Philippians 2

Sir Brian and Tommy come to you with Philippians 2 and we challenge you to make Heaven crowded. How do we do that and what does it look like? With the holiday and all the rain we are having, we apologize for the late upload. I seem to be having rather slow internet. Just remember Jesus loves you and so do we here at Faith from The Streets.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 1:01

We don't want no one not to be there. No matter what no matter what they did.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

That's hard for people to hear. That is that's very hard to hear.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

And I guess especially when uh we begin to consider uh one sin above another or worse than another. So nobody wants to hear that either though.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

Oh maybe they don't know. Their sin is worse than my sin. Sorry if we are above the same.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Um your poor brother or sister will be seen as I mean DC to their detriment. I think let's make it crowd instead. Let's let's make Evan Crowder. I really I like that that kind of character.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

This is uh Tommy and Sir Brian. Hello from Faith from the Streets. Um, we're gonna go into the book of Philippians. We started it uh last week with Philippians 1, and we're gonna do Philippians 2. Um, we are looking forward to our trip for the renewed.org. That should be an exciting time. There's a bunch of us going. We're taking the church van. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And we've actually started doing a uh using the van here at Cross Point to pick up people that need rides. Oh yeah. The bus ministry or the van ministry, or I don't know what we call it really, but I will say that we have made sure that we have snacks in the van every time we take it out. Very important to have snacks. Unfortunately, we're all addicted to those stupid candies that are terrible for us, but hey, you know. You guys are. Uh yeah, you're not in with us in the van. It's just me and Jacob in the van. And everybody else. That's actually the it was our guest that gave us the bag of candy that got us addicted. We got to be more discerning, don't we? Discernment's huge, right? Discernment of the discernment of the discernment.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Oh, brother. No, that does remind me, man. All right, so we on the Faith from the Streets podcast have have kind of said uh uh some things in passing.

SPEAKER_03 4:03

Yes, I remember that now, yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Yes, we we've uh we've said some things in passing that like haven't really been clarified. Uh we were gonna add metal uh to that one. Uh it's been said in uh I know Jacob said it. We we we we say it amongst ourselves, man. All the time. That's metal.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

That's metal, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

And and and and what exactly do we mean when we say that, man?

SPEAKER_03 4:30

Now, in fairness, what we mean is we're all a bunch of metal music heads. We like Christian metal, demon hunter, uh, bloodlines. We we like that we like the the heavy metal uh music. Yeah. So when we say metal, that is kind of where we're going, but also our new spelling and definition of it.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yes, yes. And we were thinking about taking an old stance on that. So uh still kind of meaning roughly the same thing as we were using it for, but uh we would spell it now M-E-T-T-L-E. And again, uh uh you might have heard an old story like somebody tests someone's metal. Uh uh this is this is what it means. Uh the ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances, determination or resolve. So to have a good resolve, that that's fantastic. And then uh the second excuse me. The second instance is uh uh substance or quality of temperament, one's spirit uh as regards honor, courage, fortitude, ardour, uh, disposition, usually in a good sense. And and and that's and that's kind of that's so we'll just kind of maintain uh that idea of metal, but uh I guess to add it to the lexicon in a way.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Uh that's I just love that we're using lexicon.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

That's that's that's that's how we're well, I mean it's it's ours. We can do what we want with it. We can do what we want with it. We do what we want with it, so that's right. But uh that's that's what we'll mean from now on. So oh and and also too, I uh the ever-evolving uh uh wrongful Steve uh example, our example Steve guy. Um his name is Rongus Steve the Third. So this is this is exactly who we're talking about. If there is a gentleman out there with that name, I am I have been trying to to avoid offending you, sir. Uh but but uh no, this is this is our example now. So uh wrongus Steve the third. So uh we will we will kind of continue with that, I think. So it's probably gonna grow too.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

It probably changes something else because it's grown over the last two podcasts. But yes, wrongus Steve the third. All right, I like that it's a third. There's never hearing goodness a third, right? Oh, that's fantastic. So, yeah, add metal to your lexicon and the streets lexicon. Yes, and banis, and we use that a lot on both occasions. Should be, we're teaching something false. That is that is baynus. Yeah, we actually got to explain it yesterday at uh the gathering to uh one of our new volunteers, and it was it was fantastic. Yeah, he truly enjoyed that. All right, so Sir Brian start us with Philippians 2. All right, let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, fulfill my joy that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united. Being united. I had a dyslexic moment there for a second, I'm sorry. United in the spirit, thinking on one purpose, doing nothing from selfish ambition or vanglory. Yeah, I agree. Coming soon, the next words of the left, but with humility of mind, regarding one another as more important than yourselves. Not merely looking out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. Let's stop.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

We actually talked about this at lunch today. Remember? Yeah. No matter if I'm out here washing 5,000 people's feet, uh, that was the one thing. Um, the other one is um No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Do you want to talk you want to talk about the example?

SPEAKER_03 9:04

We can do that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Yeah, please go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 9:06

Okay. Um, so it's not about okay, let me let me rephrase that. So when I first went on this journey, and I think a lot of people probably fall into the same category, is um, why am I choosing to do so? Is it for my own vanglory? Is it my own selfish desire from the first chapter? Um or is it because of humility? Is it out of it's not out of my own self-importance, it's about out of just because of love. And we talked a lot about that in the last chapter too, is the love part of it. When you love each other, when you love other people, you definitely go above and beyond. And it's not because of the riches, it's not of the fame. And I think you're the one that said, Um, yeah, I watched everybody in the congregation's feed today. Look at me, look at me. Which, if you go back into uh what we talked about on Tuesday with uh with our brother on the Bible study, you know, don't be like the Pharisees standing out in the courtyard, oh, look at me pray and all these things that I'm doing. You know, it says go into your closet, but don't go into your closet, it's not what that means.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Well, no, I I think what I what I was striving for, uh, the example was that um Yes, we are bestowed with the breastplate of righteousness. But at the same time, too, when we try to figure out ours, when we try to figure out how we represent that as ourselves, uh, we won't know that we are righteous. We'll always suspect that we are uh while other people are saying, oh look, there goes Tommy. There goes Brian. Those guys, those guys are really righteous dudes. Really righteous dudes. And then uh we will still be questioning if we are while we're washing a hundred feet uh in in front of us. So and and and and and and that's it. You just keep keep doing the right thing and let others worry about those things. Uh as as far as as far as being righteous or pr pr presenting as as a righteous thing, you'll hear it. Just keep doing what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

Yeah, yeah. The the reward is second. It's not really something that you're thinking about. It's just it's just you do it because you honestly, truly love people and you love God.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Oh, like last last last last episode, we were talking about the whole lot, the huge money.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

It's it's huge. It is the biggest factor. I mean, and I think it was the movie Michael with John Travolta, all you need is love. Yeah, I mean, it really it's all you need. As silly as a little Beatles song is, it is all you need. Um, one of the things that I was looking at, though, it says, fulfill my joy that you think the same way by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose. I want to bring two factors into that. I want to bring into the factor that we talked about in chapter one. What does it matter as long as Christ is is preached and talked about and taught? Um, but the other thing is I had this revelation not too long ago, and I believe it was when I was at the gathering. Um I have since changed my circle of friends to be right here. The same way, maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose. How important it is to change your circle of people. And I've said it to many people in the past, and it's it was very kind of minor. It was like if if you're a smoker and you want to quit smoking, you can't hang out with smokers. Like if you if you smoke and you want to quit smoking, you can't keep hanging out with your smoking friends because you're never gonna quit. And I think that goes for just about everything. If you're trying to change, if you're trying to transform, if you're trying to better your situation, you can't stay in the same situation. You have to get out of it. So I went from having non-believer friends, uh not not, I I would say at best lukewarm friends, to we're right there. Same mind, same spirit, we're all trying to do the same thing. You know, we're all, and we said it, share my yoke, put on my yoke. So yes, Jesus is his yoke is light, but when you have a tribe, a circle of friends that are like-minded, how much easier is that yoke gonna get? Am I wrong in thinking that way?

SPEAKER_01 14:23

So I think when your brain started doing the little loading thing was when I said if you are a smoker and you want to quit smoking, no, and I and I and I say that, but at the same time too, it's it's whose hands do you trust those things in? Well, so so so again, if you don't trust yourself, you can't hang out with those friends. Correct. But if you uh if you trust in what the Lord is doing within you, uh I think it's it's very feasible for you to go and just like, no dude, that's all right. You guys go uh have a cigarette. I'll just I'll I mean I'll hang here, I'll talk with you, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

And I will agree I will agree with you, but I think one of the big uh examples that I have, uh I'm gonna go back to Robbie Gallity. Uh he has his experience, his testimony, his story, where he thought he had it under control. Oh yeah. He thought he could, you know, just a beer here, just a joint here, or whatever. And of course, it took him down the path. But I don't know how much of that. I mean, he he's a great Christian man now. He does a lot of great stuff, got a lot of great books. Um, but again, he had to go through that process.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

I I think with every uh we with the diversity of um lives that are available. Uh the they won't all look the same, the answer. Oh yeah. So uh for me, um I still wanted to see my friends and stuff like that. I didn't quit smoking. Uh wife put it to me this way, well, pre-wife, we were still dating. And she's like, well, you know, all right, we're we're talking about marriage, that's fine. But when we have children, you will not be smoking inside. You'll you'll not be smoking inside. You'll you'll take your butt outside, right? And and and you'll be smoking. So so you decide. Just think about it, give it give it a thought. Is this something you want to keep doing? And I was just like, I can quit. And and and and and and it was a struggle, yes, but I did.

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Yes, and and so uh one of the things that I can refer to is uh my ex-wife said this about me and my son. She said that we both have a willpower that she's never seen before.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Well, and and brother, and brother, that's fair. Yeah. But but to the story, I was also, I had something worth more than I think I just don't want to smoke. Or or I am I'm I'm I'm pitting it against my health. I'm pitting it against the health of my family and and and and my future with this woman. That was the whole decision. Yeah. So it's just like, okay, well, you know, because like at the same at the end of the day, too, you might go, well, sure, Brian, it's it's just me.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

And and and like, I don't know. I mean, if I could, I do, or maybe I've already done enough damage to myself. I don't, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Well, that is a terrible mentality. Agreed that you're not. And that's where a lot of people are. I've already done this much damage. What's the difference?

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Very true. So so me, like I said, my excuse was to put she's my wife put it out there. So I was just like, okay, cool. Yeah, and why would I want to smoke around the baby? I wouldn't, I wouldn't. And then why would I I want to be there for my baby? We don't even have the baby, Tom. We didn't have the baby. It's but it was just the hypothetical concept, and I and I was just like, Oh, what am I what am I doing? This you know, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go somewhere with that because priority.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

It's about the priority. Now, also God the Father. You know, he doesn't want you to do those things. Agreed. You know, he doesn't want that for his children. So just think about that in everything. Like when you like you want to quit for your baby, God would not want you to do these things for you because you're his baby. Right. You you know, oh that's a good one too. Yeah, father, he you're an image bearer, you are part of him. So, yeah, it's like and they go back into your brother, Jesus, look what happened to him. Fair enough, man. You know, so it's like, yeah, I mean, that's that I I just I love the dynamic. When you when you break it down into that and you see it for that, and how our entire lives are still in that same dynamic, like, come on, guys. It it's not rocket science, I don't think. But maybe it is, I don't know. Where were we at there?

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Uh see. Sorry. Uh Vanglory, but with the humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

That's a good point. What we were just saying there. More important than ourselves. Oh, yeah. I am a big person like that. I am definitely everybody else is more important. Like, I would suffer whatever for my family. Like, they get to eat first, they get to have the dental work first, they get to have the surgery work first, whatever it is, you know. They get the car before I do, even though I'm the one driving back and forth to work. But that's what God does for us. That's the reckless love of God.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

Well, to see the obvious the the opposite of this vanglory here with the uh uh regarding one another as more important than yourselves. Uh not merely so we're doing the opposite in that is is is is uh is what you were kind of pointing out, there isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Yeah, not merely looking out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. I mean, we are here, like what is it, take care of the the the widows and the children or the orphans?

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Yes, that's what we were called to do.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

Yeah, we're called to take care of each other. And how many times have we tried to tell that of our community stop coveting each other's stuff, stop stealing and robbing from each other, take care of each other, watch out for each other, watch each other's backs, lift each other up instead of tear each other down.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

All right, so five looks like have this way of thinking in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of man, being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God also highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above. Of every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

So think about all of that right there. We've talked about the exorcism. We've talked about um was we talking about it yesterday or today? Uh you weren't there when Miskov was talking about it. Um the pigs. What happens when the demon-possessed see Jesus? They they they kneel, they fall to their and they beg for mercy. Uh greed. You know, so that right there, we see so many times how his name is above all names. And every every knee will bow. Like they can't say his name. And when you say his name, it hurts them. So even even the demons, even them, so that's how powerful Jesus' name is, and we need to remember that. Oh, great. Yeah, and it's just it the thing that I love about really delving into this um is who would make this story up? I'm gonna say it. Who would make this up? Who would say that God Almighty, the creator of all things, washed people's feet, lowered himself to a servant, washed people's feet, and then died on a cross. Like any other mythos mythology, you're not hearing that. No, no, no, no, no, no. Like a servant king.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

Well, yes, and I sorry, this is honestly I I I assure you that the chair is rickety. Um it's not okay, good. God, gotcha. Uh no, I I I agree with you. Um you don't see it in others. Uh there is the idea that we can't fathom God. No. That that is that is the others uh as well, too. So uh your save status in their heavens is um it's very up to the whims. Uh just just whatever. Like maybe you will. Maybe uh like for instance, there there are different levels like in in in the one that has uh the fields of ash portal, and then you also have Elysium, and then how you get to one versus the other. Like I there's there's there's a lot. Oh yeah. Uh but um I would say that uh could somebody make it up they they I I think that they could. I think Rongus uh uh Steve III could make something up like that. However, he's it's all the consistencies in the Bible that uh that make it believable. It is it is truth. And it and it's not truth just because I feel that it is, like it's verifiable. Like you wanna you want to point out um was it Lee Strobel with the case for Christ? Yeah, yeah. And he's just one example. Oh, yeah. You have you have uh atheists turning to Christianity because they tried to prove it wrong.

SPEAKER_03 26:20

And they can't. And every time science tries to prove it wrong, they can't, they just prove it more than disprove it.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Right. And and this this might sound like rhetoric, but please look into it. Because if you aren't a Christian and you're fighting finding a lot of these things unfathomable, look into it. And and also look into the the the readings of other people as well, too. Uh check out the case for Christ. Um I I don't I'm not gonna I'm not gonna give them like a uh our our uh our stop of approval, but just listen, listen to it. There there are those um studies out there. Give them give them a look.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

Well, and and and we we ourselves have modeled a lot of our own things through the having the evidence, look at the evidence. Right. What is the evidence towards talking about the case for Christ? Yeah, um, one of the things that I started bringing out, and even Scott said it, I think, a couple weeks ago, you know, don't take my word for it. Agreed. Don't take any one person's word for it. Oh, certainly don't take our word for it.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Definitely look it up afterwards.

SPEAKER_03 27:32

Well, yeah, we are fallible. But if you're putting all your faith in one pastor, maybe check him on it. Maybe, you know, do the research, ask him questions, put him to the test, make him earn his education, his money, or whatever it is. Like I I could be wrong, and I've said it, hey, if I'm wrong, correct me. And I'm I pray to God to correct me, even if it's breaking an arm, you know, which he's done before. But, you know, it's like there is so much evidence, so much proof out there, and it's just amazing that when you start to break it down and look into it, how much more you you find out, and it's it's again that case for Christ is fantastic. I love that. Uh verse 12, I think.

SPEAKER_01 28:27

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the world of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast, because I did not run in vain, nor labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice of service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you also rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

SPEAKER_03 29:55

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but how much more in my absence? I like that because it again it goes back into a parent kind of role. Um, if you parent well, you can say these things. You know, you can say that in my presence or not in my presence, you have obeyed. You understand what I'm saying there? Like, you can't you can't police people all the time.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Okay. And and this kind of brings to mind uh the invisible God. Okay. Again, we we still mind though we can't see him. Correct. And and how much more if he was present all the time? Like how long until he looked away before we tried to disobey? Like all all those all those things.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

Yeah, that whole f the I've done it, you know, toe the line, like one foot on this side, one foot on that side. But I have been in situations where people try to over-parent. They try to over-protect, they try to over-compensate for maybe flaws that they had and when they were being parented or when they were being taught, or, you know, maybe a first child, second child scenario kind of thing. Um, but Paul's saying here that, you know, I trust and have confidence in the teachings and what you're doing, that even when I'm not around, I'm gonna go back to the poppy song. What do you believe when everybody's watching? What do you believe when no one's watching? You know, I think that's a very powerful statement there, you know. Um, but even in my absence, you're still obeying. Like you're not having to be policed or parented all the time. And that's the one thing that I feel um is pretty important. You have to give people room to grow and to live. You can't, again, like I said, police them all the time. Right. You know, I can't child proof the world. I'm not saying you should let your kid pull the TV off the TV tray, but that was my generation. It's not quite the same there, you know. This generation, the TV doesn't weigh nearly doesn't. It doesn't take three people to carry a 30-inch TV. Fair enough, yeah. Um, but the one part there that it bothers me is to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work in you. Right. So there is nothing that we can do to work for our salvation. How do we work out our salvation? By working out our salvation, it's just a matter of doing what God says. Loving God, loving your neighbor. Agreed. I mean, is there any more to it than that? Because we know that you cannot earn your salvation. Your salvation is given freely.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

I I still believe it's the belief, which I register as trust, that he said he's done the things he said he's done, he is yet to do the things he's going to do, and he is with you now. And I trust those things. And I think that and and uh his two commandments, I believe, uh are great summarization.

SPEAKER_03 33:58

So Yeah, I agree with you. And and and we I said it earlier, it's not as we make it way more complicated. Oh, of course, yeah. Because we have to have our prejudices, our whatever it is that we have carried from generation to generation or brought into the next generation, you know, the hang-ups, hurts, and habits, you know, so-and-so was hurt here, so-and-so was hurt there.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:26

So you have to, again, always back to love. Once you love, all that other stuff goes away. So yeah. But it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. What do you make of that?

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Okay, to a degree, I I heard a lot of I've heard a lot of sentiment about this subject. Uh in in some regard, uh an unbeliever might say uh uh your God creates the world and the world's in chaos, and and we're all just an ant and his ant farm and and he's this big bully and and so on and so forth like that. So in reading it in in that mindset, it might be bad. But I think again, when I understand that the not so subtle or secret message of the Bible has been about love, because I take it back to uh to the beginning, in fact, when uh God didn't say, Well, this didn't work out, scrap, let's go to the next one. So yeah, I mean and and and and I think sorry, that that's that's just so so out for his goodwill. The universe is his. Uh whatever this is that we think we understand, it is his. And and essentially, he has the rights to do whatever he wants. And isn't it a beautiful thing what he did instead? Yes. Yes. So uh I I think I think when we when we have that in mind, that it the message has always been love. And it says, for his good pleasure. So again, it delights him. He says, Look at these little kids. Look at these little kids.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

Look at a little knuckleheader on her head.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Exactly. And how can I turn my I created those, how can I turn my back on them?

SPEAKER_00 36:52

How many times?

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Because a good father, the bad father doesn't even it doesn't even register to him.

SPEAKER_03 36:57

No.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

So because he's the good father.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

He's the good father.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:01

Yeah, I like that you brought that up because a good father will pick you back up and dust you off and allow you to go back out. He will give you maybe some words of wisdom, whether you will listen to them or not. Probably not. But that is also how you figure these things out and you learn that wisdom so that when the reverse, the role is reversed, and you are the parent, you're able to go, hmm. Again, how many times have I said, dang it, dad was right? And I can say that about God. God, you were right. True. And and when you read that, it made me think of this. And to work for his good pleasure. What did he say every time after he got done making something? In the beginning, it was good. Good. It was good for his good pleasure. So it was his pleasure to give us this life, to give us this world, to give us this opportunity to make of it what we will. You know, he told us to go out and subdue it. We probably took that to the extreme. But at the same time, you know, again, like you said, look at these little kids running around, these little chuckleheads. Very good stuff. So, 19. Is that where we're at?

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be in good spirits. When I learn of your circumstances, for I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of gospel, like a child serving his father. Therefore, I hope to send him immediately as soon as I evaluate my own circumstances, and I am confident in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. But I regarded it necessary to send you epaphroditis. I'll say it one more time. And fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need, because he was longing for you all, and was distressed, because you had heard that he was sick, for indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly, so that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and I may be less concerned. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard, because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to fulfill what was lacking in your service to me.

SPEAKER_03 40:49

So, how great is it that he is able to send them to Philippi to further God's work, but also that he is confident that even though he is in prison at this time, that he will be there with them too. And it sounds like uh our fellow Ephroditus is a Roman soldier. Is that what I read? Is that what you read?

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Uh my study Bible here says uh he was a native Philippian. Uh Paul wanted to send Timothy and come himself, but found it necessary to send this man, a native Philippian, of whom outside this passage little is known. His name was a common uh common Greek one, taken from a familiar word that originally meant favorite of Aphrodite.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

So as I'm reading it again, it says, My brother well, okay, brother in Christ, obviously, fellow worker and fellow soldier. Um technically we would be soldiers of Christ, just not in the the regards of taking up arms and such, more of going out and taking the word to people.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

Well, yes, but also too, uh, we do get the message that our battles are spiritual. So uh perhaps uh spiritual soldiers in Christ.

SPEAKER_03 42:29

So yeah, it does say put on the full armor of Christ. Oh, yeah, it does. And also it says who is also your messenger, which I have a little asterisk there that says um apostle. Okay. So he's saying that is also your apostle. So he was an apostle of Philippi, I guess. Wonderful, man. Yeah, yeah. So that works out pretty good there. Because he was longing for you all in distress because you had heard that he was sick. Again, this is showing love for one another. Yes. They they cared and they were longing for you because of your distress, because they heard you were sick. And again, this goes back into loving one another. I mean, we have prayer lists, you know, my leg long, of how many people that we pray for, and it's because we do care and love for them.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Sorry, my uh the study bible here too says uh messenger, this comes from the same word that yields the English apostle. He was not an apostle of Christ, just to be noted. So I said an apostle of Philippi.

SPEAKER_03 43:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

But you did I wish that was on video. You did um Rongus was thinking his other thoughts over there.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

I'm sure he was Rongus Steve III. Um but God had mercy on him and did not and not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. I mean, obviously he doesn't want to be sick, you know, but again, the the fact that God had mercy on him. And again, he is in prison while he's writing these things, and he's writing them joyfully. He's writing them with confidence. Uh that goes back into what I said in chapter one, being praising in the bad times and the low times and the struggles. Ah, see, he's it's just the idea of being in prison and writing these kudos letters to Philippi and saying, Hey, I'll be with you a little bit. I'm held up, you know, that's that's awesome. You know, he knows that God is going to free him. Not to mention, we know that he's preaching in the prison. Oh, yeah. It said in chapter one that there were soldiers that were going out and preaching because of what he was doing. You know, so again, in all things, God is working for your good. Whether you see it or not, whether you understand it or not. Okay. When you start leaning on your own understanding, what happens? I fall flat on my face. Flat on my face. Yeah, when I try to take things into my own hands, that's when things get sticky.

SPEAKER_01 45:21

I agreed, agreed.

SPEAKER_03 45:24

And I've said it a couple times, you know, I've had broken bones because I thought I knew better. And then upon injury, God has re-evaluated my thinking and made me understand that I need to be more in line with what he wants. Agreed. I'd rather be rerouted in a more gentle way, but some of us are more stubborn than others. Some of us are more hard-headed. And as much as I hate it, my name is Thomas, and I am known as Doubting Thomas, of course, because of the one guy in the first century. Well, let's be fair.

SPEAKER_01 46:02

At least cover your ears, Rongus. At least your name isn't Rongus Steve III. I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

So this is just something kind of on a personal note. Um, dealing with the whole uh Thomas thing. Right. Uh, it's also Diddy Mus. I think in the original Greek it's Didymus. So I uh I got a side gig doing uh trivia for uh uh different areas like sports bars and stuff, and just because I was kind of finding myself again single and finding my place in the world, I came up with DJ Diddy Mus. So I was DJ Didymus when I was out there, and I had this uh sandcast pug doll that was my dad's, and he would go everywhere with me. So it was DJ Diddymus and Doug, because that was his name, Doug. Uh it was a fun time, but yeah, I I have been using Diddy Miss now for a while. Diddy Miss. I think that's but then again, now that in our culture we have now, I I need to make sure I say Diddy Miss and not Diddy.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

Well, no, no, that's that's fair, that's fair. But I was I was thinking of a uh uh a slogan for your for your DJ as well, too. As uh uh DJ Diddymus pointing to the truth. Oh I like that.

SPEAKER_03 47:37

I like that. I'm gonna use that next taco Tuesday. Tell them I'm the DJ, I'm the one telling I'm Pass Ajac. Don't ask, don't don't question me. I like that. That's good stuff. Um is there anything else we want to cover on this one? Uh no, brother. I think I think I think we're good, yeah. Again, these are all very good uh compliments towards Philippi. Uh people are doing well, doing good, it's encouraging. Uh, one thing that we kind of glazed over that I want to go back to in 14, it says, do all things without grumbling or disputing. How difficult is that? Do all things without grumbling or disputing.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Well, again, but it says to your betterment, for when you do these things, you'll be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of crooked sorry, a crooked and perverse generation. So again, we we tend to reflect the world. We are part of it, we're in it. Uh you are of your father the devil, uh uh and he's pulling you out of that into his family, brother. I so I I think I think when you put things into perspective in your head, you can echo the world. Like the world is screaming at you all the time. We call it the shatter box, right? But you can echo it, you can. Or you can uh you you can look at what's being offered to you. Don't don't I see sometimes I I see it as like uh we see it as a major responsibility or or we need to kick ourselves to the task to do it. Um but uh if we can stop griping and listen to the love and focus on the love. Uh all those things become become clear and and uh uh brother I I have it's not to say I'm I'm I'm uh empty of complaints. I have I've had complaints. Uh um uh and but for the most part, brother, I am a more calm person than I once was, and and and I do believe the Lord is doing works with me, and I've seen that. I've seen that.

SPEAKER_03 50:27

Yes. So uh I just I'm sorry, go ahead. That that's the biggest takeaway, I think, from this too, is um we've said it so many times, and it it it believe it or not, when you have the foundation, when you are trusting in God, when you are following God's will, things are just so much easier. They're so much better. The worry, the anxiety, I mean, our our world is riddled with anxiety and worry and all these things and uh dishonesty and all these things, but when you go back into it and you stop doing those things, stop grumbling and disputing. You know, sometimes, and I had this happen to me recently, sometimes speaking out on something, it isn't always pretty. People don't always take the truth well when you bring it to the light, they don't like it. Agreed, agreed. But as Christians, as loving, we need to do these things. We need to point out those things. But can you do it in a way that's loving? There you go.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 51:55

Yeah, and again, we have such relationships with people, you and I do. Like when we are disappointed, when things do happen, it breaks our hearts. We've we've mentioned that, it it it breaks our hearts. We don't have dis we don't have discouragement though, because we understand. You know, forgive them, they know not what they do. They are fallible, they are human, they are just trying to learn and and do what's right or do what's best for them or what they think is best for them. So, yes, you may hurt some feelings along the way when you speak those truths, when you show them those truths. But again, it's all because we love them and we want better and more for them. I think that's one thing that maybe gets mistook or misplaced or not noticed. We want to make heaven full.

unknown 52:55

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:56

We don't want heaven to be an exclusive club only for certain people. We want heaven full. The reason we are passionate and the reason that we do what we do is because we want more people there. The truth of the matter is heaven will not be crowded, obviously, because it's heaven, right? But the goal is to try to make it crowded. Try to fill it up. That's why we love on people. That's why we, you know, we do what we do, we teach them about God, we teach them about Jesus, we show them the love of God, the love of Jesus. Uh the the the to get them out of the world, you know, out of partially what could be considered hell, Hades, the both, whatever. And again, like I said earlier, it's so much better, it's so much easier. It's just so much less on us because the yoke is light. The yoke is so heavy when we don't have Jesus, but it is nothing when we do have Jesus. And I think that's one of the things that when you're dealing in the world, understand that that's what we want. We want heaven to be full. We don't want no one not to be there. Absolutely. No matter what no matter what they did.

SPEAKER_00 54:28

That's hard for people to hear. That is that's very hard for people to hear.

SPEAKER_01 54:32

And and I guess uh especially when uh we begin to consider uh uh one sin above another or worse than another.

SPEAKER_03 54:42

So nobody wants to hear that either though, right? No, they really don't rather. You know, their sin is worse than my sin. Sorry, sweetheart, they're both the same.

SPEAKER_01 54:53

It's gonna be seen as sin. And your poor brother or sister will be seen as I mean, deceived to their detriment. Let's make it crowded instead. Let's let's make heaven crowded. I really I like that that sentiment.

SPEAKER_03 55:10

So yeah, work on getting more people in heaven.

SPEAKER_01 55:13

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:14

Love on more people.

SPEAKER_01 55:16

All right, let's get to it, man. Go ahead and pray us out.

SPEAKER_03 55:18

I'll pray us out. Holy Father God, what love and patience and kindness and mercy you show us. And we are so very grateful and thankful for that, Father. And Father, we just love you so much. And the words that you've given us and the examples that you have set for us, and Father, we just so in awe of how much that you do love us and how much you do want us to be with you. And the the opportunities and the chances, the second chances, the third chances, the fourth chances. No matter what status that we're in, no matter what we've done or haven't done. And it's just it's just awesome to think about and be able to talk about it, Father. And we just thank you for Jesus and the sacrifice that you made in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.