WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible teaching ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:23.440 Truly, God is faithful. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:30.239 And one of the greatest uh verses describing his faithfulness is found in the first chapter of Philippians. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:36.079 So I want you to turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Philippians chapter one. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:43.280 And today we're going to start a study that will take us through the fall on the book of Philippians. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:48.479 And the theme for this study is going to be life worthy of the gospel. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:54.159 And that comes from a verse found here in Philippians chapter 1. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:58.240 Now, read with me if you will, beginning in verse 1. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:00.560 Paul and Timothy. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.439 Now, this is like the address of a letter. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:18.319 And remember, this is a letter that was actually written by Paul to this group of people, as it says in verse 1, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, the city of Philippi. 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.359 Just a little bit about the city of Philippi. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.439 Paul, in one of his missionary journeys, planted a church there. 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:29.040 The city of Philippi was a Roman city. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:35.280 It had colonized that area, planted that city, built that city, so it is a Roman city. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.879 And so it has all the culture of Rome. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:43.280 It has all of the philosophy and the teaching of Rome. 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:53.760 And one of the things that was important in a place like Philippi, that Roman citizenship is a very vitally important thing. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:02:02.879 We think of citizenship here in our country, and we teach citizenship, and it's an important part of the culture of who we are. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.480 It was an important part of the culture of Rome as well. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:12.000 And so this is a very interesting city in which to think about. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:18.240 And it shows up all throughout the book of Acts in a number of places when Paul is there and planting churches and all that. 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.400 So Paul had a great love for this church. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:21.680 And so here's what happens. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:30.879 He's writing this letter to the church, and what would happen is these letters would be read to the church almost in the same way that we read Scripture today. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:32.000 So here's what it says. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:33.599 This is the introduction of that letter. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:45.280 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and the deacons. 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.919 And so you guys are not allowed to skip church today, right? 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:49.599 You're referenced in the letter. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:54.879 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:10.800 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:19.919 In other words, when he showed up there in that city and he planted that church, and people began being saved, they began to help him expand the gospel and share the gospel. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:30.879 And then when he moved on into other places and was a church planter and missionary in other places, this church was giving to his ministry and supporting his ministry. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:47.199 Much like we're talked about today, the Dixie Jackson offering in Arkansas Baptists giving to missions and to missionaries, and so he's thanking them for that and bragging on them for that kind of partnership. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:59.680 He says, I am sure of this, I'm confident of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:04.960 Now that's an that's a great thing for us, I think, even as a church, to think about as well. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:06.879 Remember, this was a fairly new church. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:12.560 It had been planted, Paul planted it, it was growing, people were being saved, but it was a fairly new church. 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:19.680 I love this verse because it's written not just to the individuals in the church, but he is writing to the entire church. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:27.279 And so not just to each person does he say God will be faithful and continue to work in you, but he's even talking to the church as a whole. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:36.879 And so if you think about it, listen to that verse, that he who started a good work in you, the church, will carry that on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:44.879 That's an incredible message for us as we stand here today in a church that was planted in the mid-1800s. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.279 Is that awesome? 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.680 The mid-1800s. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.399 And yet today here we are. 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:59.279 We're preaching the gospel, we're sending out mission teams, we're participating with people all over our state. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.959 We're participating through our association here all over the river valley. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.279 We are sharing Jesus in schools and high schools and middle schools. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:09.360 We're sharing Jesus in the workplaces. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:10.720 We're inviting people to church. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:13.040 We're sending out people on mission trips. 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:22.480 This year, as we move towards the end of the, what we call the church year at the end of September, this year we've baptized in the 30s again this year. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:33.279 That's two years in a row, that our baptisms have climbed back into the 30s, and it's been many years since the church has seen 30 plus people baptized in two straight years. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:34.959 God is good, amen? 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:36.879 And we are seeing him work. 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:46.879 And I just think it's incredible when you stop and think about that statement that uh that Paul is saying, listen, God will keep working in you as a church. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:06:01.839 And he'll keep doing that until Jesus comes back, and we are testimony to that, and it is a blessing when we think about the heritage and the future of our church because of what Jesus is doing in our church. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:06.800 And Paul makes it very clear he who started that good work. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:16.399 Jesus who started that with the people who were saved in Philippi, Jesus who created a church through that evangelism, and Jesus will continue to work. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:26.560 Just like in the River Valley, Jesus brought together believers and a church planner to plant a church, people who wanted the gospel to be planted in the Fort Smith area. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:34.480 And Jesus has seen people saved through the ministries of this church year after year, generation after generation. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.519 And Jesus will continue to do that. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:52.240 It is right for me to think this way, verse 7, about all of you in the church, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:57.920 So what Paul is referring to there is Paul is now towards the end of his life and ministry. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:59.199 He has been arrested. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:05.759 In fact, there's a portion of his journey that was in this city of Philippi, and now he's been taken to Rome. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:16.160 Later on in this verse, he will talk about being in imprisonment, and then he's literally chained with guards who are guarding him as a prisoner. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:21.439 And so when he talks about his imprisonment, he is talking about literally being in prison. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:29.360 And so he writes this book to this church, writes this letter to this church from prison, which is an amazing thing. 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:36.959 As you begin to study the book, you see how much he talks about the joy of Christ and the joy of serving the Lord. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:39.920 And he is in prison writing about the joy of the Lord. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:42.000 It's incredible when you think through that. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:47.920 He says in verse 8, for God is my witness how deeply I am miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:08:14.079 And I pray this, that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of a discernment, so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:21.600 Now, as he continues to write, he talks about his imprisonment and he talks about how God has used that to advance the gospel. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:26.879 He gets to a section where he talks very personally about, he knows he's probably at the end of his life. 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:32.399 And that famous verse, to live as Christ and to die as gain, comes from this chapter of this letter. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:40.240 And he says, literally, I know I'm chained, but I know you need my encouragement for me to live as live as Christ. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:42.639 It is Jesus through me in the gospel. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.559 But to die is actually gain. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:47.600 I get to be with Jesus in heaven forever. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:51.440 And then he says, What has always astounded me, this truth. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:57.039 He says, Listen, I am hard-pressed on which one I want to do more. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:02.000 I'd love to stay and help you, but man, I can't wait to get to heaven. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:04.559 And to be with Jesus who saved me. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:08.000 And he says, I literally can't figure out which one I want to do more. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.279 But I know you probably need me to stay here and encourage you. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:22.559 And then he gets to verse 27, which is the verse where he begins to move from this greeting and these personal testimonies, and now he begins to set up the theme of the letter. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:27.919 And here is the statement that is the theme statement of this letter. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.960 Just verse 27, just one thing. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:38.000 Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.399 And he challenges us to that. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:50.080 Pastor Ry Grupp used to tell us all the time I don't know how much Jesus you have in your life right now, but you have all the Jesus that you want. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:55.120 Because Jesus died on the cross to fill us up. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:10:00.480 Paul has said that his prayer for them is for them to never stop growing in knowledge and discernment. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:05.519 He wants them to approve the things that are superior, to be pure and blameless in Jesus. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:08.320 He wants them to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:15.120 And so Jesus lived to fill us up and to and to overflow through our lives into the lives all around us. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.639 Jesus died for that. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:18.000 That's what he's working for. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:21.039 That's why he never stops working in our lives. 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:27.840 It's never Jesus that stops working, but sometimes we stop allowing him to work. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.759 We put on a pause or we get distracted and we chase something else and go somewhere else. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:40.960 And so what Paul is saying here is he really wants to elevate their picture of what the Christian life looks like. 00:10:41.279 --> 00:11:15.440 He wants to shake them up in a positive way and cast a greater, bigger vision for what it means for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the author and finisher of our faith, as we looked at last week, the one who died and rose again, the one who is filled with resurrection power, if he is going to fill you up and teach you all discernment and elevate you to those things he says that are superior, man, he's trying to say, listen, who can you be if your life is surrendered to Jesus? 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:17.840 That Jesus. 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:39.279 And he's trying to elevate that in a positive way, call them to a greater vision, stir something in them, in their faith, to know, man, you can be used by God and filled with him so that you are a testimony, he says at the end of verse 11, to the glory and praise of God. 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:47.440 You can be that person that people say, Well, I know God is real because I've seen him in their life. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:57.039 And he's trying to elevate and challenge that in a good way, in a stirring way, to create that vision for who we can be in Jesus. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:03.120 And so that's what we'll take some time exploring through that and the other themes in the book of Philippians. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:07.200 Now, it's interesting as we'll it'll take time and we'll really walk our way through this. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:10.720 So we'll be well into November by the time we finish this book. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:18.159 And you think, why would we take all of that time in just one book of the Bible? 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.080 There's a lot of ways to do this. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.039 There's a lot of ways topically, like we do a lot of times. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.840 That helps us cover a lot of things in Scripture. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:36.879 When Scripture talks about the full counsel of God's word, sometimes it's good to be able to just move through and get those themes throughout Scripture that help us grow. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:47.200 But also, there is great value when we stop and slow down and take some time to work our way through and dig deeper in one book. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.960 So let me give you just some thoughts about that real quick while we do that. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.120 First of all, context. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.679 It's learning these scripture verses in context. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:57.600 Now, Philippians is incredible. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:01.519 How many of you grew up doing Bible drill if you grew up in church? 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:07.039 Okay, every year in Bible drill, there were verses from Philippians, right? 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.919 I was a three-year state winner. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:13.200 Some of y'all know what that is. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:17.919 And so many of y'all were there and did better than I did. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.240 So um, but what happens in Bible drill, it was fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:29.759 And what happens is you would get a list of scriptures that you would memorize that were iconic, important, key promises, and verses that every believer ought to know. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:34.399 They taught you how to use your Bible, and that's some you may have heard the term sword drill, right? 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:38.240 And so you'd say, you know, hear your Bible, attention, present Bibles. 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:39.279 Y'all remember this? 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:41.919 And they would say, Find the book of Philippians, go. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.039 And you would have ten seconds to find the book of Philippians. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:49.039 And it then when you found it, we were all standing in a line, and you'd step out, right? 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:58.399 That you got your verse, and they'd call on you, Greg, and you'd say, have to say the book before, that book, and the book after, because you had memorized all the books of the Bible. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.200 And then they would have key passages that you would have to go to. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:06.879 And there were key passages from Philippians, and every year in that three-year rotation, there were verses from Philippians. 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.080 There are incredible, iconic verses that we've heard. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:11.840 We just read one in verse six. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:16.559 He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.679 To live as Christ and to die as gain is in chapter one. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:26.480 Chapter two is let nothing be done through selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in loneliness of mind and let each esteem others better than himself. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:29.360 Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:36.320 A verse that we quote often, that Jesus, that God has given him the name which is above every name. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:38.320 That's in Philippians chapter two. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:43.840 In Philippians chapter four, you have verses like this I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.759 My God shall supply all your needs through his riches and glory. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.039 There are all kinds of scripture verses in there. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:15:04.799 But you know, those verses, as powerful as they are standing on their own, boy, when you read them in the context of a book and you study them in light of the themes in the book, they become richer and deeper in that context. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:10.639 Remember, and this letter was read, they didn't just stop, they read the whole letter when they read it to the congregation. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.440 So it's really good for us to stop and do that. 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:16.720 It requires us to deal with all kinds of topics in the book. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.480 We can't just pick and choose. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.399 We hit what God is talking to the churches here, right? 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:35.360 Extended time in a book means as you soak in that, as it becomes more and more familiar, as it becomes more and more on your mind, it really opens us up to hear God speak. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:49.120 And so when you're doing a book study, it really helps you as you are swimming and immersed in the things and the verses of that book that God has our attention and begin to speak to us through the layers of that. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:52.879 It gives time for revealed truth to take root. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:16:04.240 Now, when you come here, you come on a Sunday morning and Matt or Jared or Dave or somebody's preaching, or you come on a Thursday and Dave's preaching, or you've got your Sunday school teachers. 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:06.320 We have incredible Sunday school teachers here. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:12.639 They're giving you truth every week, and you're learning these things, and you go, oh, I need to write that down, and oh, I need to keep track of that. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.480 But we just keep advancing as we keep teaching, right? 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:35.440 When you're in a book study like this, man, you begin to layer and it's slower, and it allows time for that thing that God has spoken to you because we're in that same vein and we're staying in that same lane, it allows him to water that and allows it to take root and to get deeper. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:42.480 It helps in our meditation of scripture because we've become so familiar and we begin to own it because we hear it often. 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:44.159 It helps in our memorization. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.919 When something becomes familiar, then you can begin to memorize. 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:53.759 We were walking in with somebody from church today, and we were having a chuckle, it's a pretty morning, and all that. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:54.879 How are you doing this morning? 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:56.639 And this person, oh, I forgot my Bible. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:59.440 I said, Well, it's a good thing you have it all memorized, right? 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:01.279 And so we're laughing about that. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:08.799 But scripture memorization is one of those things that is a lost discipline for us as believers. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:11.440 I know that's distracting to y'all. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:13.839 So just we'll get there. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:18.079 Brother Dave will go break a window or kill something and make it stop. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:20.559 Uh, Dr. 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:25.119 Rogers used to tell me all the time: if something lays an egg, everybody's distracted. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.640 You just need to stop and admire it for a moment and then go on. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:35.200 It deepens our fellowship as we study together. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:55.920 As we are on a common path, and God is speaking to us, and he's layering those themes, and when you are sharing, it really can add to our congregational fellowship and growth together because we've really stayed in a lane long enough that we're all kind of in that process together. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.200 Let me give you another thing why we want to do this study. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:10.079 Because part of transformation or discipleship, transformation is one of those three uh core values that we talk about evangelism, presence of God, and transformation. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:20.240 Well, how we study our scriptures, affirming the discipline of scripture and all of those things, those are a part of the transformation process. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:32.960 And so part of what we do is elevate in every way the teaching of God's word and the discipline of having a quiet time and studying your scripture. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:39.680 When we take some time to do this as a church family, we are elevating those biblical skills. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:45.119 And so let me give you just a couple of thoughts about those biblical skills and how we elevate that. 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:45.519 Okay? 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:47.599 If you can go to the next screen. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:19:00.160 That is a verse in 2 Timothy where he tells us that's how we should study, and it's the picture of a workman. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:01.440 And so here's what happens. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:10.559 Again, we get a deeper understanding of God's word when we take the time to learn to unpack a book like this. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:13.359 It improves our observation skills. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:22.640 I've taught before about what we call the inductive Bible study method, and I'm not gonna go through that again this morning, but we've talked about here's three things you do. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:28.160 You observe what's in the scripture, you interpret what's in the scripture, and then you take the applications from the scripture. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:33.200 Observation is a careful reading, learning what God is really trying to say in there. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:42.559 And so as we read this book and we see the layers of the themes and all of that context of scripture, it helps us in our observation skills. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:50.240 It also helps us with our interpretation skills, and we can really begin to understand what that verse really means. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:56.400 It's easy to go grab a Bible verse that we really like and just make it say what we want it to say. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:00.559 There's an old preacher joke that illustrates that, kind of goes like this. 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:20.000 A guy who didn't know a lot of scripture, a new Christian, he's reading about um uh all about the famous people in scripture, and he starts reading about Noah, and he's looking at Noah and Noah's family and God's command to build the ark, and he uh didn't realize that in his brand new Bible as a believer, some of the pages were stuck together. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:21.680 Y'all, you know how that happens, right? 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:30.799 So here he goes, he's reading, and the Bible says, and Noah took a wife, and then you turn over and it says, 475 cubits long, 800 and you know. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:35.200 And he goes, I'm not really sure I understand that, but it's in the Bible. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:36.960 I guess I have to believe it. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:37.839 Right? 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.400 Context makes all the difference, doesn't it? 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:44.079 And so you have to really understand that to interpret it correctly. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:46.799 And then finally, it helps connect the dots. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:21:02.559 We see as God repeats something in a book, in the context of a message to a people, how he's trying to drive home a greater truth that should really define our worldview and how we see things. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:14.799 And so as we connect the dots from chapter to chapter, the same terms, the same imageries, the same ideas, a deeper layering of those. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.880 I mean, it really creates a deeper understanding of what that means. 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:24.799 This is a great book for us to study as a church because it was written to a church just like us. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:30.240 And so as we go through this journey, we also have ordered some of these to help you. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:39.039 We're going to talk about how to make journals, how you write in your Bibles, the kind of things that you highlight and circle and all of that. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:42.720 And if that's new for you, this is a little something. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:45.279 They're available out in the lobby if you want one. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:47.759 No pressure, nobody's trying to do that. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:53.680 But if you this would help you, this is the book of Philippians, just itself. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:58.640 And it is written and printed on normal writing paper. 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:06.079 If you can see it has Large margins on the side and a note page next to each page of the scripture. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:19.759 And this gives you an opportunity to write in it, to scribble in it, to practice journaling and all of that, and it doesn't affect any one of your Bibles that's your study Bible or the one you come to church with or whatever. 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:22.880 And so these are available in the lobby if you would like one. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:25.119 No pressure, you don't need one. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:26.880 I'm gonna show you in a minute. 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.920 This is what I use good old legal pads, right? 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:32.400 And so, but if that helps you, those are available. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:33.759 They're only$5 out there. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:48.559 And I would encourage you if you're if you're concerned about writing in your Bible or you're concerned about trying something new and you don't want that permanently in there, get one of these and just scribble to your heart's content as God speaks to you and exercise those skills. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.519 Now, let me talk to you about this theme for a minute. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:56.640 As we are connecting the dots throughout Scripture, here's where we get to this verse. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:09.839 And the text of that verse again in Philippians chapter 1, verse 27, is Paul's command, and this is a key theme throughout Scripture, but especially in the book of Philippians. 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:16.720 You see it highlighted as he describes them in those first 10 verses that I read. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:32.720 As he says, My prayer for you is that you will approve or live up to whatever the superior things are in life, that the purity in your life will reach the level of Jesus, that you will be filled with this fruit in your life. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:35.039 He's elevating that picture. 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:38.160 And so here's the theme when he begins to talk to this church. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:40.880 I'm gonna tell you just one thing. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:42.480 Just one thing. 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:48.480 Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:58.319 Now that verse, as I've been studying and working through this, it struck me and it stuck out, and it became the one theme that I wanted to pull through. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:02.480 And as I began to do that, I began to study in light of that theme. 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:09.119 And as I've been reading through the book over and over and over, I began to see God layer all of those things. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.759 What does that command mean for us? 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.559 What does it challenge me to do in my life? 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:22.799 What will it challenge us as a church to do as we are challenged to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ? 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:25.359 Let me give you just a couple of thoughts about that verse. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:27.599 Let's go back just the verse if we can. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:30.079 Let me give you just a couple of thoughts about that verse. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:32.079 First of all, it is a command. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:33.599 It is a command. 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:35.599 He says, live. 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:39.119 It is, you're going to do this, live. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:41.440 It is a command to be obeyed. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:43.839 It's what we call an imperative command. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:45.599 You must do this. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:52.880 The voice of this verb tense is one that is calling us to obey. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:56.720 We initiate a response to the command. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:01.359 And it also is in a tense that is always in present tense. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:14.160 So what he's saying is always, every day, take the initiative to obey the commands of God to live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:16.799 That's literally what the command says. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:21.119 Now, this word live your life. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:23.279 You may have a different translation. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:27.119 It may say something like this conduct yourselves. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:33.599 You may have the word conduct in yours, or you may have the word conversation in yours, and that's the picture of life. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:42.480 In the original language, it's an incredible word picture here, and it's really given to the people who live in Philippi because this illustration would make sense to them. 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:52.079 As I mentioned, they were Romans, and it was a Roman city, and in the culture of Rome, citizenship was one of the most important things that they had. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:26:03.279 It meant something to be a citizen of Rome, the privileges that you had as a citizen of Rome, but it also meant to them a deep responsibility of citizenship. 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:17.839 They felt like there was a strong duty for them to live as a Roman and to positively impact the culture of Rome because that was your responsibility as a Roman. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:29.359 You think about different times in our history when presidents or others have called us to greater citizenship. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:40.799 The famous quote from President Kennedy when he said, Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:48.559 That is a call to the citizenship duty in all of us to live up and make an impact where we live. 00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:53.039 Because that was such an important cultural reference and a powerful cultural reference. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:57.920 In the original language, this is actually a word picture of citizenship. 00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:10.319 What he's really commanding us is recognize that your citizenship is not Roman now that you're a follower of Christ, but it is actually your citizenship is in heaven. 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:16.240 You are a child of God, a blood-bought son or daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:18.480 You are now a joint heir with Christ. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.160 You are a citizen of heaven. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:23.839 Your citizenship is there, and you're just a pilgrim here now. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.279 You don't live here any longer. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:27.759 This is not your address any longer. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:36.960 And because your citizenship is in heaven, to live worthy of that citizenship is something that they would have understood in their culture. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:41.839 It is a call up to the church and to the body of Christ. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:44.240 It is to be all that you can be. 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:51.440 It is to say, I'm not going to ask what the church can do for me, but I'm going to ask what I can do for the body of Christ. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:28:05.119 What God has done in my life because he saved me, the good news of the gospel, I am now going to live that out in honor of him, and I'm going to try to be worthy of that duty of citizenship. 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:13.839 And then the word worthy is another word picture, and it's the scales of justice, if you think about those scales or scales of commerce. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:20.400 And what he would say is, as you know, if there's one thing in this side of the scale, it's heavy and it tips the scale down. 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:26.559 And then you begin to have to put other things in this side of the scale until you find the measure. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.400 In that day and time, they would measure value in things. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:33.279 We would have this weight and we would do this. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:53.759 One of the common examples that I particularly love is when you go to one of those yogurt places and they have all of the toppings and everything, and you get that big cup and you put it under there, and then you get some of that, and then you put all that stuff on there, and then you go to the counter and they take my yogurt deal and they put it on that scale and it goes thump. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:58.559 And they're like$24.97. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:06.240 And I have to start taking money and put it on there to level the scales, right? 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.839 Jesus is on one of those scales. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:35.279 And now that I've been saved by Jesus and He begins to work in my life, the call of my on my life as a citizen of heaven is to begin to put as much Jesus in my life as I can for those scales to become in balance. 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:51.920 To be worthy is for the Jesus in my life to become equal to the person of Jesus because of what I have surrendered myself to him to allow him to do. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:30:23.599 Our citizenship is in heaven because of the gospel, because of the good news of salvation, because we've been saved, because of what Jesus died on the cross to do in our lives, and I am in a constant, never-ending change to allow him to put as much of himself in my life as I possibly can, as he begins to transform me and I begin to be worthy of him because of what he's done in my life. 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:29.119 It is an incredible picture of surrender. 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:36.160 It is an incredible picture of understanding I cannot stay in the condition that I am in. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:39.359 I am not allowed to do that. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:45.920 Now, as you begin to get a theme or a verse like that that impacts you, what do you do with this book? 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:47.440 What do you do in your sheets? 00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:48.799 What do you do in your journal? 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:51.440 Well, let me give you a couple of questions to write down. 00:30:51.519 --> 00:30:55.200 As you read through a chapter, ask these questions. 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:57.680 There's a lot of ways to do it. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:00.160 This is another way to do it. 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:03.119 Ask, what are the truths of Jesus? 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:05.599 What does it say about Jesus? 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:11.039 Ask, is there a sin to confess, or has God convicted me of something? 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:20.880 And as you read that in that verse, you can begin to write that down on one of those pages across from that verse where he spoke to you. 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:27.759 Maybe there's a habit or a command to follow, and you want to, God speaks to you of that, and you want to begin to write that down. 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:30.960 Themes that speak loudly to you. 00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:35.680 This is a theme that has been calling me, and I'll share with you in just a moment what I see. 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:37.680 It's a theme that's calling us. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:46.079 What does it mean to be a Christian, and how do we elevate that view in a way that stirs our faith and calls us to walk with Him? 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:48.319 And then questions to ponder. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:58.880 Sometimes your study starts with, he just sticks something in between your eyes and you can't get rid of it, and you don't understand it, and it's a question, but he sticks it there and he stuck it there for a reason. 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:01.759 So you want to begin to plow that question and find out. 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:08.880 So as you're reading through a chapter, chapter one, this week, if you want to get started and read in chapter one, then you just start those questions. 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:13.359 And if God speaks to you, if through one of those questions, you begin to write notes in your journal. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:16.480 There's another way that I do this, and I've shared this before. 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:21.039 It's what I call brew, that you brew a verse, or you can brew a theme. 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:25.200 And here's what that means: it means first you believe that God speaks to you. 00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:31.200 Then you take that verse or that theme that He's spoken to you, and you read it and you repeat it and you soak in it. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:38.319 And as you begin to do that, then you take each word and you consider each word carefully, as I've just done with that verse. 00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:44.000 Live that picture of citizenship. 00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:46.400 What worthy really means. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:53.279 As we begin to break each word down and consider it, God begins to speak, and then you want to write it down. 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:59.759 If God took the time to teach you something, if he's speaking into your life, if he's trying to do something with you, write it down. 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:00.880 Don't lose it. 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:10.160 Let me share with you, as I brood this theme, here's my notes, as spiritual as they are. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:15.200 Bobby said this morning, hey pastor, why don't we just show them a picture of your notes? 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:19.279 So let me first apologize to all of you who are teachers, okay? 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:22.000 That's what my chicken scratch looks like. 00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:28.240 The smartest person in the church has to be Charlene because she can actually read that. 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:29.440 It's amazing. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.799 And so, but you just see right there, it's just a journal. 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:35.279 I'm just scratching stuff down and writing it. 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:42.960 Let me give you, as I brewed, this theme of living worthy and what that means for us, let me give you just some thoughts that I have. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:49.680 First of all, it should raise the standard of my choices and behaviors. 00:33:50.160 --> 00:34:01.279 If I'm going to live worthy of the gospel, that means, and it's a command, and I have to be the one who initiates my obedience, then I have to raise that standard. 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:07.200 I have to challenge myself to more Jesus, more surrender. 00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:11.760 That idea of citizenship and that lofty picture. 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:17.760 He chooses that illustration to speak to them because for them it was a lofty ideal. 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:25.599 And so if he's going to illustrate what this means with a lofty ideal, that means living for Jesus should be a lofty ideal. 00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:28.800 It should be something that is mind-boggling to me. 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:31.840 It should be something that I cannot do in my own strength. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:38.960 It should not be something that I'm comfortable in, but it should be something that challenges my faith to grow. 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:43.599 I got to raise the standard of what I see and what I'm doing. 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:46.880 The next thing, it excites and encourages my faith. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:48.639 You'll see a little bit of number two there. 00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:50.559 It excites and encourages my faith. 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:51.920 Think about what this means. 00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:55.280 Live worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:59.760 This is Jesus who died and rose again, who conquered death and sin. 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:06.880 The gospel is the good news that Jesus saves and he forgives and he changes it, that he saves us forever. 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:08.800 It's the picture of eternity. 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:10.079 It should excite me. 00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:18.079 I should be willing to step out and do things I can't do because I understand I am living in the power of Jesus Christ. 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:21.679 Paul says in chapter three, he challenges them. 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:27.519 He says, I want to know the power of the resurrection in his life. 00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:35.519 In chapter one, we read where he says, I'm praying this for you, church family, that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment. 00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:39.199 I want to know what it means for Jesus to work. 00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:45.199 I want to know what it means to step out in faith in a way that only God can move and do that. 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:49.920 I'm going to try not to preach this, but this is just a this is just a pet peeve I have. 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:56.719 I don't know when it started, but I don't understand why church is always back up. 00:35:59.760 --> 00:36:02.239 Why is it that church is always back up? 00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:06.639 We cut the budget, we make everything smaller. 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:08.559 Well, you teach a Sunday school class. 00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:10.320 I can't teach, I can't do that. 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:11.280 I can't do that. 00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:14.079 We go on a mission trip, I can't do that. 00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:16.800 Why is it that we're always backing up? 00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:19.760 Why is it that we're shrinking the vision? 00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:26.719 I served as an interim pastor in nine different churches when I was serving on the Arkansas Baptist Convention. 00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:30.719 And at the end of an interim, there's always a sermon that you get to preach. 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:37.039 And it's really fun to preach it and challenge the church as the new pastor is coming in, and you have all these different points. 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:47.519 But one of my points is this when I became a pastor, nobody told me that the pastor's office is the place where dreams go to die. 00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:53.280 Nobody ever told me that. 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:08.559 And somebody might get frustrated, and somebody might do this. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:20.880 Why is it that the church is always backing up when the Bible says that through the resurrection power of Jesus, yet in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us? 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:26.719 Why don't we believe that revival can break out in the river valley? 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:39.519 If somebody is not baptized on a Sunday in church, some of us ought to get so frustrated that we stand before God and we say, That is not acceptable for your church. 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:42.400 Show me who I can go lead to Christ. 00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:49.119 God, we need your power, and I believe that we can baptize every week in this church. 00:37:52.559 --> 00:38:05.599 He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion. 00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:11.280 I should stir and encourage our faith. 00:38:11.679 --> 00:38:14.079 I'm gonna do something I had never done before. 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:16.559 I'm gonna step out in G for Jesus. 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:21.679 I'm gonna step out what he calls, and I'm gonna move forward in advance. 00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:25.679 It creates a sense of gratefulness for us. 00:38:25.920 --> 00:38:28.239 Live worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:30.000 The word gospel is good news. 00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:31.679 It's the good news of salvation. 00:38:31.840 --> 00:38:33.599 Praise God he saved us. 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:36.400 Praise God he didn't leave us in our sin. 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:44.159 Praise God, he didn't leave me to my own devices and wherever I would have ended up if I had not known Jesus and had not had those guardrails in my life. 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:47.360