WEBVTT 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:08.833 Good morning, Valley View. 00:00:08.833 --> 00:00:12.000 It's great to be with you in the book of Philippians. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.765 It's always great to start a new book of the Bible to dive in into a new book. 00:00:16.765 --> 00:00:21.865 There's something about starting something new that brings excitement, freshness. 00:00:21.899 --> 00:00:35.066 I remember when we lived in Arkansas, there was this lady in our neighborhood who raised goats, and once a year she would come out to the neighborhood pool and all the kids would be there at the pool. 00:00:35.066 --> 00:00:39.332 And then she would always wait till they all had to take a break from swim and go out to the playground. 00:00:39.332 --> 00:00:44.165 Then she would let all her new baby goats out there in the field right around them. 00:00:44.365 --> 00:00:46.365 And of course, baby goats. 00:00:46.365 --> 00:00:53.466 I mean, there's few things more adorable on earth than baby goats prancing about and falling down and tumbling on one another. 00:00:53.466 --> 00:00:56.365 And every kid is just like, mom, dad, we got to have one. 00:00:57.566 --> 00:01:01.066 And we're like, thanks a lot, lady. 00:01:01.066 --> 00:01:07.266 If your house gets toilet papered, I'm not saying it was me, but we might have some stuff to talk about. 00:01:07.266 --> 00:01:13.465 It was so hard to say no, but I don't think a single parent walked away with a baby goat. 00:01:13.465 --> 00:01:19.733 Because here's the thing about baby goats very exciting, very new, very adorable and fresh when they're baby goats. 00:01:19.733 --> 00:01:22.665 But what happens to baby goats? 00:01:22.665 --> 00:01:30.865 They grow up and you come home and they're chewing on your Greek New Testament or something, like they're tearing up the whole house and they become dinner after that. 00:01:30.865 --> 00:01:32.365 Shortly. 00:01:32.365 --> 00:01:36.000 When they're new, when they're young, it's exciting, it's fresh. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:41.066 But then and you know how this goes in life, things start out new, exciting, fresh. 00:01:41.066 --> 00:01:45.900 But then they become routine and they become stale. 00:01:45.900 --> 00:01:47.165 They become old. 00:01:47.165 --> 00:01:54.832 They become something I gotta do now, and I'm not sure what I was that got me excited about it to begin with. 00:01:55.832 --> 00:01:58.599 That happens with animals. 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:05.132 That happens with relationships, that happens in our spiritual life. 00:02:05.132 --> 00:02:15.765 We're going to see today in Philippians chapter one, if you have a church Bible that will be on page 921, if you if you don't have a church Bible, slip out anytime and grab one, those are free for you. 00:02:15.765 --> 00:02:18.566 We have those out in the lobby. 00:02:18.566 --> 00:02:31.133 We're going to see Paul addressing a church that has maybe stumbled into this situation in life where the newness has worn off, because when Paul came to Philippi it was exciting. 00:02:31.133 --> 00:02:32.400 He brought the gospel. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:33.866 You had Lydia’s conversion. 00:02:33.866 --> 00:02:38.300 You had the jailer's conversion in the midst of an earthquake, excitement, newness. 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:42.733 But now he's writing to them ten years or so later. 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:47.466 And things maybe aren't as fresh and new and as exciting as they used to be. 00:02:47.466 --> 00:02:50.233 In fact, now there's infighting and quarrels. 00:02:50.233 --> 00:02:50.665 Does that? 00:02:50.665 --> 00:03:02.800 I don't know if that ever happens in church or not, but Paul knows I've got to bring some encouragement in the midst of the weariness when the newness is worn off. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:05.366 How do you bring a fresh approach? 00:03:05.366 --> 00:03:12.532 How do you bring the encouragement to wake up, to be revitalized, to find that joy again? 00:03:12.532 --> 00:03:13.900 Yeah, it looks different. 00:03:13.900 --> 00:03:19.233 But how do we wake up to the joy we have in Christ again, anew, afresh? 00:03:19.633 --> 00:03:26.233 We're going to see Paul do that in three main ways here in Philippians chapter one, we're going to start looking at verses three through five. 00:03:26.233 --> 00:03:30.500 The first couple of verses here, and look at this first way he inspires the church. 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:34.165 Let me read these and then I'll tell you what that is. 00:03:34.165 --> 00:03:51.199 Philippians chapter one verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always and every prayer of mine, for you all, making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:04:01.133 So the way Paul begins to address this issue, this need of the fact that life has become stale, the church maybe has become routine. 00:04:01.133 --> 00:04:13.765 Life has become not as exciting as it used to be, not as exciting as it started out, he begins when he comes to them to address this, keep in mind they're a young church. 00:04:13.765 --> 00:04:17.766 Ten years is not that long for the life of a church. 00:04:17.766 --> 00:04:19.000 How does he start with them? 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:19.865 How does he begin? 00:04:19.865 --> 00:04:22.899 He begins by leading with gratitude. 00:04:23.966 --> 00:04:25.033 That's a starting place. 00:04:25.033 --> 00:04:27.565 Notice he doesn't come in scolding them. 00:04:27.565 --> 00:04:29.132 He starts with encouragement. 00:04:29.132 --> 00:04:30.699 He starts with gratitude. 00:04:30.699 --> 00:04:34.000 He starts off with, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.500 He begins by just showing them that he is so grateful for them. 00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:41.065 Now, there's a there's a reason for that. 00:04:41.065 --> 00:04:50.300 More than likely, Paul is writing the letter as a thank you note for a gift they sent to him for his missionary work through another guy. 00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:53.165 We'll talk about further on in the series. 00:04:53.165 --> 00:04:54.365 He shows up later in the book. 00:04:54.365 --> 00:04:56.365 His is a path, for that is a Paradise. 00:04:56.365 --> 00:04:59.565 Would have been the God who brought the gift, the financial gift to Paul. 00:05:00.565 --> 00:05:05.632 And so he's writing them a thank you, thank you for contributing to my ministry. 00:05:05.833 --> 00:05:14.300 When we served in missions, one of the things we learned early on, they told us this phrase and they said, you better stick to it because it's true. 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:18.432 Anytime you get a gift before you put it in the bank, you need to write a thank you note. 00:05:18.432 --> 00:05:25.365 They said thank before you bank because if you don't, if you bank it, you'll forget to write the thank you note. You just will. 00:05:25.365 --> 00:05:31.466 Life moves on, but make sure people who take time out of their life, they could have gone out to eat. 00:05:31.466 --> 00:05:34.699 They could have done something else with that money they sent it to you. 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:37.165 Make sure they know how grateful you are. 00:05:37.165 --> 00:05:38.100 Write them a thank you note. 00:05:38.100 --> 00:05:38.800 Take the time. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:40.800 Do that before you bank it. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:43.833 And here Paul is starting with thank you. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:46.365 Thank you for partnering with me. 00:05:46.365 --> 00:05:47.565 I'm grateful for you. 00:05:49.766 --> 00:05:55.733 But Paul doesn't just stop there because any thank you note is not just only a thank you note. 00:05:55.733 --> 00:05:57.365 It's also an opportunity to encourage. 00:05:57.365 --> 00:05:58.932 It's also an opportunity to teach. 00:05:58.932 --> 00:06:00.333 It's also an opportunity to share. 00:06:00.333 --> 00:06:01.766 Here's what God has been doing. 00:06:01.766 --> 00:06:03.800 Here's what we've seen happen on the mission field. 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.266 Here's other areas where I need prayer. 00:06:06.266 --> 00:06:07.132 And that's what Paul does. 00:06:07.132 --> 00:06:11.033 He starts with gratitude, but he also gives them encouragement. 00:06:11.033 --> 00:06:15.766 And there's two ways in particular here that he is encouraging them spiritually to grow. 00:06:15.766 --> 00:06:18.266 And the first is prayer. 00:06:18.266 --> 00:06:21.766 Just look back at verses three through five and you see him over and over again. 00:06:21.766 --> 00:06:25.199 Mention how many times he's been praying for them. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:28.466 That's basically the gist of those whole first few verses. 00:06:28.466 --> 00:06:37.100 I think, my God, in all my remembrance, always in every prayer, making prayers with joy for you. 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:38.365 I'm praying. 00:06:38.365 --> 00:06:39.333 I'm praying a lot. 00:06:39.333 --> 00:06:40.733 I'm excited about praying. 00:06:40.733 --> 00:06:42.432 I'm grateful for you, and I'm praying some more. 00:06:42.432 --> 00:06:43.766 He says it over and over again. 00:06:44.966 --> 00:06:59.733 He's telling them that he is praying for them, but he's also telling them about the importance of prayer, how critical prayer is to the spiritual life, how critical it is that those who are in Christ be bathing their spiritual life in prayer. 00:06:59.733 --> 00:07:01.300 It's absolutely essential. 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:06.800 It's absolutely central to our spiritual life, our spiritual journey. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:09.132 And so Paul is emphasizing this with him. 00:07:09.132 --> 00:07:09.865 Pray. 00:07:09.865 --> 00:07:12.466 Be about prayer. 00:07:12.466 --> 00:07:26.199 I remember early on in ministry there was a guy who was a neighbor that Julie and I had gotten to know this couple, and he and I had gotten connected, and they started to help support us in the ministry work we were doing. 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:30.899 And I remember one day he pulled me aside, and this was really one of the first guys in ministry. 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:31.632 I remember doing this. 00:07:31.632 --> 00:07:36.966 He pulled me aside and said, John, I just want you to know that I pray for you every single day. 00:07:39.266 --> 00:07:45.565 And I like man, you do that for me every day? 00:07:46.466 --> 00:07:50.399 You take the time, every day to pray for me? 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:52.065 That was so overwhelming. 00:07:52.065 --> 00:08:02.833 It was so moving that someone would take, even give me a thought and a good one, and let alone pause and pray in the midst of all the other things I could do. 00:08:02.833 --> 00:08:07.500 And by the way, I hear that from many of you, not just me, but for the church. 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:12.600 We pray for Valley View every day, and it is such an encouragement. 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:18.132 And so for Paul to write that to the Philippians, and I am praying for you, and I can't pray for you enough. 00:08:18.132 --> 00:08:21.966 That's a great way to begin with encouragement. 00:08:22.132 --> 00:08:24.699 But now look at the second way he encourages them here. 00:08:27.100 --> 00:08:31.132 The second way is through assurance. 00:08:31.165 --> 00:08:34.166 Look at verse six and what he says here. 00:08:34.432 --> 00:08:43.332 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. 00:08:43.633 --> 00:08:45.966 So yeah, here's ways I want to encourage you. 00:08:45.966 --> 00:08:46.832 You need to be praying. 00:08:46.832 --> 00:08:47.533 I'm praying for you. 00:08:47.533 --> 00:08:48.232 You need to be praying. 00:08:48.232 --> 00:08:55.100 But also be assured that Christ is at work in your life from the day he began, and he will complete it. 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:56.066 He goes back to the beginning... 00:08:56.066 --> 00:08:59.966 He reminds them, God stirred something here in you at the beginning. 00:08:59.966 --> 00:09:07.765 And by the way, Paul was there with them at the beginning and he says, I know God is going to complete it. 00:09:07.765 --> 00:09:09.133 God is going to continue it. 00:09:09.133 --> 00:09:22.033 God is going to do something great in your life, even if you have slipped into a season where you don't feel that anymore, where you're not sure, and that this happens all the time. 00:09:22.033 --> 00:09:25.332 In fact, I'm guessing a few of us have this experience in here. 00:09:25.332 --> 00:09:27.500 You come to know Christ, it's exciting. 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:29.100 It's new, you're pumped up. 00:09:29.100 --> 00:09:30.666 You can't read the Bible enough. 00:09:30.666 --> 00:09:31.899 You can't go to church enough. 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:42.799 And then all of a sudden, a few months down the road, a few years down the road, you notice, okay, that sin I always struggle with, I'm still it's still lingering. 00:09:42.932 --> 00:09:44.466 I thought I'd be done with it forever. 00:09:44.466 --> 00:09:46.133 I thought I'd never sin again. 00:09:46.133 --> 00:09:47.932 It was so new and exciting. 00:09:47.932 --> 00:09:49.566 So now I'm wondering, am I? 00:09:49.566 --> 00:09:52.566 Am I even a Christian or not? 00:09:52.765 --> 00:09:54.166 Anybody ever been there? 00:09:54.166 --> 00:09:56.332 Anybody ever had that struggle? 00:09:56.332 --> 00:09:59.100 Yeah, there's more hands up than not. 00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:00.265 It's pretty common. 00:10:01.732 --> 00:10:06.232 We think everything in the newness and the excitement, everything now will be perfect. 00:10:06.232 --> 00:10:08.533 And then the struggle comes and we go. 00:10:08.533 --> 00:10:10.299 So what does that mean? 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:13.299 Was I even a Christian to begin with? 00:10:13.566 --> 00:10:19.865 And Paul is reminding them he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. 00:10:19.865 --> 00:10:22.832 He began the work, not you. 00:10:22.832 --> 00:10:24.533 That's the starting point to remember. 00:10:24.533 --> 00:10:28.700 A lot of times I think we struggle with assurance because we think we did it. 00:10:28.700 --> 00:10:33.566 And so since I think I did it when I don't perform, then I think I've lost it. 00:10:33.566 --> 00:10:36.365 But he did it, not me. 00:10:36.365 --> 00:10:40.700 That's why I put Ephesians chapter two in your notes. 00:10:40.700 --> 00:10:42.566 By grace you have been saved through faith. 00:10:42.566 --> 00:10:46.133 Is it is a gift from God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:10:46.133 --> 00:10:47.566 It's not because of something I did. 00:10:47.566 --> 00:10:49.666 He he gave it as a gift. 00:10:49.666 --> 00:10:52.000 And he doesn't go around just taking gifts back. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.066 That's that's what we do. 00:10:54.232 --> 00:10:55.732 That's how we act. 00:10:55.732 --> 00:10:58.365 So we expect him to act that way. 00:10:58.365 --> 00:10:58.899 We called that. 00:10:58.899 --> 00:11:01.033 I don't even know if you're allowed to say this anymore, but I was a kid. 00:11:01.033 --> 00:11:02.332 We called that the Indian giver. 00:11:02.332 --> 00:11:05.299 I don't know if you remember that phrase. 00:11:05.299 --> 00:11:07.500 We don't we don't use that anymore, apparently. 00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:12.166 In fact, I looked I looked up on Google what you would use now instead. 00:11:12.166 --> 00:11:13.365 And I don't even know why we use that. 00:11:13.365 --> 00:11:14.732 I didn't know any Indians. 00:11:14.732 --> 00:11:17.000 I don't I never had that experience. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:18.865 I just I guess you heard it. 00:11:18.865 --> 00:11:23.232 In fact, they probably would say that they were the ones that had things taken from them. 00:11:23.232 --> 00:11:26.166 They probably would think, you've got this upside down. 00:11:26.166 --> 00:11:28.100 I asked Google, what should we say instead? 00:11:28.100 --> 00:11:29.666 How should that? Here's what Google said. 00:11:29.666 --> 00:11:33.500 Wonderful AI giving us great solutions in life. 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:41.033 Try using descriptive terms like a person who takes back when they've what they've been given that that didn't ring. 00:11:41.033 --> 00:11:44.666 That's not doesn't have the same ring as just a two word phrase. 00:11:44.666 --> 00:11:48.365 But that wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be, by the way. 00:11:48.365 --> 00:11:50.765 But AI didn't help us at all. 00:11:51.832 --> 00:11:55.700 Point being, that's how we act. 00:11:55.765 --> 00:11:57.500 I want to take back what I've given someone. 00:11:57.500 --> 00:11:58.633 I want an edge. 00:11:58.633 --> 00:12:01.633 I want to make sure that I come first. 00:12:01.765 --> 00:12:03.865 That's not who God is. 00:12:03.865 --> 00:12:12.033 And he who has the power to begin a work in your life, he has the power to see it through. 00:12:12.033 --> 00:12:13.666 He assures them of that. 00:12:13.666 --> 00:12:19.265 And I think this is really important for Valley View in this day and age. 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:21.865 Look, he began a good work here. 00:12:21.865 --> 00:12:24.566 He is the one who brought this church together. 00:12:24.566 --> 00:12:29.799 He did it through prayer, through a little old lady sitting on a porch across the street. 00:12:30.265 --> 00:12:39.566 He's going to continue that work here if we continue in prayer, if we continue to listen to him, if we continue to submit our lives to him, he'll guide us. He will. 00:12:41.732 --> 00:12:45.365 It's not about us, it's about him. 00:12:45.432 --> 00:12:54.765 I think the key to seeing him move at Valley View in the coming year will be through our commitment to prayer, and that's why this week I'm going to do a 6 a.m. 00:12:54.765 --> 00:12:57.365 prayer meeting here at the church on Tuesday. 00:12:57.365 --> 00:13:06.299 I don't know that we're going to do it every week, but I feel like God has been putting prayer on my heart, and many others have said, I feel a burden to pray. 00:13:06.299 --> 00:13:09.765 We're going to meet in the chapel, which is right through those doors over there. 00:13:09.765 --> 00:13:11.633 You can get there from the third Street exit. 00:13:11.633 --> 00:13:12.566 It'll be open. 00:13:12.566 --> 00:13:15.832 I'll have some coffee and we're going to pray. 00:13:15.832 --> 00:13:21.265 It's going to be a prayer meeting, not a share meeting and not a devotion meeting. 00:13:21.265 --> 00:13:22.566 I'm not coming with the sermon. 00:13:22.566 --> 00:13:23.365 We're going to pray. 00:13:23.365 --> 00:13:28.600 It's going to be 90% prayer from six, maybe to seven. Come join me. 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:30.000 And if you can't make it, that's fine. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:30.765 If you. 00:13:30.765 --> 00:13:33.299 I know some of you that some for many. 00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:35.666 That's too early, for some that's too late. You're already working. 00:13:36.865 --> 00:13:38.232 Pray when you can. 00:13:38.232 --> 00:13:40.765 Pray at six, wherever you are. Briefly. 00:13:40.765 --> 00:13:52.899 But if you can join us come Tuesday morning, this Tuesday in the chapel, we're going to pray and we're just going to ask God to move in our church, move in our community, stir in our community. 00:13:53.899 --> 00:13:56.600 And God, if you would move, help us to be a part of that. 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:01.133 Give us the wisdom to know, you-- we can't make the Spirit move. 00:14:01.133 --> 00:14:03.666 The wind blows where it wishes, so the Spirit does as well. 00:14:03.666 --> 00:14:06.666 But I hope, I pray that we're available. 00:14:06.765 --> 00:14:08.899 That's my prayer. 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:10.500 So this is how he starts with him. 00:14:10.500 --> 00:14:12.666 He starts with gratitude. He comes in. 00:14:12.666 --> 00:14:15.332 Thank you, thank you. 00:14:15.332 --> 00:14:16.466 Now what's the second way? 00:14:16.466 --> 00:14:24.066 He comes alongside them in the midst of the weariness, in the midst of having lost focus and excitement, how does he try to stir them up and awaken them? 00:14:25.166 --> 00:14:28.666 Look here at verse seven. 00:14:29.865 --> 00:14:33.332 Verse seven and chapter one. 00:14:33.466 --> 00:14:46.133 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 00:14:46.133 --> 00:14:52.666 So he comes to them and reminds them, and affirms them, that they are partners with him in ministry. 00:14:52.666 --> 00:14:55.166 He affirms their partnership. 00:14:55.166 --> 00:15:04.466 And as I mentioned, when we served as missionaries, when I wrote that thank you note, one of the things I wanted to make sure that came clear was, I couldn't do this. 00:15:04.466 --> 00:15:07.166 We couldn't do this without you. 00:15:07.166 --> 00:15:12.765 We couldn't serve in the mission field without your contribution, it wouldn't be possible. 00:15:12.765 --> 00:15:14.700 You really are partners with us. 00:15:14.700 --> 00:15:15.633 How can we pray for you? 00:15:15.633 --> 00:15:17.066 We know you're praying for us. 00:15:17.066 --> 00:15:19.432 We desperately need your gifts. 00:15:19.432 --> 00:15:20.666 And we are so grateful. 00:15:21.966 --> 00:15:24.700 And Paul wants them to hear you are partners with me. 00:15:24.700 --> 00:15:31.600 He says you are partakers In verse seven, earlier in verse five he says, we are in partnership in the gospel. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.600 We're in this together. 00:15:35.066 --> 00:15:38.332 But notice a couple of things he points out about their partnership. 00:15:38.332 --> 00:15:47.966 Notice some of the ways they are partnered because a partnership isn't just all the glory of seeing God move on the mission field. 00:15:48.566 --> 00:15:51.865 Notice what he said about their partnership back in verse seven. 00:15:51.865 --> 00:15:58.133 He said, you are partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:05.365 They're partners with him in the hard times. 00:16:05.666 --> 00:16:09.533 The Christian life isn't just all glorious moments. 00:16:10.033 --> 00:16:13.033 His ministry to them began in prison. 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:17.133 I mean, within a few days of him being in Philippi, they threw him in jail. 00:16:18.732 --> 00:16:24.500 You are partners with me in that, you were there with me through that. You have stuck with me. 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:28.633 And he's writing to them from prison now, likely in Rome. 00:16:28.633 --> 00:16:33.700 He's still facing challenges. 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:35.200 And he says, you are partners with me. 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:41.932 Because more than likely, if they threw him in prison when he'd just been there a few days, think of those he left behind who would come to know Christ. 00:16:41.932 --> 00:16:43.000 What did they face? 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:43.765 What hardships? 00:16:43.765 --> 00:16:45.200 What challenges did they face? 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:50.232 They likely endured that as well and are continuing to endure that. 00:16:50.332 --> 00:16:53.133 And yet they've stayed faithful. 00:16:53.133 --> 00:16:55.666 They've remained faithful because here's what he says. 00:16:55.666 --> 00:16:58.133 You are partners with me in my imprisonment. 00:16:58.133 --> 00:17:05.165 But also, he says in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you're partners with me in my hardships. 00:17:05.165 --> 00:17:07.465 But yet you stayed firm. 00:17:07.465 --> 00:17:08.532 You stayed engaged. 00:17:08.532 --> 00:17:12.333 You've continued to defend and confirm the gospel. 00:17:13.566 --> 00:17:20.965 Those two words were used prior to the New Testament as more of legal terms used in legal proceedings. 00:17:20.965 --> 00:17:25.465 That word defense is the same word where we get it sounds like the word apology. 00:17:25.465 --> 00:17:30.566 If you've heard of Christian apologetics, which it doesn't mean we're apologizing for Christianity. 00:17:30.566 --> 00:17:33.232 It means we're defending the faith. 00:17:33.232 --> 00:17:40.333 How do we step up and tell others about some of the roots, the background, the reasons why you should believe in the faith? 00:17:40.333 --> 00:17:48.066 So there's the defense and then the confirmation was used as more like a legal oath of a validation, a confirmation that says, this is true. 00:17:48.066 --> 00:17:49.165 You can trust it. 00:17:49.165 --> 00:17:50.965 This person does believe it. 00:17:50.965 --> 00:17:53.000 He's good to go. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:59.465 And those are kind of two sides of a coin in terms of engaging with people around the gospel. 00:18:00.865 --> 00:18:09.133 In fact, I asked everyone this last week to be praying for the church every day this week and, and many of us raised our hands and I heard from a number of you throughout the week. 00:18:09.133 --> 00:18:10.766 This is a verse God has put on my heart. 00:18:10.766 --> 00:18:13.200 This is the way I've been burdened to pray for the churches. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:14.700 And it was an exciting week. 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:23.133 There was a lot of conversations happening around prayer. This week I want to ask you to just pray for one person. 00:18:23.133 --> 00:18:23.766 We don't have to. 00:18:23.766 --> 00:18:25.165 It's great to pray for the whole church. 00:18:25.165 --> 00:18:34.000 Now let's narrow it down and pray for one person and in particular, pray for someone who is far from God right now. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:34.833 Maybe they're. 00:18:34.833 --> 00:18:36.599 Maybe you think they're not super far. 00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:37.299 Maybe they're close. 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:40.599 But someone who currently doesn't know him isn't following him. 00:18:42.333 --> 00:18:43.599 And here's what I want you to pray. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:47.266 Pray that the doors would open for the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 00:18:47.266 --> 00:18:51.500 The defense side is more of the removing obstacles. 00:18:53.432 --> 00:18:57.133 Think of before you were a Christian, you had some problems with Christianity. 00:18:57.133 --> 00:18:58.200 It could have been people. 00:18:58.200 --> 00:18:59.432 It could have been beliefs. 00:18:59.432 --> 00:19:06.599 You had some obstacles that had to be cleared out of the way for you to even be open to it and pray for that person. 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:10.266 God, what obstacles are there to them coming to faith? 00:19:10.266 --> 00:19:13.200 How can I be a part of removing those obstacles? 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.066 Would you remove those obstacles? 00:19:16.066 --> 00:19:18.465 Pray for that person every day this week. 00:19:18.465 --> 00:19:24.465 God, would you open the doors to their heart, to the gospel and then would you confirm it in their lives? 00:19:24.465 --> 00:19:26.299 Would you validate it? 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:42.865 Would there be a moment where, just like when you fill in your email address and login information on a website, and then you get a text with a code that you got to put in to prove it's really you that it says, yes, this is true, this is right, this is fully validated, this is fully confirmed. 00:19:42.865 --> 00:19:49.732 We want that day in their life where the gospel is fully validated, confirmed in their life, 100% rooted. 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:57.500 All this week, pick that one person and just pray for him every single day. 00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:58.532 Pray God, would you move? 00:19:58.532 --> 00:19:59.232 Would you defend? 00:19:59.232 --> 00:20:01.299 Would you confirm the gospel in their life? 00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:06.566 That's part of the partnership with them in the gospel, they're partners. 00:20:06.566 --> 00:20:07.799 He sees them as partners. 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:09.232 That's an encouragement. 00:20:09.232 --> 00:20:17.665 Don't you love hearing that when someone who you think is older, wiser, more mature spiritually says to you, you are a key partner with me, that's a huge encouragement. 00:20:18.665 --> 00:20:19.932 He's grateful for them. 00:20:19.932 --> 00:20:22.465 He's thankful for them. 00:20:22.465 --> 00:20:29.900 And then the third way he's going to come alongside them in the midst of the weariness when the newness has worn off. 00:20:30.165 --> 00:20:33.732 Finally, he's going to give them a charge. 00:20:33.766 --> 00:20:39.633 He's going to give them a blessing, a prayer, an appeal. 00:20:39.633 --> 00:20:46.566 But he's going to land in these last few verses with the charge, here is something I want to leave you with. 00:20:46.566 --> 00:20:48.232 And of course, he's got more to talk about. 00:20:48.232 --> 00:20:53.766 But here is something that I want to impress upon you in terms of how to move forward. 00:20:53.766 --> 00:21:02.266 Look at verses eight through ten, for God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 00:21:02.465 --> 00:21:10.532 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent. 00:21:11.633 --> 00:21:22.066 And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 00:21:22.066 --> 00:21:23.665 So he gives them a charge here. 00:21:23.665 --> 00:21:24.865 He gives it in three parts. 00:21:24.865 --> 00:21:31.799 The first is that you would love with truth, love with truth. 00:21:31.833 --> 00:21:34.833 You can't love apart from truth. 00:21:34.932 --> 00:21:37.165 Love and truth have to be connected. 00:21:37.165 --> 00:21:38.965 You can't separate them. 00:21:38.965 --> 00:21:46.299 We all learned in middle school that you can't define a word by a word, so you can't say, love is love that has no meaning. 00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:48.200 That is emptiness. 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:50.732 You have to use other words to describe a word. 00:21:50.732 --> 00:21:56.865 You can't separate the word love from the truth of what it means to love. 00:21:56.865 --> 00:22:02.599 And he uses words specifically here love more and more with all knowledge and discernment. 00:22:04.165 --> 00:22:09.465 Now, I'm sure you've had these situations where you had the knowledge of a situation, but not insight. 00:22:09.465 --> 00:22:12.465 That word discernment can be, translated as insight. 00:22:12.465 --> 00:22:15.566 It can also be translated as intuition. 00:22:17.365 --> 00:22:23.633 You've had knowledge of a situation, but maybe not fully aware of what's really going on. 00:22:23.965 --> 00:22:26.165 I had a lunch with a guy once. 00:22:26.165 --> 00:22:30.599 Nobody here is in another state, but he asked to meet, marriage was falling apart. 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:33.633 I wanted to talk about it, and I came. 00:22:33.633 --> 00:22:35.000 I came ready to talk about it. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:35.900 Came with lots of ideas. 00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:37.633 How can we man? What can you do? 00:22:37.633 --> 00:22:40.032 How can you try to get this thing back on track? 00:22:40.032 --> 00:22:48.333 How can you pursue your wife and love on her and everything I threw out, every idea I gave to him, he was like, I don't think that'll work. 00:22:49.732 --> 00:23:01.432 Yeah, I'm not sure about that. Idea after idea, and I'm thinking, I'm not sure that he's really interested in trying to make this work. 00:23:01.432 --> 00:23:10.165 I had knowledge of the situation that their marriage was struggling, and so I just said to him, I think I misunderstood the purpose of this meeting. 00:23:10.165 --> 00:23:12.465 I thought you wanted to work on your marriage. 00:23:12.465 --> 00:23:14.599 What I'm hearing is that you're done. 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:17.599 That am I now perceiving that accurately? 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:19.633 Yes, John, actually you are. 00:23:19.633 --> 00:23:20.965 I wasn't here to try to fix it. 00:23:20.965 --> 00:23:23.165 I was here to tell you it's over. 00:23:23.165 --> 00:23:26.165 Oh, well, now let's talk about that. 00:23:26.465 --> 00:23:36.133 Now that I have both knowledge and insight, let's talk about that because I love you too much to just let you continue down the road of following your heart. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:44.599 You need to love with truth, and the way you're going right now is denying truth. 00:23:44.599 --> 00:23:46.865 It's avoiding God's plan for your life. 00:23:46.865 --> 00:23:49.133 It's abandoning his plan. 00:23:49.133 --> 00:24:01.299 And I'm not saying there's not times where marriages do struggle and need to be separated, but in his situation, he was going his own way and abandoning truth. 00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:06.965 And that is not loving to ignore that just for the sake of friendship and relationship. 00:24:06.965 --> 00:24:07.833 And those are important. 00:24:07.833 --> 00:24:10.032 And it takes great wisdom to know how to do that. 00:24:10.032 --> 00:24:11.133 There are times to speak up. 00:24:11.133 --> 00:24:12.099 There are times not to. 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:14.066 I'm I'm not getting into all that right now. 00:24:14.066 --> 00:24:18.000 But you understand you can't have love apart from truth. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:21.000 The two go together always. 00:24:21.732 --> 00:24:23.165 And so he reminds them. 00:24:23.165 --> 00:24:24.865 This is my charge to you, love. 00:24:24.865 --> 00:24:27.700 We should be known as loving people. 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:30.266 The church should be known for our love. 00:24:30.266 --> 00:24:33.232 There's a great quote from an early Roman emperor. 00:24:33.232 --> 00:24:35.965 He was trying to turn all of Rome back to the pagan rituals. 00:24:35.965 --> 00:24:40.865 Christianity had come in and he didn't like it, and he wanted to turn them all back to the old Roman gods. 00:24:42.932 --> 00:24:46.665 But he noticed this about the Christians who were still there, still lingering. 00:24:46.665 --> 00:24:53.299 He said this it is disgraceful that the Galileans, that's the phrase they would have used. 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:56.066 Jesus of Nazareth, or from Galilee. 00:24:56.066 --> 00:25:01.465 The Galileans support not only their own poor, but ours as well. 00:25:01.465 --> 00:25:05.066 All men see that our people lack aid from us. 00:25:06.465 --> 00:25:07.700 I don't like the Christians. 00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:08.732 I don't want them around. 00:25:08.732 --> 00:25:14.465 And yet they're meeting the needs of our people better than we are. 00:25:15.232 --> 00:25:17.932 People we should be known as loving. 00:25:17.932 --> 00:25:21.732 People in our community should know they love Jesus and they love others. 00:25:21.732 --> 00:25:25.465 Well, I don't agree with them, but man, they are loving. 00:25:25.465 --> 00:25:28.432 But it's always connected to truth. 00:25:28.432 --> 00:25:31.865 Ed Childers was a member here for many, many years. 00:25:31.865 --> 00:25:36.532 He was a youth leader when I was, when I was a student here at the church. 00:25:36.566 --> 00:25:39.932 And this quote he used has always stuck with me. 00:25:39.932 --> 00:25:42.965 He said it in reference to unity, and I think it applies to love. 00:25:42.965 --> 00:25:46.333 He said, unity at the sake of truth is not unity. 00:25:47.633 --> 00:25:50.633 It's heresy. 00:25:51.032 --> 00:25:53.700 Unity is not the goal. 00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:55.465 At the sake of truth. 00:25:55.465 --> 00:25:58.133 Unity at the sake of truth is not unity. 00:25:58.133 --> 00:26:01.200 And love at the sake of truth is not love. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:02.932 It's abandonment of the gospel. 00:26:02.932 --> 00:26:04.133 And that's not where we want to be. 00:26:04.133 --> 00:26:09.599 So he charges them to love with knowledge, wisdom, insight. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:10.865 The two have to be connected. 00:26:10.865 --> 00:26:13.299 Now look at the second thing he says to them. 00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:14.965 He said, you may approve what is excellent. 00:26:14.965 --> 00:26:17.599 Oh, he said, love may abound more and more knowledge and discernment. 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:22.633 Verse ten, so that you may approve what is excellent. 00:26:22.732 --> 00:26:35.900 And the implication here is to keep pursuing holiness, keep approving what is excellent, because he says so, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ by proving what is excellent. 00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:37.865 You're prepared for the day of Christ. 00:26:37.865 --> 00:26:39.365 You're growing in holiness. 00:26:39.365 --> 00:26:41.066 You're growing in purity. 00:26:41.066 --> 00:26:45.799 You're you're growing in the place of being blameless and ready for his return. 00:26:47.766 --> 00:27:01.032 And then lastly, the third charge he gives them here, verse 11, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:10.465 This last charge is for them to be continuing to bear fruit, keep bearing fruit. 00:27:10.465 --> 00:27:12.900 22-23 is a great passage. 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:19.465 That's the whole fruit of the spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law. 00:27:19.465 --> 00:27:21.365 We need to be bearing fruit in our lives. 00:27:21.365 --> 00:27:22.900 We need to be bearing the fruit of the Spirit. 00:27:22.900 --> 00:27:27.000 But we also need to be bearing spiritual fruit in the lives of others. 00:27:27.532 --> 00:27:31.900 And I think the way to do that is walking by faith. 00:27:32.299 --> 00:27:36.566 We have coming up on October 12th, we have our fall festival. 00:27:36.566 --> 00:27:38.566 Some of you know it as our chili cook off. 00:27:39.965 --> 00:27:45.133 Yeah, and that is a great day for us to bring other people to church. 00:27:45.133 --> 00:27:48.932 In fact, I'm calling it our fall Faith Festival. 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:51.032 Come by faith. 00:27:51.032 --> 00:27:54.432 And what I ask you to do one of three things for that festival. 00:27:54.432 --> 00:28:01.865 And we don't have to say fall Faith Festival to those outside of the church, but internally, that's going to be a day of great faith for us. 00:28:01.865 --> 00:28:03.865 For some of us, it's trying some of the chili. 00:28:03.865 --> 00:28:05.833 That's the step of faith. 00:28:05.833 --> 00:28:07.599 That's our hot chili contest, by the way. 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:08.266 We'll get to that. 00:28:08.266 --> 00:28:09.732 We'll talk about that later. 00:28:09.732 --> 00:28:11.566 I'm the judge of that. 00:28:11.566 --> 00:28:16.665 Some of y'all weren't very nice to me last year, but it's still fun. 00:28:16.665 --> 00:28:21.965 Fall Faith Fest three steps of Faith I want you to take one is to invite someone to come. 00:28:21.965 --> 00:28:25.566 It could be that person you're going to be praying for every day this week. Maybe it's someone else. 00:28:25.566 --> 00:28:27.566 Take a step of faith to invite someone. 00:28:27.566 --> 00:28:34.766 That's a great day for someone to come new to the church, because there's a nice festival afterwards with games and food, a great time to connect. 00:28:35.965 --> 00:28:48.066 The other would be, maybe you're in a life group and you know a few friends who come to church sporadically or regularly, but they're not in a life group will take a step of faith to invite them to a life group. 00:28:48.066 --> 00:28:49.965 Just ask, hey, have you tried out a life group? 00:28:49.965 --> 00:29:00.232 Come to ours because I'm grateful for anyone who comes to church, but your growth is going to be limited by your depth of connection. 00:29:00.232 --> 00:29:08.133 And if you're not in a regular small group with the other Christians who will help sharpen you and come alongside you, you'll only grow so far spiritually. 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:11.000 And so it's for your benefit to get connected into a life group. 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:13.865 And maybe that's the third step of faith for some. 00:29:13.865 --> 00:29:14.932 Maybe you go, you know what? 00:29:14.932 --> 00:29:16.000 You're right. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:24.865 I don't know if I have the courage to invite anyone, but I'm going to try to take the step of faith to check out a life group on October 12th. 00:29:24.865 --> 00:29:25.732 That's all. 00:29:25.732 --> 00:29:26.532 That's about a month away. 00:29:26.532 --> 00:29:28.032 Let's all be praying for that. 00:29:28.032 --> 00:29:34.333 For that to be a big day of a step of faith for all of us to just watch God move. 00:29:34.333 --> 00:29:35.532 Let's see what he might do. 00:29:35.532 --> 00:29:37.599 Let's pray leading up to it every week. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.365 Let's be asking him, God, would you move? 00:29:39.365 --> 00:29:41.066 Help us to take a step of faith. 00:29:41.066 --> 00:29:47.165 Who might you put on my heart to invite? 00:29:47.232 --> 00:29:55.799 The reason why he says all this and we breezed over it real quickly in verse ten, so that you may approve what is excellent. 00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:59.432 And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. 00:29:59.432 --> 00:30:09.200 The reason why we pray the reason why we have a burden for the community, the reason why we want to walk by faith is because there is a day of Christ. 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:11.365 There is a day he is coming. 00:30:11.365 --> 00:30:12.965 We don't know when that is. 00:30:12.965 --> 00:30:14.865 Every generation thinks it's right away. 00:30:16.133 --> 00:30:19.532 We don't know, but we need to be ready. 00:30:19.766 --> 00:30:22.232 As if he were coming today. 00:30:22.232 --> 00:30:24.365 He will come. He will return. 00:30:24.365 --> 00:30:26.365 Are you ready? 00:30:26.365 --> 00:30:30.500 Listen, the point Paul is trying to make to them is to wake up. 00:30:30.500 --> 00:30:32.299 You slipped into a spiritual malaise. 00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:33.665 But wake up. 00:30:33.665 --> 00:30:36.365 Listen, we don't have forever. 00:30:36.365 --> 00:30:37.865 He could come at any time. 00:30:37.865 --> 00:30:40.865 Be awake, be ready. 00:30:40.865 --> 00:30:42.133 Walk by faith. 00:30:42.133 --> 00:30:43.133 It's true for all of us. 00:30:43.133 --> 00:30:44.732 It's true for me. 00:30:44.732 --> 00:30:47.732 Every day I got to be walking by faith. 00:30:47.833 --> 00:30:50.365 It's too important for us not to. 00:30:50.365 --> 00:30:53.266 And he comes to them with the encouragement. 00:30:53.266 --> 00:30:55.465 Walk by faith. Pray. 00:30:55.465 --> 00:30:57.000 Trust that he's going to move. 00:30:57.000 --> 00:31:00.865 I believe he what he began here, the good work he started. 00:31:00.865 --> 00:31:03.665 He will be faithful to complete it in the coming days. 00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:07.799 Now I'm going to pray to close up the sermon. 00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:13.532 I got a couple of announcements to make, one about the budget, and then I've got a couple to present to you as new members. 00:31:13.532 --> 00:31:14.232 So stick around. 00:31:14.232 --> 00:31:18.266 I want you to hear that, but let me wrap up the message in prayer real quick here. 00:31:18.266 --> 00:31:20.500 Thank you, Lord, for your word. 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:27.799 Thank you that Paul was burdened to awaken the church in Philippi and God, would you wake us up to the movement of your Spirit? 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:32.066 Would we be able to hear your Spirit in all that we do? 00:31:32.066 --> 00:31:36.732 Would you guide us, help us to walk by faith in the coming days? 00:31:36.732 --> 00:31:38.066 Help us to be burdened in prayer? 00:31:38.066 --> 00:31:41.732 Would every day would we pour over the name of a person in prayer? 00:31:41.732 --> 00:31:49.766 Would we be looking forward to inviting others and we would be bathed in your word and all that we do? 00:31:49.766 --> 00:31:51.700 We love you, Jesus. 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:52.165 Amen.