Legitimately, I would say And they're they're bringing Disciples, they're they're

able to disciple other people.

God has gifted them and and they're God is using them.

Embrace that as joy God is working God is working so embrace that in

your life as Joy and gladness and celebration to give you strength to keep moving forward

that that God is working he is moving so I can have peace in the Lord because he's in control when he's

sovereign and I can continue to move forward because I see God working and he's

moving in their life.

He's moving in my life and Paul says You are my joy you are my

gladness and you are my celebration because God is at work and I can continue to

move forward so therefore based on that Paul says.

So.

Stand firm in the Lord.

God's working.

Stand firm stand firm in him my beloved.

And there he calls them his beloved again.

He repeats he repeats his affection for them to remind them

You are my beloved.

I care deeply for you.

And then verse 2 and this is interesting and You know, this is kind

of different a different direction a different Avenue or

Approach that that we we don't seem to want to take

Today and that's you know loving someone enough to say hey.

You guys are going in the wrong direction.

We need to help you you need to help them.

And.

That was what was going on here.

This was a letter written to the whole church where Paul says here are some folks.

They need help.

But it was folks that he loved and and he he spoke of their service and his love

for them.

I urge.

So.

Imagine this Paul is is communicating in this letter gives it to a messenger.

It goes back to the church.

It's being read to the church.

And so Paul just imagined the the congregation there the assembly.

Gathered together and you have a reader reading the letter and the reader gets to this

point reading the words of Paul to the church and he says.

Paul says I urge and wherever that wherever they're sitting Paul's Paul is saying I

urge Udea and.

Setuche.

To live in harmony in the Lord.

Wow.

You two ladies.

I Need you to live in harmony with the Lord or in the Lord be of the same

mind.

Remember he he is and he may have had this in his mind leading

knowing he's going to bring this back up later on in the text when he.

When he when he addresses these two ladies individually when he begins chapter two.

If therefore is if there if therefore there is any encouragement in Christ if there is any consolation of

love if there is any fellowship of the Spirit if any affection and compassion.

So he's talking about fellowship.

He's talking about affection.

He's talking about compassion.

Make my joy complete.

You does that sound familiar?

My beloved brethren you are my joy.

Make my joy complete.

By being of the same mind maintaining the same love united in spirit intent

on one purpose.

Do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but with

humility of mind.

Let each each of you regard one another as more important than himself.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interest.

But also does he it does he say this this is.

This is the direction that I want you as a church as individuals to go he's he said this is

my teaching in Chapter 2 verses 1 through 3, whatever.

I just read.

This is my teaching and now we're getting to chapter 4 therefore

based on my teaching of fellowship affection compassion.

Making my joy complete being of the same mind maintaining the same love united in spirit intended and intent in

one purpose.

Think of others interests.

More than your own think of others greater than yourself based on that.

I Urge Udea and I urge.

Sutuche.

To live in harmony in the Lord.

Go back to what I said in chapter 2 verse 1 and through 3.

That's what he's saying.

He is making a Paul is making application here.

To the church.

They don't have to guess he's making application.

We have we found that difficult.

There's so many things that we find difficult and I and I know that there's some people that

Are kind of iffy about you know, when there's a lot of broadcasts like this chiming in or

asking questions or Just participating alive.

There's a sense of shyness and I understand that.

And.

And also when it comes to Making application in the church.

We know what scripture says we know what Paul we know what God wants us to do.

But making application in the church.

Look what he says in verse 1 so stand firm.

Based on all these things that we've talked about stand firm put your foot down have a foothold and

We we've got to be balanced.

I'm sure that if you've been in church at all you have you have seen

examples of leadership that have Over

exerted their their power.

They they didn't they didn't Apply the scripture with the compassion that Paul

does here speaking to the him them as his beloved brethren twice.

Talking about them as their joy.

You are my joy my gladness and my celebration.

I'm sure that you just as I have seen examples of an aggressiveness of

a lack of compassion of temper.

Quick temperness anger.

We I'm sure most of us have seen that in the church where those in leadership

Appeal to the flesh instead of appealing to the spirit in their leadership.

Where they speak to folks as those whom they love.

Yes, they may have messed up yes, they may have done wrong they may be out of fellowship.

They they may need to be reconciled with with with other folks.

But you don't do it with threats.

You don't do it with anger.

You don't do it with you do it with compassion.

Expressing your love.

Expressing you that they are you they are your joy.

Those people that are making your you angry because of their behavior and they're not applying this

scripture like you think they should or They need help.

They are your as as leadership of the church they are your joy.

They are your gladness.

They are your crown and we need to treat them as such

and we need to Approach this the situation where they are

they are not Conforming to scripture to Paul in their own

lives or in their relationships.

We need to approach them in that love.

You are my joy.

You are my love.

I love you and.

Then you begin with the with the help that they need.

And.

And not only not only is that the attitude Paul is going to give us an example

of Not only of the

approach to them with your character and with your attitude but also a

Picture of Another.

I apologize for stumbling on my words here, but the words don't Come to me as

quickly.

Just another example of Continuing to

describe the approach that we should take with with others as leaders.

Continuing description.

A physical description almost.

The pictures is almost that clear that it becomes a how we should physically

Approach these folks and we'll look at that in just one second.

But he's urging these two ladies that they need to live in harmony based on

What he has spoken of earlier and We see his approach to these two ladies now

verse 3.

This is where we begin to To see some of those things tying in that we just talked about.

Verse 3.

Indeed.

True comrade.

So who is he talking about?

He hasn't.

Paul hasn't addressed any one specific That he's writing to.

He's not saying.

Therefore.

Fred I.

Want you to read this letter and and be kind of the leader there of this church.

And help them apply these things.

He has not mentioned one specific person that he is writing these things to to be the

distributor of this information.

So, so who is he speaking to when he says indeed true comrade.

I ask you also Who is that?

Who is this true comrade?

What's it's interesting and that's why so.

And I want to learn more.

I'd love to learn more about the the Greek language to help me understand scripture even more.

I have to rely on other people and and their work and their study.

But it but it's interesting to look at the original language.

The when he says indeed true comrade true comrade

is is an actual individual a person and.

His.

And I listened to how to pronounce it and I've totally forgot how to pronounce it.

So I'm not even gonna try but the Greek word is S Y Z Y G U S and that's

the individual's name and a Habit.

Something that they would do when someone would convert from from the pagan religion of that time.

They're there in Rome a Greek person or or in Philippi.

When they when they worshipped the these gods like Zeus or whoever when they would convert from

from these pagan religions.

To.

Christianity what they would often do is change their name.

So it seems as if when he says indeed true comrade.

He's when he says true it's the.

It's a word that means genuine Authentic.

So this is this is a legit person.

This is real.

You you are a real comrade a real fellow worker.

And he uses the word S Y Z Y G U S.

He is speaking to a specific individual and this is the name

change.

This is possibly the name change.

From the his his pagan name that his parents gave him to his Christian name to

disassociate with that pagan world that he lived in and so we do know that this

is a this is a Individual a true person that he is speaking to when he says true

comrade and it's possible this is his Christian name and what it means is a

Fellow yoke bearer.

He's a true genuine legit fellow yoke bearer

and if you've been if you've been at Sunday school or if you've You know been in church and listen to any teaching

and heard folks talk about Jesus saying take this yoke

upon you might my Burden is easy.

My load is light.

I misquoted that text and I apologize.

But Jesus is saying take this yoke upon you and they've described it as as a yoke of a big

piece of wood.

It's it's a picture that they that Jesus used and Paul uses here.

When you would have two ox to plow a field and you would want them to walk together.

You would put this this wooden yoke on.

Both of those ox so they would walk together.

They would be united by that yoke.

It would be the same yoke on two different oxen.

And so here in this example.

This individual his true comrade was a Genuine legit fellow yoke

bearer.

So this yoke was on Him and it was on Paul and they

they walked together.

He trusted him to pull his own weight.

He trusted him not to Desire to pull away from the reins.

He desired him to to help him move forward in the same direction.

He trusted this individual because he was a fellow yoke bearer.

And so he is appealing to this individual in the church because of this situation

of Udea and Satuche.

Now he's appealing to his true comrade his fellow yoke bearer who he trusts is

Going is going to go in the same direction in this situation as Paul is and

as Paul would if he was there so he's appealing to him.

I ask you also to help these women so he's wanting to

Help these two women come back together and and live in harmony.

And I just I can't help but want to read those.

Those verses again live in harmony means to have the fellowship of the Spirit.

Have affection have compassion.

Being of the same mind maintaining the same love.

United in spirit intent on one purpose and I would encourage you.

I've explained what all those mean, you know, it's not arbitrary.

It's not you know, whatever you just come up with a common purpose and go in that direction.

No, there there is a purpose there is a There is a spirit.

There is a love that we are yoked together in.

That we move towards it's not something that we just make up and go in whatever direction that we want to go.

You know, I've got this vision.

We're all going to go in this direction.

No, the vision is given to us.

The purpose is given to us the love is given to us.

We go in that direction and and I've explained that in another video that I would encourage you to look at

if you want to go back to look at Philippians chapter 2, but he's wanting these ladies to be back in that

type of harmony and.

He is.

Encouraging and he is wanting his his true comrade here to help

in that in that work of Reconciliation.

Then he describes these two women.

You know.

He could really blast them.

He could.

You know, he could.

He could write to the church at Colossi.

He could write to the church at Corinthians and he could say I want to use these two ladies as

an example.

They they are.

Tearing down my ministry.

They are doing this they're doing.

He could go around all these churches and tear these folks down.

But he doesn't do that.

They they've got a look he has a legitimate concern about these two ladies he's wanting them to reconcile.

But listen to how he speaks of them just in the same manner as he's he's

been speaking of the people there at the church at Philippi.

He says these women who have shared in my struggle in the same cause of the

gospel.

These women have been with him.

They they've shared in this struggle.

They they've ministered to Paul.

They've helped Paul.

They have a desire for God's glory.

They have a desire for the gospel to continue to reach out To to others and to the world and

for Jesus to continue to save Souls and the church to grow.

They have a love for the Church of Philippi.

They have a love for the gospel.

They have a love for God the Father and and his glory and they they minister to Paul and and

he loves them and so he he Doesn't

leave that part out.

His love for them and the work and and where their heart is he knows where their heart is

and that's sometimes that's something that we forget sometimes when we're dealing with folks who

They've fallen off the rails or they're not they are not living in alignment

to Scripture as they should.

There's a there's a break in a relationship.

So we write them off.

We tear them down.

But Paul does not do that.

Paul does not tear them down and and he maybe even stops Some of the the

brothers and sisters there in in Philippi from tearing them down as well because you know Paul is

Paul's calling them out.

And so if anyone is appealing to their flesh.

If anyone is appealing to their flesh there in Philippi in in their

reaction in their How they then approach

Judea and Satuche.

Then they could do what we do oftentimes and and tear them down or or You know

gossip about them or hurt them.

But instead Paul may Stop that hat from happening within

the church when he speaks of How he sees their heart and how he

remembers and knows of their work.

He knows that they love the Lord.

He knows that of their compassion.

He knows for because he's because of their ministering to him and they're ministering the gospel.

He knows of their passion for the gospel.

So he knows where their heart is that so he's he's building them up not tearing them down.

Can we remember that?

Can we remember that when we deal with other folks that we we should not tear them down.

But build them up even in correction.

Can we remember that and so that's what he does here and Maybe

in an attempt for those who would appeal to their flesh in correcting these two women

Would keep them from appealing to that flesh.

But remembering who they are in Christ.

And then he says together with so He's speaking to his true comrade.

Then he says together with Clement also, so he speaks of Clement another

legit Genuine believer

that Paul Knows will come alongside be be one of these examples.

Um.

Listen to verse 17 these these men the true comrade the The

Clement here.

They are probably one of these men that Paul is referring to in verse 17.

He says brethren join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern

you have in us.

So you've got individuals in your church who are walking just like us.

Observe them follow them.

Encourage them and Two of those are this true comrade and Clement look at

them follow them.

They are going to be handling this situation correctly.

Follow them in this situation and then in future situations you can handle them

correctly just like these folks did and the rest

of my fellow workers, so There are there are other individuals who Paul

feels Just the same about that he doesn't name and they will never be

named.

At this at this point when it is written.

For for these last 2 ,000 years.

Their names have been lost to history.

Paul loved them.

He knew their heart and and he was appreciative and knew that they would.

They would handle these situations.

They would glorify God they would have a desire for the continuation of the gospel.

But he doesn't mention their names and their names were lost to history except for one thing.

Whose names are in the book of life?

Then they may be lost to the history books of this earth.

But these folks they are not lost To God they are in the book of life

and that's one thing that can be an encouragement to us

100 years from now.

And it's.

It's it's a weird thing to think about but in a hundred years from now

Would there maybe be one person that would remember that we even lived here

on this earth?

Would would know where we are buried.

We we are forgotten the people of our past are forgotten so easily.

We're not going to be in the history books, I know that I communicated last night with somebody there's an

individual who who was appealing to the Facebook community and They're saying that we have a

business in town.

We want to paint a mural the any you local folks.

Do you have any ideas and and I expressed that well, you know, Lincoln County has

Has a deep history has a lot of history, but they also have a lot of family history and

there's a lot of families that have been here since the late 1700s and Thinking of

my family specifically I made the comment.

We were just we have just always been poor farmers and we never made the history

books however, one thing that I do know is that My

family line was a line of hard workers.

They may have been poor they may not have made the history books, but they I come

from a line of Hard workers those who traveled across the sea on

a sketchy boat.

Who traveled down the Shenandoah Valley wagon trail to get here in?

Western North Carolina and settle and farm with

none of the amenities that we have today and Then can to grow their own food

to hunt to provide for themselves.

They had to do everything themselves.

And provide for their family and continue to grow as a family and bring religion to this area

so I do know that I came from a long line of Hard workers though, we may not know

their names or or the details of their lives and that's going to be the same for us.

But we can live in such a way that we want to leave a legacy for our children for our

grandchildren our great -great -grandchildren and and Leave this world

a better place than the way we found it and put this world.

Do our part in putting our little world in a direction to where it's it's

going in that right direction.

And not leave this world Worse than what we found it and

Though we may not be remembered.

What's important our motivation for doing that is?

God's glory.

He's he's got us.

We're he knows our name.

He knows every hair on our head.

He know if he knows when a sparrow falls.

He knows And cares what happens to us scripture says.

Though history may forget us God never will and our names are in the book of life.

And so we we therefore leave a legacy.

We therefore love our children and we love our great -great -great -great -grandchildren.

Enough to I'm going to say I'm going to do my part to leave this for them.

I'm going to promote.

I'm gonna love my neighbor.

I'm going to glorify God.

I'm gonna promote Christianity and and set this up to where I'm thinking about my great

-great -great -grandchildren.

Because I want them to love Jesus and though history may not write our names In in a book or

put us up on a billboard.

Our names are in the book of life.

We will glorify God.

God God used us and saved us to glorify himself to exalt the Son and we will

Enjoy that life eternally with him we are going to

continue to work and to worship and to love for eternity because of the work that

Jesus did on the.

Cross and.

So our names being up in lights doesn't matter.

Jesus name up in lights is what is what really matters and as long as our

names are in that book We do what we do for our great -great

-great -grandchildren.

That they may know and love Jesus as well.

Can we live that way I Would encourage us to have that mindset to

make Jesus famous.

For the sake of our great -great -great -grandchildren, I think that's a good goal to

have.

And If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior if you've not been born again

if you've not been saved.

There's no better time than right now.

Scripture says today is the day of salvation.

Turn from your sin.

We've all sinned we're all sinners.

Are anything good that we may try to do.

Scripture says that is it is it it as.

They are as filthy rags.

Apologize, they are as filthy rags before God.

They're they're worthless.

They're empty.

We were not able to do good any of us.

We are all sinners.

We've all missed the mark.

There's no way for us to please God we need a

rescuer we need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus Christ.

Paul tells us.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus Who although he existed in

the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.

He was equal with God.

He is God, but he did not consider it a thing to be grasped but he emptied himself.

Taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of men and being found in

Appearance as a man being humbled.

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on the cross so therefore

Also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name and that the name

of Jesus.

Every knee should bow of Those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every

tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

So choose today for you to be that day that you you confess

That your knee should bow.

Because Jesus came down emptied himself to die on the cross to take away the sin

to take away the punishment and To give the gift of eternal life to those who

would believe.

So trust in him today.

Scripture calls us to repent of our sins and to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ his

work on the cross.

Do that today let us know if you've done that let us know how we can pray for you.

If you'd like for us to pray for you.

All you have to do is type me and we'd be glad to pray for you.

If if this It's going through this Book of Philippians is

an encouragement.

You think it would be an encouragement to others.

Would you like?

The video would you share the video?

Would you let other folks know about the video?

I don't like.

Promoting.

I'm not trying to promote myself.

I just want to join you in in having The Word of God

go out to our community and so that's my desire is to glorify God and to share the

gospel.

So I would appreciate your partnership your prayers in that effort.

And so let's Let's wrap this up with prayer worshiping God and thanking him father.

We thank you.

Thank you for this encouragement from Paul and Thank you for the reminder of how

we should interact as and be leaders and interact as Brothers and sisters in

Christ and how we should build each other up and not tear each other down even when

we're dealing with Folks who are stumbling folks who are having trouble.

Thank you for this encouragement.

Thank you for this lesson.

Help us to be the church that you've called us and what happens to be help us to yield to the Holy Spirit and

his conforming us to the likeness of Christ our lives and help us not to Appeal

and help us not to yield to the flesh in our lives who would tear down and destroy our brothers and

sisters in Christ.

To build ourselves up but father help us help us to be passionate about putting the name of Jesus

Up in lights and making him famous and thinking about your kingdom here on this

earth and our great great great grandchildren and the legacy that we live.

That they may to know you and love your son.

Father thank you for the time that you've given us to spend and the technology that you give us to that we may

spend time together.

And.

Sharing and just basking in

your word and being in all of you and Worshiping you

through studying your word father.

Help us now to worship you through applying this

joy this Gladness this celebration this

compassion.

This love for one another.

Help us to worship you in our lives in our daily lives

So that you may be honored in those whom you saved in Jesus name.

We pray and ask.

Amen.

Thank you guys for watching.

I'd ask that you remember that Jesus is King.

Go live in that victory and Continue to go out there with me and share the gospel.

Hope you have a good day, and I hope to see you soon.