Book of Philippians - Ch. 3, Vs. 14-Ch. 4, Vs. 23 (08/12/2001)

Park Meadows Church

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Paul says in 14, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

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I press toward the mark for the prize. What is this prize,

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Bill? Well, it gives us our guesses.

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All right. Virg, what do you see? All right.

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Dennis? All right.

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This prize is perfect likeness to him, full glory with Christ.

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Yes, sir. 14, we're in 314.

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In order to either gain the prize or work toward it, what is involved?

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As we work toward the prize, what is it that we must do,

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Clarence? Well, we're trying to become more

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Christ -like in the process of salvation.

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We're constantly becoming more Christ -like. All right.

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What I wanted to know is what do we do to become more Christ -like, Joey? But what do we do today?

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Yes? We pray and study the Lord. All right.

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Virg? What we should do is try to separate ourselves from the world that we're in and be more like what we should be.

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Become more like Christ and deny ourselves the world and things around us. All right. Separate ourselves from the world.

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Eliminate sin in our life. More today than yesterday. And believe on him.

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Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded,

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God shall reveal even this unto you. What is it, Bill, that he will eventually reveal to you?

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Well, I'm just describing for the present moment of Christ.

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This is not what Christ is to be. What we should be doing, the

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Christ we should be doing, I realize. All right. Let us therefore have the mind as just described, be otherwise minded.

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If any had not attained to so much light as their duty, let them improve what they had.

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Earnestly seek the teaching of God and his would impart more.

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Yes? And that to me would be to reveal to us that he thrived, he rose, for Christ, like he was the spirit, built him into existence.

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That's what I'm saying now. All right. Christ will reveal to us what is needed in us to be what he wants us to be.

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Now, the more we submit to that, the less we fight it, the more easy it becomes.

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But it does not lessen or water down where we're going.

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Nevertheless, whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

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So what is Paul trying to get them to do, Bill? Continually.

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Christ will understand that that's true.

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All right. They had different levels of learning, just as we have. Whereunto we have already attained, so far as we understand, duty let us hardly do it, taking the

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Bible for our guide, regarding God as our Father and all of his children as brethren, affectionately united with them in what is right, and kindly endeavoring to enlighten and convince them where they're wrong.

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Yes? As we can read this section, we want to satisfy the physical forms.

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This whole passage is to say that even those that have received salvation but have not had a performance go to Christ like that, that they should endeavor to become

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Christ -like and if they will stay, Christ will renew them, but that is their ultimate goal, not the satisfaction of their physical needs.

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All right, that's good. How many of you are right where you're supposed to be, spiritually?

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You all are. I think that depends on the point of view. It's not where we want to be. It's where we need to be, but even

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Paul was not satisfied with where he was. Well, you're uncomfortable in that you want to attain more.

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Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example.

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For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are of the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose

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God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

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Now, be followers together of me. What does that mean?

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Be followers together of me, Greg. All right, be followers of me as I am a follower.

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All right. So as you have us for an example, not example, in sample, again, somebody,

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Greg, you tell me, what is the definition of in sample? All right.

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An example means you've been beat over the head. For many walk of whom

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I have told you before, and now I'm telling you again that they are the enemies of Christ, whose end is destruction.

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Whose end? Joy, what is the end? All right.

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There will come a time in this life when we are at the end of this life.

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I think more and more about that. Maybe you're supposed to when you get older,

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I don't know. I know 30 years ago I didn't think about it. Whose God is their belly?

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What's that mean, Joy? All right.

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Virge, what does it mean? And whose glory is in their shame? They're talking about their glory and their shame would be maybe they're centering on themselves and worried about the things of Christ and what we should do.

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That's exactly right. Who mind earthly things? Clarence, who mind earthly things?

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All right.

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Are we to get in a situation where we concentrate on that situation only?

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Craig, do we ever get into a situation where we concentrate on that situation only?

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No. So don't let your earthly problems overshadow your heavenly goal.

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For our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for the

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Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now our conversation is in heaven.

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Joy, what's that mean? Well, all of that's true, but that's really not what this means.

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Dennis? All right.

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That's right. Our citizenship, our conduct, everything about us is centered in Christ.

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From whence also we look for the Savior. We look in the future for the

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Savior. Virge, shouldn't this be we looked for the

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Savior? He's already here, and we look to him until we have the

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Lord's will. All right, we look for the second coming. For when he comes back, who shall change our vile bodies, that it may be fashioned like unto the glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself?

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Who shall change our vile bodies? Now, Dennis, is your body vile?

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What? All right. Greg, is all of your flesh?

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Why do we take such good care of it? All right.

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Who shall change our vile bodies? Clarence, it's going to change it when?

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All right, he's going to change it how? All right, all right.

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Now, he says, even to subdue all things unto himself.

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Bill, what does that mean? Even to subdue all things unto himself.

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What does that mean? All right, now, we are going to be changed.

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Yes. Yes. Well, we may go back in a way, but it's going to be better than that.

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To go back would mean it would be like it was. But it's going to be better than like it was.

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Why? All right. All right.

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All right. So, was the fall necessary?

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For two reasons. One, it was ordained of God. Second, it was for his glory through our betterment.

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Third, we're going to be better off than if there had never been sin.

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At the resurrection, the almighty power or energy to subdue all things unto himself.

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Consequently, death also, the last enemy that should be destroyed. You want to say something?

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Where the destruction of death is mentioned in immediate connection with the subjection of all things to Christ.

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So, even death will be subject to him. Now, we come to the last chapter of Philippians.

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By the way, we're going to James next, if you want to make a note of that. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved.

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Does he love these people? Yes. My dearly beloved, and long for my joy and crown.

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So stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Crown. What is the crown that he keeps talking about,

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Joey? All right.

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All right. All of this is a rehearsal of the conclusion.

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That they bravely continue until they have gotten the victory. Well, what is the victory that we keep striving for,

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Greg? Well, that's true, but I have no control over that.

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All right, that's true, but I have no control over that. All right.

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All right. How do we, until they've gotten the victory, how do we get that victory?

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Diane? All right. By adhering to, working in, his instructions.

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The victory is the crown of life. I beseech ye

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Rodius, and beseech Cynthia, that they be of the same mind in the

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Lord. He also calls on some by name, partly because they need private exhortation, and partly also to stir up others to be more prompt and ready.

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And I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.

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Whose names are in the book of life. Joey, what's her name?

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No, I know her. I met her this morning.

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Well, it escapes me. June. That's June. Now I forgot the question.

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I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.

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What is this book of life? Is there a literal book of life? What? Well, that certainly is a book of life.

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But this particular book, it lists your name.

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Dennis, what is this? All right.

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It has to be in language that we understand. He chose book.

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He doesn't literally keep a book. He doesn't write down your name in a book so he won't forget it.

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The book will be opened and the books will be opened. The books.

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Bill, explain the books to me. I'm fortunate.

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There are listings of various categories and classes of people, those that will be saved, or have been saved, or found in the book of life.

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There's another book, that book of citizenship, that they don't have the elevation that you can't blot it out on.

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There's books that we never heard of. There's a lot of books of citizenship.

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All right, where I was headed with this was we think we understand the book.

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We're written in it. Yes? The Bible is 66 books.

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In the Bible, they will be open. All of them. And what will be judged from I'll tell you the other books.

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The books. The books is what I'm after. God keeps a record of the things we're doing down here.

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And he doesn't know that on his own. He knows all about it. Now, he doesn't...

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How far they ever keep it. He doesn't keep a literal book. He doesn't have to write it down.

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Or a record of it. Well, that's... That's explained to us, so we'll understand it.

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But John, what actually happens? Well, we'll see our life.

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What do we do to see our life? Can you remember now everything that you've done?

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What part of you does? Your brain. Your subconscious. Or have access to our subconscious.

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And we're keeping that book. Never think you can sin so quickly that God won't see it.

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Because you see it. We'll come to that in another study.

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We were written down before the creation. Not in a literal book.

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That's what I'm trying to say. No, no, no.

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Now, the Jews had a book of the living and a book of the dead. What was that? The Jews in the

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Old Testament. Book of living and book of death. Say it again.

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Yes. Yes. They recorded and... When they wrote it in, they'd have to write it in the book of living first.

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Then when they died, they moved it over to the book of dead. This was to keep track of tribes. God has said, after the manner of men, they have a book.

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In which the names of the elect are written to whom he will give everlasting life. He has given that to us.

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Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. Rejoice when?

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When are we to rejoice? Always. Does that mean when you've been run over by a truck?

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It's hard to do. That's right.

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That's right. Rejoice in the Lord always.

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And again, he says rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men.

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The Lord is at hand. Now, the Lord is at hand.

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Where? Right here. He lives within me by the

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Spirit. Let your moderation be known unto all men. So, how are we to be known to people?

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What's moderation mean? John? Not over -indulging. All right.

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All right. Greg, what's moderation mean? All right.

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Yes. All right.

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The Lord is at hand to deliver you. Punish your persecutors.

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The shortness and uncertainty of the time should moderate your desire for earthly things.

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How many of you... Now, don't answer this, but think. How many of you, right now, in your earthly life, have something that you really want?

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Be careful for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto

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God. Here's the prayer line. Now, be careful for nothing.

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Bill, what does that mean? All right.

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But could it also mean the reverse? Be careful for what you ask for. Be a

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Christian. Live the Christian life, yes. Don't be anxious.

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Diane? Sure. Be careful for nothing.

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The only thing of which I do not...

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Well, I can't phrase it right. Yes. And if it's prayer and supplication, you know, again, you know what you have.

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Make your requests known. Because if that's what's already provided, then it's almost like we're not saying, well, if you were saying what

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I just said. All right. Yes.

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Sometimes when we're thankful for what we already have, sometimes it terrifies our prayers.

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Your requests. What? All right.

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But there's another reason. Clarence? There's a reason. You pray so that in prayer, you request and you don't prefer anything else.

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It helps them. And pray often is that you will do it on your...

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You'll see His will. And then you find out when it's your will or His will that you walk towards it.

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That's exactly right. Diane? He doesn't acknowledge when you make your requests known or supplications known before His feet.

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Doesn't that really acknowledge that you know what it is? Sure. To die for that very hand.

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If you don't do that, then you don't think He needs you. Anyone that does not considers themselves not in need of divine help.

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Wow. That's right.

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God's will is sovereign in ways. And why

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I'm there, I don't see the end purpose of flying from it. Now, if you were in that situation, would you still trust

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God? You don't know. You can't answer. But what

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I'm saying is, we're never in a situation that, first of all,

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God did not send it. Second, we're to learn from it. And it will pass.

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Whatever it is. Wow. I can't explain it.

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Now, in peace and the peace of God which passes all understanding. John, what does it mean that the peace of God passes all understanding?

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Well, to me it means there's a peace that we have by being a Christian in it.

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That's right. All understanding means you cannot figure it out. It's not yours to know.

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So, we have to trust. We have to have faith in God through Christ.

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Shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ. I can't emphasize enough, through Christ.

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Everything comes and goes through him. We have the Holy Spirit in us that listens to our prayer.

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He knows how to, if we can use human terms, relay that to Christ in heavenly language.

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And Christ takes it up with the Father. And your prayer is answered. Now, over all of this, you can't do anything that's not ordained of God.

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Finally, brother, whatsoever things are true. Now, true.

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What's true? The Word of God. Whatsoever things are honest.

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What's honest, Jim? What's honest?

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Whatsoever things are just. What does that mean, things are just?

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Virg? All right. Whatsoever things are pure.

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Greg? Pure. All right.

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Whatsoever things are lovely. Dennis? All right.

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Whatsoever things of good report. Bill? That's right.

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That's right. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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Now, Paul has given us, in this verse, everything as to how the mind works.

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Things that are good, pure, lovely, good report, honest, think on these things.

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Now, can you think of more than one thing at one time? No, you can't.

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You may switch back and forth so fast you think that you're thinking of two things at once, but you're not.

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So, if you're thinking only of the pure and the lovely, the good, the true, the honest, the just, then you're not thinking about things that are evil.

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Debauchery and all of this. You're thinking on good things. Now, whatever you put into your subconscious mind, it records everything you think.

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It doesn't recognize a joke. A joke comes in as fact. Everything in your subconscious mind, you have put into it, or God has.

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Now, at the resurrection sometime, I don't know when, we will open our subconscious.

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General conclusion, that is, they have been taught both in word and example, so they build their lives to the rule of all holiness and righteousness.

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Whatsoever things are such that they beautify, set apart with a holy gravity.

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These things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do, and the

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God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again.

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When you also careful, but you lacked opportunity.

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Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.

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Paul learned to trust God wholly. It made no difference to him if he had plenty or had nothing.

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God is the one that regulates it. I wish I could get that into my mind. God is the one that regulates it.

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When I run out of bread, I get worried. How many of you have the patience to wait on God?

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No, I'm not doing that. I'm not at all saying that. I'm raising to say the patience, the waiting.

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If you're actively waiting, you're not setting yourself. That's right. So I wanted to make sure that was clarified.

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When you're actively involved in where He would have you to be, and you're patient in that act, not sitting on the time line waiting and saying,

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God will provide a job if you're not there. I mean, He's not going to throw in the door at you.

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Patience is not a passive verb. Right. It's active.

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So that's why I'm not patient at all. I know both how to be patient.

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I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer.

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I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I can do all things to know that.

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If you'll permit me to take a personal experience, back when we were stripping and refinishing, rebuilding, restoring furniture, there would be a piece come in, anything.

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And invariably, after the customer left, my wife would ask me, How are you going to do that?

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Well, I didn't know. I couldn't tell her how it was. I just knew I could do it.

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To know you can do it is different than how you're going to.

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It will unfold itself if you start on it. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

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I mean all things. Notwithstanding, you have well done that you did communicate with my affliction.

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Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when

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I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only.

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For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my necessities.

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Not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

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Now Paul was in need. He didn't know where things were coming from, but here they come.

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But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Ephroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well -pleasing to God.

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But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

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According to his riches, not out of his riches. What's the difference? According to and out of.

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Greg? That's right.

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According to does not diminish. According to means he has everything.

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Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.

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The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you chiefly.

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They that are of Caesar's household, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.