WEBVTT 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.119 All right, now thank you so very much for that tiny word of introduction. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.039 Thanks to each and every one of you for tuning in today. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:48.960 I'm Brother James, and I greet you once again in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:53.679 And I welcome you to another edition of the Preaching the Cross Radio Broadcast. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:01:07.200 We began three programs ago studying the Bible book of Philippians, and it might surprise you to know that we've not gotten out of verse number one just yet. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.640 I'll tell you the Bible is a loaded book. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:25.840 It's absolutely filled with truth to bless our hearts, change our lives, guide our footsteps, lead us in the way that we ought to go, the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:44.159 If you've not been with us, we have seen that this book centers around the idea of joy and rejoicing, and that this book has to do with liberty and freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:49.280 Key words in the book being the mind and the gospel, mind and gospel. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:02:01.439 We have seen from chapter one that the believer three times is told that he and she might be confident in God because of the great promises of God. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:33.120 And then we were considering on the last broadcast when time ran out the remarkable truth that the man the Holy Spirit used to write this book about joy and rejoicing was writing from a prison cell, and considered it to be better to be a servant of Jesus Christ in a prison house than to be free from Jesus and from prison and be bound in sin. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.080 Remarkable, is it not? 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:45.360 Now the scripture says that the apostle Paul was pressing toward the mark. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:50.319 We are admonished in Philippians to press toward the mark. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:03:10.240 And what kept this man joyful in all of his trials and troubles and circumstances, and what will keep you, keep me joyful in all our trials, troubles, and circumstances, will be pressing toward that mark, the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:25.759 Hebrews twelve says it this way in verse number two, looking unto Jesus, the altar and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:35.759 Now think about it, Jesus was hanging there on a cross, dying, and right in front of his face was something that brought him joy. 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:40.879 How could he find joy in the cross upon which he was crucified? 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:51.520 Because he wasn't thinking about himself, he was thinking about what he was going to provide for me, for you, as a result of that crucifixion. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.159 That's what Philippians is all about. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:58.000 Look at chapter two, Philippians chapter two. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:06.639 And this servant idea and this joyful servant idea is born out once again. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.520 Verse number one. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:31.120 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:37.040 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:43.439 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:52.319 Now we're talking about a mindset here, the type of mind that should be in us. 00:04:53.759 --> 00:05:04.639 My entire life from birth as a as a natural man in a body of flesh, my mindset from birth is what's in it for me. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:08.560 I like you as long as you like me. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.680 I'm good to you as long as you're good to me. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.720 I'll treat you right as long as you treat me right. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:17.759 I'll be nice to you as long as you're nice to me. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:19.600 That's how people think. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.680 We don't even have to be taught to think that way. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:25.279 It comes naturally. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:30.480 A man says, I'll be good to my wife if she treats me the way I want to be treated. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:37.360 A child says I'll be good to my mom and dad if they treat me the way I want to be treated. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:42.319 I'll keep going to church as long as everything there goes my way. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.480 That's how we thought our whole life. 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:51.040 Then God said, I want to give you a thinking transplant. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:57.839 I want to take out your way of thinking and put in Jesus' way of thinking. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:05:59.920 He put you first. 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:01.680 That's why you love him. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:03.279 It's remarkable. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:18.720 And so when we come to Philippians 1, and and the apostle Paul is writing, the Holy Spirit directing is writing to the saints first, and then the bishops and the deacons. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:46.560 No true bishop, no no right-hearted deacon is offended in the least, that the saints as a whole are placed ahead of those who have the oversight of the church because the overseer has taken the servant's place and is not in it for self, but is doing what he's doing for others. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:53.839 That, my friend, is biblical Christianity, and we certainly need more of it. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:56.720 Okay, verse two. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:06.959 Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.360 I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not as close to the bark as Paul was. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:25.920 If I was in jail eating the food prisoners were given in a Roman jail in 50 AD, I'd be writing and saying, Would y'all pray that I can have some grace and have some peace? 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:33.199 I doubt I would have enough for me and then enough left over to send it to you in a letter. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:36.240 I'd be I'd be said, please pray for me. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:38.399 I'm really having a bad time here in this jail. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.160 I need your prayers. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:41.600 I would be. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:42.800 You say, How do you know? 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:51.920 Well I I get just a little bit sick and feeling bad, and it's it seems that such an attitude sets in all at once. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.519 I tell you that finish line's a long way off for me. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:01.199 But Paul's sitting there in that jail, and he's got enough grace to send them the extra. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.040 He's got enough peace to send them the leftovers. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:07.040 That's pretty good. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:15.680 The Bible says in verse two, Grace be unto you in peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.000 That's where it comes from. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:28.800 Verse 3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making requests with joy for your fellowship of the gospel from the first day until now. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:35.120 Now look at these words that he uses to describe his brothers and sisters. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:42.080 Notice first of all, in verse 1, they are in Christ Jesus. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:45.200 They are at Philippi. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:55.279 Now, just because they lived in Philippi and went to church in Philippi, that didn't make them saints, that didn't make them children of God. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:03.600 Being in Christ made them all that they were. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:11.200 And so when Paul writes to them, he thanks God for them, verse three. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:17.919 He has joy when praying for them, verse number four. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:24.639 He considers it a blessing to be in fellowship with them, verse five. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:28.720 Do you want to be in the best church on earth? 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:37.840 Get in one where people aren't trying to straighten out their brethren, but where they are thankful that they have brethren. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:56.559 Get in one where people aren't telling one another nasty things about one another, but where people go to the Lord in prayer and are rejoicing and joyful as they pray for others. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:01.840 Now that's that's that's the kind of church we all want to be a part of. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:05.039 I I hope I pray that's what I want. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:14.480 If you're part of that gossip crowd, that backbiting crowd, and that tail bearing crowd, and that self-righteous Pharisee crowd, you probably don't want a church like that, but I I do, I do. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:18.080 And in verse five, it's a fellowship in the gospel. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:25.679 You know why churches go ten different directions and why people sit under the same roof and don't enjoy one another's company? 00:10:26.080 --> 00:11:04.639 Because some are fellowshipping around a type of schooling, and some are fellowshipping around a type of activity, and some are fellowshipping around the adult Sunday school teacher, and some are fellowshipping around a deacon with a cause, and some are fellowshipping around the pastor, and some are fellowshipping around this and some around that, and if if you got under a roof where everybody there was there for a different reason, you would be congregated together, but you would not necessarily be fellowshipping together. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:25.919 But if you got under a roof where everybody there wanted to further the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and was glad to do whatever they could do to that end, and was glad to help everyone else do whatever everyone else could do to that end, that would be Christian fellowship. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.440 Are you thankful for your brethren? 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.919 Are you thankful for your sisters in Christ? 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.360 Now wait a minute. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.200 Wait a minute. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:37.440 He wrote a thank you card. 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:46.159 The Holy Spirit is using Paul to write a thank you card to the Christians at Philippi, and it said, I just want to thank you for being my brother. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:48.399 I just want to thank you for being my sister. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:51.600 I'm glad we're both in Christ. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:54.399 We take it for granted. 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:12.879 But what a blessing, what a joy to be able to fellowship with people that believe the same Bible you believe, serving the same Jesus you serve, singing praise to the same God you praise. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:15.120 What a blessing. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.399 You see what he's saying in verse 3? 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:23.200 He isn't saying I'm thankful that you did this for me, I'm thankful that you did that for me. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.759 He says, I'm thankful for you. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:30.879 Self-centered thank yous. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:33.840 Thank you for making that for me. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:35.200 Thank you for giving that to me. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:37.840 Thank you for stopping that because it offended me. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:40.960 Paul's way beyond that. 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:47.840 With all your faults and all your flaws and all your hang ups and stuff you still got left to work out. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:53.120 Thank you for just being part of the body of Christ. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:55.200 That's really good. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.320 That's really good. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.000 How's your heart, my friend? 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:06.000 How's your relationship to the people you attend church with or should be attending church with? 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.360 Verse 4, always in every prayer of mine for you all. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.519 He didn't leave anybody out in this prayer time. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:15.600 He didn't pray for some and not for others. 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:22.240 He didn't pray for the ones he liked and not pray for the ones he didn't like, he prayed for them all, making request with joy. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:26.000 Here again he's joyful, he's joyful. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.279 Compare his prayers to most prayers. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.679 He said in every prayer he prayed, he prayed for them. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:44.480 For them, not about them, for them, not at them, for them, not because of them. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:49.200 Aren't a pretty good percentage of our prayers for us? 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.919 Don't we spend a lot of time praying for ourselves? 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:57.360 God, I need this, God, I want that, God help me with this, God give me that. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:59.600 God straighten him out because he's annoying me. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.159 Aren't a lot of our prayers for us? 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:11.919 Here this Bible writer said every prayer of mine I make requests for you. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:15.120 That's why he had joy. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:19.600 His life was all about others. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.679 It was not about self. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:23.679 That's the key to joy. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.279 Verse five. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:31.360 For your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.519 Okay, now let's let's take a few minutes. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:41.759 I want to go back and find out what does he mean when he says from the first day until now. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:48.399 Well, let's go back to Acts chapter sixteen and verse number one. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.840 Acts chapter sixteen and verse number one. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:15:02.320 We'll we'll skip through this chapter and see the first, the initial relationship between Paul and the Philippians. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:03.039 You ready? 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:04.480 Verse one, Jacks 16, one. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.639 Then came he to Derby in Lystra. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:15.519 And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess and believed, but his father was a Greek, that's Timothy. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.639 Verse three, him would Paul have to go forth with him. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:20.639 So Paul and Timothy go forth. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:21.759 Verse nine. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.159 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:31.120 There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:33.039 So off they went. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:34.320 Verse twelve. 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:53.519 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony, and we were in that city abiding certain days, and on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside where prayer was wont to be made, and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:58.000 Alright, so here's a women's prayer meeting by a river on the Sabbath day. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:08.399 Verse 14, and a certain woman named Lydia So it happens that the man of Macedonia was a woman, it was Lydia. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:19.200 She's a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:28.799 And when she was baptized in her household she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there, and she constrained us. 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:46.480 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by sooth saying, the same following Paul and us and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.639 And this she did many days. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:55.360 But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.679 And he came out the same hour. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:06.960 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, and brought them to the magistrates. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:08.640 Verse twenty two. 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:32.960 And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them, and when they had laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, thrust them, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:35.200 Okay, their backs are beaten. 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:40.480 They're thrown into the jailhouse, their feet are put in stocks. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:42.400 Verse 25. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:50.400 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:53.599 Where are they? 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:55.359 They're in a jail in Philippi. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:56.880 You know what they're doing? 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.480 They're rejoicing. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.480 You know what's filling their hearts? 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:01.440 Joy. 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:03.680 They are praising God. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:12.880 The Bible says in the book of James, is any among you afflicted, let him praise any merry, let him sing psalms, and that's what they're doing. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.640 They've just had their backs beaten. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:20.000 They were just thrown in jail. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:22.559 But they are not mourning. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:25.839 They are not complaining. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:27.119 You know what they're doing? 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:28.400 They're singing. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:30.000 They're singing. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:35.200 The Bible says that's the evident testimony of a merry heart. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:42.319 What did they have for the aches and pains and agony of their beaten backs? 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:47.599 Their aching muscles locked fast in those stocks. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:53.839 Well, Proverbs says, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:58.000 They're taking a little hymn singing medicine and praising the Lord. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.680 So the Bible says in verse number twenty five, and the prisoners heard them. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.039 And suddenly there was a great earthquake. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:21.119 So the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed, and the keeper of the prisoner waking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:28.240 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:29.759 Now wait, wait. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:39.920 The stocks are loosed, the bonds are broken, the doors are opened, and nobody's leaving. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:41.759 Why not? 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:43.920 Well, you read it in Exodus. 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:54.160 Whoever these two guys are, whoever they're serving, whatever they've got, we want to stick around and get in on it. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:01.440 We would rather serve their God in these bonds than be loose from these bonds and not find out who they're singing about. 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:10.240 Now, Philippians 1 6, being confident of this very thing. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:15.440 Philippians 1 14, men of the brethren of the Lord waxing confident by my bonds. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.160 Okay, Acts 16. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:21.039 Paul's confidence in the Lord was infectious. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:26.319 He imparted confidence in the Lord to others by the confidence he had in the Lord. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.119 Acts 16 28, Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:36.160 Then he called for a light. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.400 Now they're singing in the dark. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:52.079 It's so dark the jailer can't make his way around the prison house, but they're praising God in all of this trouble. 00:20:52.319 --> 00:21:02.400 And so the jailer comes, and the Bible says he called for a light, sprang in, came trembling, fell down before Paul and Silas. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:05.680 They humbled themselves. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:07.359 Now they're being exalted. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.200 They're running the jail right now. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:15.119 Right now, these two men in stocks are in charge of the prison. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:19.599 Everybody there is waiting for Paul and Silas to tell them what to do. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:22.000 Verse 30. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:26.640 And brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.079 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:46.319 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house, and he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized he and all his straight way. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:49.759 Verse 34, believing God. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.079 Verse 40. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:22:01.599 And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia, and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and And departed. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:11.279 Now, when Paul says in Philippians 1, from the first, you know what he said? 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:18.960 He said, You men and women know the joy of the Lord is greater than bonds. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:24.400 I proved that to you when you first met Jesus. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:29.119 You know the joy of the Lord is greater than darkness. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:32.400 I proved that to you when you first met Jesus. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:38.319 You know the joy of the Lord is greater than jail, it's greater than stripes, it's greater than beating. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:43.839 I proved that to you when I first brought you the gospel. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:52.799 You know, you know that the joy of the Lord is greater than the loss of liberty. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:56.079 And you Philippians know it like nobody else. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:06.799 Because you you saw this in the very days in which your faith was first established. 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:15.440 We sang God's praises, and the jailer came to us, saying, What must I do to be saved? 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:17.519 Now thank the Lord for the Bible. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:19.440 Look at look at Philippians 1 28. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:24.960 And in nothing, terrified by your adversaries. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:32.240 They lived that at Philippi when they brought the gospel to that city, which is to them an evident token of perd. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:40.799 The enemies thought Paul and and Sinus were the bad guys, but to you of salvation and that of God. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:50.319 How would the Philippians know that God brings salvation to sinners through times of persecution? 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.680 Well, that's how they got started. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:56.559 That's how they came to know Jesus. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:08.240 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which ye saw in me. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.599 How about that? 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:18.240 You see, the civil authorities at Philippi thought Paul was the bad guy and they locked him up. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:25.279 But God used that affliction to show the people at Philippi that he was the good guy. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:33.599 So, brethren, when hard times come, when trouble comes, when affliction comes, have joy, rejoice, praise the Lord. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:39.519 It's infectious, it spreads, it's attractive. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:42.319 Somebody will come to Jesus. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:54.160 Not because you're having a bad time, everybody has a bad time, but because you have joy and rejoicing in the bad time. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.880 And you know the Philippians knew this because that's how they came to God. 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:02.400 That's what he could tell them. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:05.279 Isn't that amazing? 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:11.920 Now, let me let me try and show you one more thing before we run out of time on the program today. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:27.279 In Galatians 3, 28, the Bible says there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:30.640 Do you know who's there at the founding of the church at Philippi? 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:34.720 Timothy, half Jew, half Greek. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:37.759 Do you know who's there at the founding of the church at Philippi? 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.599 Lydia, female. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.480 The Philippian jailer, male. 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.119 Do you know who's there at the founding of the church at Philippi? 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:46.400 Jailbirds. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:26:00.400 Jews, Paul and Silas, Freeman, the Philippian jailer and his family, and yet in that night they become one in Christ Jesus. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:03.039 Fellowship. 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:06.880 Consolation in the Spirit in Christ. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:12.880 Who could have put that group of people together and had them fall in love with each other? 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:16.640 None but the Holy Spirit of God. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:27.920 No other cause, no other power, no other force, nothing else on the face of the earth but the Lord Jesus Christ could take that group of people and make them one. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:31.200 That, my friend, is what it's all about. 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:47.200 That, my friend, is real life-changing Christianity delivered to you by God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit by grace through faith. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:48.880 Praise the Lord. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:59.440 It's an honor to have you listening to the preaching of the Cross Radio Broadcast, and I trust these programs are helpful. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.519 I trust they're a blessing. 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:06.960 I hope they are a challenge and a joy to your heart. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:15.920 The only way we'll know that is if you write and tell us, and your letters are such a blessing and such an encouragement. 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:20.640 Our mailing address is eight seven two Glenwood Road. 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:29.200 And that's in D Land, just like it sounds D E L A N D Land, Florida. 00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:35.039 The zip code number three two seven two zero three two seven two zero. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.400 And that mailing address is in the United States of America. 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:57.279 Now, you may also contact us or or enjoy many, many posted preaching sermons, and look through our entire catalog of materials at our website, and that's that's real easy to find. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.839 It's Jamesnox.com. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:05.200 You just type in my name, put a little period there, and C-O-M, JamesNox.com. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:13.519 That'll get you right to the website, and you can uh spend all the time you want there and be helped and blessed by what you find. 00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:25.839 Well, we're not sure when this program will be heard again over this radio station, but somebody at the station is, and they're about to let you know when the preaching of the cross radio broadcast will be heard again. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:31.920 I hope and pray that at that time you and a friend that you invite to listen with you will join us. 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:33.759 Until then, I'm Brother James. 00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:37.119 May the Lord richly bless you, and good day. 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:46.160 Thanks for tuning in today. 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:47.599 Join us every weekday.