WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.840 Good morning, everybody. 00:00:02.700 --> 00:00:07.560 If you would turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4. 00:00:09.200 --> 00:00:12.200 ! We're going to be in Philippians 4 verses 1-3 today. 00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:22.000 I'm so excited to be able to come before you this morning to be able to preach from God's Word and to see what He has for us this morning. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:30.320 Um, it's been amazing in going through the book of Philippians. Philippians is probably one of my favorite books in the Bible. 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:38.820 Uh, just because of how practical it is and how it directs our hearts and minds in worship to God and enjoying our relationship with Him. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:47.760 And as I read through the book of Philippians, um, I don't know about you, but there's sometimes to where it's like there's certain verses that I'm really excited to get to. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:53.280 And so, like, you're reading, you just kind of, like, bypass over a few verses to get to the ones that you really like. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:00.379 And, and for me, like, it's the passage that we're preaching through today is kind of one of those verses where it's like, I know what's coming up. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:06.780 I'm really excited to get there. And so it's like, okay, yeah, Paul, like, I get this, but, like, you're about to say something really phenomenal, you know? 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:13.159 And so, but I want this morning for us to be able to take these few verses, like, Paul didn't just write this as filler words. 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:15.500 Like, he has a message for us in it. 00:01:15.500 --> 00:01:26.060 So I want us to take a few moments here today and really ponder and consider what Paul has for us in this passage that we might be able to learn, um, how to better follow Jesus in it. 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:37.099 So, um, to get some context, I want us to read a few verses beforehand of what, uh, Nathan preached last week, just so we can get our mindset on what Paul is arguing for here. 00:01:37.099 --> 00:01:42.679 So we're going to back it up to Philippians three, um, starting in verse 17. 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:52.959 And Paul says here, he says, brothers join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:59.859 For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:01.699 Their end is destruction. 00:02:02.039 --> 00:02:06.959 Their God is their belly and they glory in their shame with mindset on earthly things. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:22.539 But our citizenship is in heaven and from it, we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 00:02:22.539 --> 00:02:31.099 Now our text for this morning is therefore my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown stand firm. 00:02:31.219 --> 00:02:36.539 Thus in the Lord, my beloved, I entreat you, Odia, and I entreat syndic to agree in the Lord. 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:37.359 Yes. 00:02:37.419 --> 00:02:48.039 I ask you also true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:48.739 Let's pray. 00:02:49.579 --> 00:02:52.180 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your word. 00:02:52.180 --> 00:03:01.400 Thank you that we have it today, that it was written thousands of years ago, but yet it is still just as practical for us today as it was for its original audience. 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:11.520 And Father, I pray that as we desire to study it today, that we would be right and accurate in going through the text and that we would come to it with a heart of desiring to know you through it. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.480 And I pray that everything done would be in worship to you. 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:16.540 And we expect you to work in this. 00:03:16.620 --> 00:03:17.219 In Jesus name. 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:17.640 Amen. 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:17.759 Amen. 00:03:18.239 --> 00:03:26.399 So as we look through this text, we see how Paul is building this argument as Nathan preached last week on verse 17, where he says, 00:03:26.559 --> 00:03:32.979 Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:36.560 And then he gives us two different groups of people. 00:03:36.739 --> 00:03:44.699 He addresses the first group of people and saying that these people were, it looked like they were following after Christ. 00:03:44.859 --> 00:03:53.060 But as soon as things came into their lives or, or it didn't become necessarily convenient for them to follow after him, they left the faith. 00:03:53.060 --> 00:04:03.500 And Paul urges these people and he says, it even writes it with tears, you know, of how much compassion and love he has for them of desiring that they follow after Christ. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:13.460 But then he contrasts it with those who are in this church and the Philippian church and showing how much love he has for them. 00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:18.680 And then the encouragement that he gives them, he says, but our citizenship is in heaven. 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:31.040 And from it, we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:41.379 And the amazing thing about it is as he writes this encouraging and hopeful word, like if you remember, Paul in writing this book is writing it from prison. 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:45.200 You know, he is actively suffering for the cause of Christ. 00:04:45.200 --> 00:04:52.520 And he looks at those who in the face of suffering or just in the face of uncomfortability have left Christ. 00:04:52.519 --> 00:05:04.240 And to those who might not necessarily be suffering yet, but will probably end up be suffering, encouraging them in this truth of knowing that, hey, it is worth it for the cause of Christ. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.459 Like one day we will be with him for eternity. 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:17.419 And so he's setting everything up with this encouraging word and bringing us back to, you know, what is the purpose of everything that we are doing here in this world? 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:27.460 Well, as Jordan mentioned in his text that he read this morning, you know, that if Christ were not raised, we are of all people most to be pitied. 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:30.540 And what we do in this life is useless and worthless. 00:05:30.540 --> 00:05:39.259 Like he's building on that argument and saying, hey, Christ is who he said he is and he's worthy to be followed after no matter what may come along your way. 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:50.579 And so then in starting in chapter four, he kind of concludes this idea and he says, therefore, my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown stand firm. 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:52.279 Thus in the Lord, my beloved. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:06:00.219 So I want to take a few moments here and kind of break down a little bit of what Paul is saying in this verse, because it's filled with a lot of amazing truth. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:06.000 And so first off, he addresses these Christians as his brothers in Christ. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:12.779 And, you know, this is something that I have a tendency to just kind of like go over, you know, because I grew up in the church. 00:06:12.860 --> 00:06:18.439 I'm used to, you know, like everybody would greet like, you know, it's like, oh, hey, brother John, you know, hey, brother Lewis, you know. 00:06:18.579 --> 00:06:22.480 And we were just kind of like used to calling each other brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:25.220 And sometimes we take that a little bit for granted. 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:33.759 I know I take that a little bit for granted, but just how amazing it is to be able to have this community together in Christ. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:44.000 You know, as I look out across this room, I see a lot of people with probably a lot of different backgrounds, a lot of different stories and a lot of different ideas and dreams. 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:52.860 But the thing that unites all of us together, hopefully here in this room, is that we are united together in Christ, in the family of God. 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:57.199 And how amazing that is just to think through and ponder and consider. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:03.560 And it's really something that Paul is going to be addressing here later on in these verses and really building upon. 00:07:04.259 --> 00:07:14.779 And so we see how Paul and his expression of love towards the church greets everybody with this familial love with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:19.019 And how that is what unifies us and brings us together. 00:07:19.620 --> 00:07:26.120 Secondly, we see that he has a yearning love for these brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.100 He says, therefore, my brothers whom I love and long for. 00:07:30.620 --> 00:07:34.199 You know, like I said earlier, Paul is writing this from prison. 00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:44.860 He's thinking back to this church that he has worked in and known and seen these people who are once not followers of Jesus turn to Christ, becoming followers of Jesus. 00:07:44.860 --> 00:07:51.840 And just seeing how God is working in their lives and just being excited in that work that God is doing in them. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.580 And he says here that in the very first part that they're his brothers. 00:07:56.780 --> 00:07:59.420 They are those whom he loves and longs for. 00:07:59.420 --> 00:08:03.740 And as I was just thinking through that in my own life, like, man, isn't it amazing? 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:10.400 You know, like I said, that we have this body of Christ, but that we also, you know, just love and long to be with one another. 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:19.500 Like, I don't know about for you guys, but for me, when we had everything going on last year with the pandemic, like that was literally probably the thing that I missed the most. 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:30.459 Was not being able to gather together like this as the body of Christ, to be with one another and to worship Christ together as one body. 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:42.120 And and as I think back, I think, man, that's honestly one of the things that transformed most for me when I wasn't a follower of Jesus in comparison to when I started following after Jesus. 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:50.840 Is that when I went to church as a kid, you know, my parents forced me to go like Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, like literally every time the church was open. 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:53.039 And and I just wasn't a fan of it. 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:54.960 You know, like I just didn't like going to church. 00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:00.679 It made me uncomfortable being around people who are following after God when I knew that I wasn't. 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:09.220 And how radically transformed it was when Christ saved me, you know, and he gave me a heart to follow after Christ. 00:09:09.220 --> 00:09:16.180 How amazing that transformation was in my relation to the church to where, like, I hated going to church beforehand. 00:09:16.180 --> 00:09:26.519 But now I loved and longed for it because I wanted to be together with people who are following after Christ and being encouraged by being a part of the body of Christ. 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:33.980 And just seeing how God was working in their lives and their encouragement for me, for what Christ was doing in me. 00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:45.820 And so we see we see Paul having the same kind of love towards the Philippian church of of just loving and longing to be with them once again, worshiping Christ together. 00:09:47.180 --> 00:09:53.920 Thirdly, we see that Paul views them as his rewarding love. 00:09:54.500 --> 00:09:56.159 He says an interesting phrase here. 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:58.800 He says my joy and my crown. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:05.079 And that kind of like caused me to can like think back and consider like what exactly is Paul saying here? 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:14.139 You know, because if you're if you're kind of tracking with a lot of things that he says through the New Testament, you know, he he talks about how Christ should be his joy. 00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:23.699 Right. Like that's what he talked about a lot, like kind of in the beginning of this book of pursuing after Christ, Christ being the fullness of joy and everything else that he had in life. 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:26.580 He counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 00:10:26.780 --> 00:10:37.180 And so how is Paul drawing that connection with what we talked about a few weeks ago and now connecting it to the followers of Jesus being his joy and crown? 00:10:37.280 --> 00:10:38.820 Like how does he work those two together? 00:10:39.500 --> 00:10:45.280 And so as I began doing some reading and studying on and just seeing what other pastors and commentators had to say, 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:56.159 it was really cool just to see how Paul in this argument is just connecting how much united in Christ they are together with the body of Christ. 00:10:56.259 --> 00:11:06.500 Like he's not just necessarily looking at these people as his joy and crown of being like, man, you know, like as I preach, you know, I hope Daryl really likes this message. 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:11.539 You know, that would be my joy and crown, you know, if he affirms it when we talk about it later. 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:14.379 Like Paul's not doing that. 00:11:14.379 --> 00:11:28.460 What Paul is doing is these people are his joy and crown because he sees his mission in life as being to make Jesus great in his life and to try to encourage other people to do the same. 00:11:29.139 --> 00:11:35.200 And so when he sees these Philippian believers who have made Christ their sole satisfaction, 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:43.840 the one that they are going to trust in as persecution comes to their church or as they suffer for the cause of Christ and seeing them stand firm in that, 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:45.680 that's his joy and crown. 00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:55.700 Like that's his reward and seeing like, man, I have preached this message to you and I see God working in your life where it has made it a reality in your life. 00:11:55.700 --> 00:12:01.899 And I'm seeing you endure for the cause of Christ as I have desire to see that in you. 00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:10.240 And that is my joy and my crown and how important it is for us to be able to have that mentality and mindset. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:18.080 You know, like how much have I, how much of us, like in our desires to be friends with people and even in our church, 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:20.539 like encourage people in that way? 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:31.600 Like, am I excited when I see God working in someone's life, you know, transforming them and seeing how they are growing in Christ and just celebrating that together? 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.040 You know, like that is something that is absolutely amazing. 00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:41.580 It's a miraculous work as, as God takes us from being people who are not followers of Christ, 00:12:41.920 --> 00:12:51.360 transforming us to having a heart for Christ and then making us more and more like Christ until the day when we finally get to be in his presence. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:59.600 And how Paul, in his love for these people, is saying like his joy and crown is seeing how they are becoming like Jesus. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:07.620 And that's his mission and mindset for what he has in his ministry and how much that should be our mission and mindset as well. 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:12.340 And so we see here in the very end of the verse, he says, 00:13:13.060 --> 00:13:15.600 Stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:20.379 And so we see Paul's committed love that he has for these believers. 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:26.019 Paul calls on these believers to stand firm for Christ. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:31.399 You know, you remember, like in these last few verses, he gives this dichotomy of two different people, 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.100 one who like it looked like they were following after Christ and then they left. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:41.740 And then those who are now following after Christ and have this hope of Christ's return. 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:45.120 And so he's saying, man, stand firm in this. 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:51.039 The thing that you know to be true, the thing that you have seen God work and you stand firm in it, 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:58.519 like it is worth it, it is worth it to stand for Christ in the midst of a generation that will not be standing for Christ, 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:01.419 that will persecute you for your faith. 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:08.200 And how important that is for us as well to stand firm in what we know to be true. 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:17.500 And that is something that is very hard sometimes, especially in a community or in a society that really rejects that message a lot. 00:14:17.620 --> 00:14:23.620 Like it, I don't think it's ever been easy to follow after Christ in any society or any time in history. 00:14:23.980 --> 00:14:31.480 But man, like it is, it is honestly really hard sometimes to stand up when you are in a community of working with people 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:41.420 who are not followers of Jesus or just in a society that's completely against his word and message of how important it is for us to stand firm in what we know. 00:14:41.420 --> 00:14:52.539 Like to not be swayed by the opinions of other people, but to know what Christ has said in his word and to stand firm and to have that restful assurance and foundation in it. 00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:57.319 And that's what Paul then leads to on this very last phrase. 00:14:57.419 --> 00:15:00.219 He says, stand firm thus in the Lord. 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:08.819 And this phrase in the Lord is going to show up multiple times in our passage and really shows up a lot in the book of Philippians as well. 00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:17.639 So Paul is not saying here, stand firm in whatever you feel to be right or whatever you have like a passion and desire for, 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:24.399 and just to plant yourself there, but he roots it and he grounds it and standing firm in the Lord. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:35.019 And this is the foundation that he's going to work through this whole passage of rooting us back to what really is, number one, the unifying factor of us. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:38.600 And number two, what's the most important thing in our lives? 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.580 It's our relationship with Christ and what Christ has said. 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:51.700 And so he points us, he roots us back to these things and he celebrates that work that he sees in these believers. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:16:01.520 Now, as we go into verse two, we see him addressing an issue in the church where this might not necessarily be happening. 00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:09.700 So he says in verse two, he says, I entreat you, Odea, and I entreat Sendeke to agree in the Lord. 00:16:09.700 --> 00:16:15.100 And so this is a very short verse, and I don't know about you, but I like to be inquisitive. 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:20.360 You know, I'm like, man, I wonder what they're disagreeing about, you know, like I want to know what other people's problems are. 00:16:21.020 --> 00:16:25.060 And and so we see how Paul doesn't do that. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:32.860 Paul just leaves it very generic and blank and just says, I entreat you, Odea, and I entreat Sendeke to agree in the Lord. 00:16:33.520 --> 00:16:36.500 And so we don't necessarily know what the issue was. 00:16:36.500 --> 00:16:42.179 We don't know what they might have been disagreeing about, what their issue may be with each other was. 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:50.480 But we know that Paul here in this letter is addressing it to them for them to be able to agree together in the Lord. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:17:02.720 And I think the reason why he leaves this kind of vague and why the Holy Spirit inspired him to do so is so that when we as as followers of Jesus read this passage, 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:07.880 you know, we can really just take it into our circumstance in our environment. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:14.200 You know, like if he had if he had talked about the issue that they were disagreeing with, you know, we might be able to put up and say, 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:21.259 well, my issue is like way more important than this little trivial issue, you know, that that you, Odea and Sendeke were disagreeing with. 00:17:21.259 --> 00:17:23.500 Or maybe like we might put it a little bit below. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:34.160 But we see how he leaves it generic and open so that, you know, we can see how important it is no matter what our disagreements or issues are with one another 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:40.220 as we desire to come together to follow after Jesus, how important it is for us to be unified. 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:56.120 And I loved the psalm that Nathan read this morning in preparation for for the service today and how it just begins with how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. 00:17:56.539 --> 00:18:03.839 And and like I said, you know, this unity is not just built up in and just manufactured things. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:12.240 You know, I love like as I as I went and looked at this verse, sometimes I like to put myself a little bit into it to think like, OK, 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:19.019 if I were Paul addressing this to the Philippian church, like how would I try to correct this issue? 00:18:19.159 --> 00:18:20.859 You know, like I want to be a pastor one day. 00:18:20.919 --> 00:18:24.779 So I want to kind of think in that mindset of like, OK, I kind of want to be like Paul, right? 00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:26.519 Because Paul was a really good follower of Jesus. 00:18:26.699 --> 00:18:33.639 And so I want to be able to think in his mindset of how he how he helps the church follow after Christ. 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:39.220 And as I was thinking through, I was like, OK, how would I solve an issue or a conflict? 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:47.559 And so, you know, when we have issues or conflicts together, the reason why we have issues and conflicts with each other is because, 00:18:47.959 --> 00:18:52.879 number one, party A thinks that they're right and that they are thinking through things in the best way. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:57.859 And then party B thinks that they are right and that they're thinking through things in the best way. 00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:03.979 And so when they bicker back and forth, you know, one side is trying to show how they're more right. 00:19:04.059 --> 00:19:06.379 The other side is trying to show how they're more right. 00:19:06.899 --> 00:19:11.399 And so then in my mindset as a third party, I'm like, OK, how about I just like work out a compromise? 00:19:11.779 --> 00:19:18.539 Right. Like you take some a party A, you take some a party B and work it out together, you know, and make this work. 00:19:18.539 --> 00:19:23.599 But if you look at the text, that's not necessarily how Paul addresses this issue. 00:19:23.659 --> 00:19:27.579 He doesn't say you like you need to compromise here with syndicate and syndicate. 00:19:27.779 --> 00:19:30.000 You need to compromise here and work with you. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:33.940 Odia. What he does is he unifies it back to the foundation. 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:39.139 He says, I entreat you, Odia, and I entreat syndicate to agree in the Lord. 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:42.259 And he makes the foundation Christ. 00:19:43.100 --> 00:19:55.740 He says, like, whatever issue most likely this was, like in comparison to everything else that he has mentioned in these verses of just showing the intensity of like how important it is to follow after Christ. 00:19:55.740 --> 00:19:57.880 And you're disagreeing here. 00:19:58.080 --> 00:20:00.240 Like, remember what the point is. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.860 Remember what the foundation is for our life. 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.180 The foundation is in Christ. 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:08.440 And that's where we are unified. 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:11.200 And that's where we need to go back to. 00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:22.900 And it just caused me to just think back and consider, like, man, how many times do I take just like really small issues and make really big issues out of them? 00:20:23.080 --> 00:20:37.580 But then when you look at the overall church and the things that God is working, you know, in his people, like how how trivial a lot of my things are that I find like, oh, I'm unified with this person, you know, 00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:40.399 because he believes, you know, in this way. 00:20:40.399 --> 00:20:52.339 And I'm not trying to detract from doctrine and saying this, you know, like a couple of weeks ago, Nathan, I think, did a really great job and kind of talking through a really fancy term called theological triage. 00:20:52.339 --> 00:21:01.519 And basically what that is, is like showing how, you know, there's different like teachings and things that we believe that have differing levels of importance. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:06.559 So I don't think Paul in this is saying like, hey, I don't care, you know, what you think about the Trinity. 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.519 I don't care about what you think about, you know, if Jesus is the son of God. 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:15.359 Like, no, he's he's rooting it and grounding it in the things that are ultimately important. 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:22.859 Like we are to agree in the Lord, like in in what Christ has said, rooted and grounded in it. 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:34.160 But there's a lot of times where I think a lot of divisions and issues that arise in churches aren't because of these intense doctrines that we need to stand for. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:51.600 But a lot of times are just really trivial and things that honestly don't really matter too much in comparison to eternity and in comparison to the thing that we have been called for and making Christ great in our lives and showing the love that he has for us in the body of Christ. 00:21:52.320 --> 00:22:03.080 And so that's why I love how Paul in his addressing this issue really brings it back to the Lord in this like, hey, whatever this issue is, it's not that important. 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:05.079 Like agree in the Lord together. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.339 And remember, this is our focus. 00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:08.299 This is our drive. 00:22:08.379 --> 00:22:11.359 This is what we're trying to accomplish as a church. 00:22:11.699 --> 00:22:24.099 Like the mission of the church is to make Jesus great in the community and in the people around us and to encourage one another in building up our faith and following after Christ. 00:22:24.099 --> 00:22:38.899 And when we lose focus of that, when we start to enter into these different issues and things like that, that honestly don't really have a lot to do with eternity and the mission, that's when a lot of divisions and issues arise and come about. 00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:55.820 And we need to remind ourselves that the thing that unifies us, the thing that brings us all together in this building is the fact that we are in Christ and how amazing of a truth that is and how we need to remember and remind ourselves of that great truth. 00:22:55.819 --> 00:23:08.079 And so we see here how Paul calls them into unity and how Paul gives them this mission and he uses the whole church in this as well. 00:23:08.179 --> 00:23:24.359 Like if you look at verse three, he says, yes, I ask you also true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:30.779 And so we see here how this is not just an issue that you already and syndicate just work out together. 00:23:30.899 --> 00:23:34.039 He's calling the whole church to be a part of it. 00:23:34.139 --> 00:23:40.240 He first addresses this person who he calls as his true companion. 00:23:40.619 --> 00:23:42.799 And so, like I said, I'm kind of inquisitive. 00:23:42.899 --> 00:23:44.759 So I'm like, oh, I wonder who the true companion is. 00:23:45.159 --> 00:23:47.599 And and, you know, Paul doesn't actually say it. 00:23:47.659 --> 00:23:48.679 So we don't really know. 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:55.200 But but but some people believe that it might have been Luke who followed along with Paul. 00:23:55.320 --> 00:23:58.380 There's a few other thoughts out there, but nothing really conclusive. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.320 But really, that's not the main issue of the of the text and of the verse. 00:24:03.320 --> 00:24:15.680 The main thing is he is calling these people who are a part of the church to come alongside these women and to help them to agree in the Lord, to be unified together in faith. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:17.980 And and that is so amazing. 00:24:17.980 --> 00:24:22.900 Like as we follow after Christ, it's not a solo mission. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:31.799 You know, like all the time when you see Paul on his missionary journeys or just together in the church, like he's never like solo Paul. 00:24:32.060 --> 00:24:34.820 Like he is always together with people. 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:40.840 He is always working with the body of Christ to accomplish the work and the mission. 00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:46.919 And I think sometimes in American culture, we have a very like individualistic mindset. 00:24:47.539 --> 00:24:52.359 You know, I know I certainly struggle with an individual mindset of like, man, I can just figure this out on my own. 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:54.579 You know, like I can I can work out this problem. 00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:56.980 I can I can do this thing on my own. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:58.559 I don't need the help of other people. 00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:09.039 But God has called us together as the body of Christ to help us in this cause of making us more like Christ. 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:12.539 And so we see that Paul resorts to the body of Christ here. 00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:19.680 He says, yes, I ask you, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel. 00:25:20.539 --> 00:25:25.240 And I love the respect here that Paul has for for these women who disagree. 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:28.980 He's not kind of like casting them off and saying like, man, grow up. 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:31.059 You know, like, why are you dealing with this issue? 00:25:31.059 --> 00:25:34.159 Like, Paul has some serious respect for them. 00:25:34.359 --> 00:25:50.179 Like in the word that he used that they have labored side by side is it's kind of like a military term with it that they have like strived together with Paul in this in this battle of of making Jesus great. 00:25:50.379 --> 00:25:53.619 And in sharing the gospel with people. 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:56.039 And so he has a tremendous amount of respect for them. 00:25:56.099 --> 00:26:06.839 And just like all of us, you know, we all tend to have things, you know, that we need some correction with and need to be refocused and reminding ourselves of what our mission is. 00:26:07.159 --> 00:26:10.359 I think Paul is like kind of doing that here in this letter, too. 00:26:10.439 --> 00:26:18.919 He's like he corrects them, but he also reminds them like, hey, look at all that we have accomplished together when you were thinking right. 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:39.740 Like when you were focused on the gospel, all the things that God worked in you and and the missions that we were able to accomplish together in Christ and just kind of encouraging that and saying, hey, I know God's work in you and causing you to do this and to reorient yourselves and refocus yourselves back onto this. 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:45.440 And so then he says he also includes another follower of Jesus named Clement. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:48.360 And then he says the rest of my fellow workers. 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:54.719 And so really just putting together the whole church and saying being unified and this mission together. 00:26:54.939 --> 00:27:03.319 And then when you see people who are kind of straying off on this mission, get them back focused, like get them back on track of making Jesus great. 00:27:04.159 --> 00:27:08.240 And then he concludes this passage with an amazing foundation. 00:27:08.740 --> 00:27:12.579 He says whose names are in the book of life. 00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:19.779 And as I as I read through the Bible, I don't know about you, but for me, like sometimes I see people. 00:27:19.899 --> 00:27:21.139 I'm like, man, wouldn't it be cool? 00:27:21.199 --> 00:27:30.299 Like if I were included in the Bible, like if I were alive like 2000 years ago, you know, and I was living in Israel and I had an encounter with Jesus. 00:27:30.299 --> 00:27:35.599 And and one of the New Testament writers like put me in a book like how amazing would that be? 00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:50.399 You know, like I think about in the Gospels, if you remember when right before Jesus dies and Mary Magdalene comes to him and and pours out the oil and washes his feet with her hair. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:53.040 And and Jesus says the most amazing thing in the world. 00:27:53.100 --> 00:27:58.920 He says that people will be talking about this forever for the rest of eternity. 00:27:59.040 --> 00:28:08.340 Like what an amazing like prophetic word and how amazing is that we still do like we still talk about her to this day for this work that she did for Christ. 00:28:08.340 --> 00:28:10.400 And I think, man, like wouldn't that be cool? 00:28:10.580 --> 00:28:13.759 Like if I were in that book and I had like, you know, a moment in that. 00:28:14.420 --> 00:28:20.160 But even better than that, even better than that is that my name is in the book. 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:21.120 Of life. 00:28:21.700 --> 00:28:25.860 And if you are a follower of Jesus, your name is in the book of life. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:29.720 And this is this is the best book to be a part of. 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:36.960 Like this is the book that that contains every single name of everybody who is a follower of Jesus. 00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:47.160 And when we stand before God at the end of eternity and as our names are read from the book of life, it means that our sins have been forgiven. 00:28:47.160 --> 00:29:00.140 It means that Christ has a tone for us and that we have a relationship with God and that we can stand before him, not based on our own merit and not based on things that I can say, hey, God, look, I did this for you. 00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:01.140 I did this for you. 00:29:01.220 --> 00:29:02.540 I deserve to be here. 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:07.899 Like there is nothing that I can stand on and saying that I deserve to be with God for eternity. 00:29:08.399 --> 00:29:14.940 The only thing that I can rest in and have assurance in is what Christ has done for me. 00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:19.500 And the only thing that you can have assurance in is what Christ has done for you. 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:34.900 And if you believe that, if you are depending on Christ's work in your life and your faith in Christ for your salvation, your relationship with God, your name is written in the greatest book of all time in the book of life. 00:29:34.900 --> 00:29:49.840 And that is what Paul really concludes this message here in this in this paragraph that we have studied, starting in verse 17 of telling these people to join in imitating after him as he follows after Christ. 00:29:49.839 --> 00:30:03.220 And we see his love for the church and how we are to intent or are imitate that as well and how the ultimate foundation is that we are unified and grounded together in Christ. 00:30:03.459 --> 00:30:07.399 And that is confirmed by being written in the book of life. 00:30:07.539 --> 00:30:13.879 And that's where he and that's where he draws his line to and says, hey, like those people who you might have little disagreements. 00:30:14.259 --> 00:30:16.619 Remember, their names are in the book of life. 00:30:16.619 --> 00:30:18.039 Like they have been saved. 00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:19.379 They have been redeemed. 00:30:19.380 --> 00:30:24.400 And they have been forgiven by me and made righteous by my righteousness. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:30.300 And to remind ourselves of that and to remind ourselves of the focus of what is this all about? 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:33.320 Like, why do we gather together as the body of Christ? 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:34.740 Why do we follow after Christ? 00:30:35.340 --> 00:30:49.320 It's because of his transformation in our lives of making us like himself and then encouraging others in our journey of following after Christ to continue to strive towards that, to stand firm in Christ. 00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:54.500 And to be unified and grounded in what Christ has done in our lives. 00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:55.380 Let's pray. 00:30:55.380 --> 00:30:55.400 Let's pray. 00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:55.460 Let's pray. 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.460 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.559 Amen.