WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.439 Well, over the past three or four weeks, we've been going through a very short series called 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:11.839 Christians from Monday to Friday. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:16.600 And tonight is the final part of this series, which has simply been looking at the fact 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:22.160 that our Christian lives are not confined to Sundays. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:26.879 Our life as followers of Jesus should affect every single thing that we do, whether it's 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:32.759 our work, our home, our community involvement, whatever it is. 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:38.879 From Monday to Friday, for every day of our lives, we want a relationship with Jesus to 00:00:38.879 --> 00:00:42.280 affect everything that we're going to do. 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:45.960 So tonight we're going to bring this short series to a conclusion, and we're going to 00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:54.399 turn back to Philippians chapter one, and we're going to look at two really, two big and important 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:58.960 themes that are set before us at the start of that chapter. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:04.480 Our focus is going to be on the very first verse, Philippians 1 verse one. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:09.640 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:15.640 at Philippi with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:19.840 and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:22.920 These are the kind of verses that it's quite easy to whizz through when you start reading 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:28.599 a passage like Philippians, the greeting at the start, which is what these verses contain, 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:32.799 can often be something that we read quickly and just move fast. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:36.640 But that's something we should always be careful of in the Bible, because if we go through 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:43.079 something too quickly, we're liable to miss some amazing and important things. 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:48.480 And there's some really amazing and important things in this verse, and in particular, there's 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:55.480 something important brought before us by the smallest word on the screen before you. 00:01:55.480 --> 00:02:01.320 And that's the tiny little word which says, in. 00:02:01.320 --> 00:02:08.159 Now in the translation before us there, the ESV, it says to all the saints in Christ Jesus 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:09.560 who are at Philippi. 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:15.680 Now that's an excellent translation, it's very, very clear, but it's not completely 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:16.680 literal. 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:21.319 And for what I want to talk about tonight, I want us to just be a wee bit literal for 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:22.319 a moment. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:28.159 As I'm sure you know, the New Testament was originally written in Greek. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:31.920 Everybody says, when you preach, never, ever, ever mention Greek. 00:02:31.920 --> 00:02:34.200 Derek says, never mention Greek. 00:02:34.200 --> 00:02:38.480 But Derek's in America, so don't tell him. 00:02:38.480 --> 00:02:41.120 Katina, don't tell him. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:43.439 So there we are. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:45.560 There's the first sentence in Greek. 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:46.560 Okay? 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:47.560 I want you to look at that. 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.319 Don't worry if you can't read Greek, you can read the bit at the bottom. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:51.879 It's transliterated into English. 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:58.280 Pas in toys, Haggios, in, Christo, Jesu, toys, Usin, in, Philippois. 00:02:58.280 --> 00:02:59.280 Okay? 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.920 Now what I want you to focus on is two tiny little words that appear twice. 00:03:02.920 --> 00:03:04.920 Can you see them? 00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:09.960 There's the word toys that appears twice, that means to the, but it's the other tiny 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.080 word that appears twice I want to focus on. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:15.120 It's the wee word, in. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:18.360 And that of course means in. 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:26.319 So literally, Philippians 1-1 says to the saints, to all the saints, in Christ Jesus, 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.360 who are in Philippi. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:33.719 Now in English, we don't really like repeating the same word over and over again. 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:39.439 We like to vary words, which is why the ESV uses the more natural English idiom to all 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:42.680 the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi. 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:45.560 But literally, it says in twice. 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:50.439 And I think that's really important because the Christians to whom Paul was writing were 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:54.040 in two places. 00:03:54.040 --> 00:04:00.640 They were in Christ Jesus, and they were in Philippi. 00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:06.360 And that's the two things I want us to focus on tonight, because these truths are very 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:13.320 relevant to us as we live our lives as Christians from Monday to Friday. 00:04:13.320 --> 00:04:18.920 So first of all, Paul is saying that the saints are in Christ Jesus. 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:22.000 That's a phrase that Paul uses again and again. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.319 It's telling us about our status as believers. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:25.720 We are in Christ. 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:29.720 You look at various other letters, Corinthians, to those in Christ Jesus. 00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:32.560 Ephesians, he's blessed us in Christ Jesus. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:36.240 Colossians, to the saints and faithful brothers, in Christ. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:42.040 At Colossae, when Paul talks about Christians, more often than not, he describes them as 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:44.920 those who are in Christ. 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:45.920 It's the same in Philippians. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:47.280 It's the same in Thessalonians. 00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:50.960 You see it again and again and again. 00:04:50.960 --> 00:04:56.079 Now, that phrase in Christ, and we tend to give that a technical term. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:58.759 We call it union with Christ. 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:03.319 We say that a Christian is united to Christ. 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:07.079 And when you see that little phrase in Christ, I would want you to always think in terms 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:13.560 of union with Christ, the fact that we are united to Christ. 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:14.560 That's very important. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:18.839 But of course, we have to ask, what does that mean? 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:20.759 What does it mean to be in Christ? 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:23.399 What does it mean to be united to Christ? 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:28.399 Well, a key passage that explains this is Romans 6. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:34.079 It says, for if we've been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:37.000 united with Him in a resurrection like His. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.599 We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be 00:05:40.599 --> 00:05:44.560 brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:47.079 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:52.159 Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 00:05:52.159 --> 00:05:55.759 We know that Christ, been raised from the dead, will never die again. 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:57.919 Death no longer has dominion over Him. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:02.199 For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He now lives, He lives 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:03.199 to God. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:12.480 So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:18.280 Paul is saying that we are united to Christ in His death, and we are united to Christ 00:06:18.280 --> 00:06:19.720 in His resurrection. 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:24.319 That is really what Christianity is all about. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.719 And if somebody was to ask you the question, what is New Testament Christianity all about? 00:06:28.719 --> 00:06:36.000 A very good answer would be to say it's all about being united to Jesus Christ. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:39.399 That's the core of Christianity. 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:43.879 It's the heart of the Gospel that we are united to Christ. 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:49.719 And the way it works is the fact that Christ has acted on behalf of His people. 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:53.880 The whole biblical storyline rests on this principle. 00:06:53.880 --> 00:06:59.360 Back at the very beginning, Adam acted on our behalf and he failed. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.300 And his failure had implications for all of humanity. 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:06.320 He fell, we fell with him. 00:07:06.320 --> 00:07:09.680 But Christ has come as the second Adam. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.800 He's come, if you like us, Adam in reverse. 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.240 He's come to put it right. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.840 And he's come to unite himself to us. 00:07:17.840 --> 00:07:19.480 So he's made himself like us. 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:20.800 He's taken our nature. 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:25.840 That's what we talk about when we talk about the incarnation when Jesus became a human. 00:07:25.840 --> 00:07:28.280 He became like us. 00:07:28.280 --> 00:07:30.520 He acts on our behalf. 00:07:30.520 --> 00:07:37.240 And so he goes all the way to the cross, paying the penalty for our sin and our failure. 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:40.420 He acts as a new representative for us. 00:07:40.420 --> 00:07:43.600 And he puts right what went wrong. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:47.400 He takes responsibility to stand in our place. 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:53.639 He guarantees that all the requirements of obedience are met. 00:07:53.639 --> 00:08:03.279 And by faith, we are united to him, which of course is why Christianity revolves around 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:05.560 faith. 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:09.560 So by faith, we are united to Jesus Christ. 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.639 The death that he died becomes our death to sin. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:16.120 The penalty that he pays pays our penalty. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:21.519 The new life that he has through the resurrection becomes our new life. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.120 Of course, Paul can explain it far better than I can. 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.959 He says, I have been crucified with Christ. 00:08:27.959 --> 00:08:32.480 It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:37.840 And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.120 gave himself for me. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:47.240 Now that's a very important point, because that's how we're saved through our connection 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:48.480 to Christ. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:54.799 A lot of people can think about God, but they don't really put Jesus Christ into the equation. 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.320 So people will believe in God and they will want a relationship with God, and they'll 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:00.879 think that I can have some kind of connection with God. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:05.080 But Jesus is not really that important and doesn't need to come into it. 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:10.879 But that is simply something that we cannot do. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:17.559 Because absolutely everything in terms of restoring a relationship with God is dependent 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:20.879 on being in Christ. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:26.159 You cannot have a connection to God unless it is through the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:30.519 He is the only mediator between God and men. 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:34.279 That's what it's all about, being united to Jesus. 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:38.679 And the Bible gives us lots of wonderful images about what this union is like. 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:41.439 John 15 talks about a vine and branches. 00:09:41.439 --> 00:09:45.279 Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, we are united together in that way. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.079 Colossians chapter one talks about the head and the body. 00:09:48.079 --> 00:09:51.959 Jesus is the head, we are the body, we are united in that way. 00:09:51.959 --> 00:09:54.719 Ephesians talks about a building and a cornerstone. 00:09:54.719 --> 00:09:58.639 So we are all different parts of the building, but it's Christ who holds it all together. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:00.359 We are united in that way. 00:10:00.359 --> 00:10:05.199 Later on in Ephesians, the image is described in terms of a husband and a wife. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.960 We are joined together and united in that way. 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:16.520 So if you are a Christian, you are his body, you're his bride, his branches, his friend, 00:10:16.520 --> 00:10:24.400 his brother, his sister, you're no longer in the realm of sin, you are in Christ Jesus. 00:10:24.400 --> 00:10:28.560 And that wee word in is wonderful. 00:10:28.560 --> 00:10:30.800 As I'm sure you all know, it's a preposition. 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:35.759 So it quite simply tells you where you are and it tells you where you aren't. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:40.279 So I've got a very complicated diagram for you to look at here. 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:42.000 Here is a box. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:48.079 And if you think about the box, you could apply all sorts of different prepositions to that 00:10:48.079 --> 00:10:52.240 box which will describe your relationship to that box. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.719 So you can say that you're near the box. 00:10:54.719 --> 00:10:56.279 You could say that you're at the box. 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:57.719 You could say that you're on the box. 00:10:57.719 --> 00:10:58.959 You could say you're with the box. 00:10:58.959 --> 00:11:00.439 You could say you're beside the box. 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:04.680 These are all describing different aspects of being somehow connected to the box. 00:11:04.680 --> 00:11:08.720 They're all different, interesting prepositions. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:13.760 But in is different. 00:11:13.760 --> 00:11:18.120 Because in is in, which do you know what I mean? 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:25.800 If you are in something, you are bound up with it and connected to it in an altogether 00:11:25.800 --> 00:11:27.640 different way. 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:30.759 So when you become a Christian, you're not near Christ. 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:31.759 You're not at Christ. 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:32.759 You're not on Christ. 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:33.759 You're not with Christ. 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:34.759 You're not beside Christ. 00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:39.399 You're in Christ. 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:48.319 And that conveys the deepest level of connection because you cannot get more closely bound up 00:11:48.319 --> 00:11:54.200 with Jesus than to be in Him. 00:11:54.200 --> 00:12:00.400 And one of the wonderful things about being in something is that you remain there no matter 00:12:00.400 --> 00:12:02.879 which way you turn. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:06.600 And there's a wee image of the security you have as a believer. 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:11.520 If you're near Jesus, you could come close to Him and then you could maybe turn and wander 00:12:11.520 --> 00:12:12.520 away. 00:12:12.520 --> 00:12:15.920 If you're beside Jesus, you could be close to Him, but you could turn and then you could 00:12:15.920 --> 00:12:16.920 wander away. 00:12:16.920 --> 00:12:20.440 But if you're in, no matter how much you turn around and get lost and think and do stupid 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:25.600 things, you can't actually escape from being in Him and under His care. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:32.240 You're utterly secure, utterly safe, utterly bound up in Him. 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:36.560 And so our status as being in Christ tells us where we now are. 00:12:36.560 --> 00:12:41.360 We are in Him as part of His body. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.680 But it also tells you where you are not. 00:12:44.680 --> 00:12:49.120 Because the fact that we are in Christ means that we are no longer in the realm of sin. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:50.600 We're no longer strangers. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:52.759 We're no longer enemies. 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:55.360 We are no longer lost. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:01.159 If we are in Christ, we are utterly bound up with Him. 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:05.560 And all of this ties in with another important word that Paul uses in Philippians 1, because 00:13:05.560 --> 00:13:08.879 he talks about all... 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:13.639 When he addresses the Philippians, he talks about them as saints. 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:14.879 And that's a very important word. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:19.279 He addresses to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:23.000 Now we're familiar with the word saints, but we probably tend to use it in a way that Paul 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.279 doesn't. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:30.439 Because today we use the word saint to describe a particularly great Christian. 00:13:30.439 --> 00:13:33.799 So Paul himself is known as Saint Paul. 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:37.279 Colomba is known as Saint Colomba. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:39.679 Very important saints are referred to... 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:42.799 Very important Christians are referred to with this title, saint. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:47.439 But notice, look at that verse because it says something really interesting. 00:13:47.439 --> 00:13:55.319 It says Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who 00:13:55.319 --> 00:13:57.279 are at Philippi. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:04.199 So according to Paul, the saints are all the Christians to whom he is writing. 00:14:04.199 --> 00:14:09.199 And not only that, the big names, the famous names in that verse, Paul and Timothy, they 00:14:09.199 --> 00:14:12.439 are not described as saints. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:20.920 They're described as servants, which raises a very important point that in God's kingdom 00:14:20.920 --> 00:14:24.760 every believer is a saint. 00:14:24.760 --> 00:14:32.600 But if you want to be really important, you should become a servant. 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:36.400 So that word saint applies to all believers. 00:14:36.400 --> 00:14:38.440 But again we have to ask what does that mean? 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:43.680 Well the word saint is a really interesting word because it comes from the word holy. 00:14:43.680 --> 00:14:51.520 So we use the word sanctification, which comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means holy. 00:14:51.520 --> 00:14:56.200 And when we talk about sanctification, we could really be talking about holinessification, 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:57.200 if you like. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:00.480 And so a saint is simply a holy one. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:05.720 And someone who's being sanctified is someone who's becoming more and more holy. 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.200 And that word holy means to be set apart. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:13.840 A saint is one who has been set apart. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:20.920 So when we are saved, we are transferred from one realm to another. 00:15:20.920 --> 00:15:27.040 We're transferred from the unholy realm of sin into God's holy kingdom, from darkness 00:15:27.040 --> 00:15:30.440 to light, from death to life. 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.960 And so when we are saved, a change takes place. 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:38.759 By nature we are in a realm of darkness, in a realm of sin, but through faith in Christ 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:45.920 Jesus we're transferred into God's kingdom to a new and different way. 00:15:45.920 --> 00:15:49.280 So if you're a Christian, you're a saint. 00:15:49.280 --> 00:15:52.400 If you're a saint, you have been set apart. 00:15:52.400 --> 00:15:57.200 You've been placed in a new realm, in a new place. 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:00.160 Where is that place? 00:16:00.160 --> 00:16:03.560 It's in Christ. 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:06.639 So the word saint tells you that you've been set apart. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:11.759 The phrase in Christ tells you where you have been set apart to. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:15.639 In other words, we're saints because we're in a new place. 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:18.599 We are in Christ. 00:16:18.599 --> 00:16:25.439 And all of this highlights the immense blessings that are ours through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:16:25.439 --> 00:16:30.759 The fact that we are united to Him, it tells you some amazingly important things. 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:35.840 Think of how precious that makes you as a Christian. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:39.919 If you think about the unions that we have in terms of our human relationships, if you 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:47.000 think about the connection between a husband and a wife, or between a parent and a child, 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:50.919 I think one of the only ways you can describe the depth of connection is to say that that 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:54.519 person becomes part of you. 00:16:54.519 --> 00:17:00.399 It's very hard to describe, but I think I'm sure everybody here will know what I mean, 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:06.440 that somebody who you are united to in marriage, or somebody who you are united to as a parent, 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:10.879 it's as though that person is part of you. 00:17:10.879 --> 00:17:16.839 And if that person wasn't there, then part of you is missing. 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:24.759 The doctrine of union with Christ tells us that that's how Jesus views you. 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:28.759 And that is utterly astonishing. 00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:33.599 And so if Christ lost you, which He can't, because that's impossible, but supposing He 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:40.079 could, then something essential to Him would be missing. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:44.200 That's how incredibly precious you are to Him. 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:47.519 Think of the protection that it gives you to be in Christ. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:50.319 You think of that box, you are in Christ. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:57.039 So if the devil wants to get to the Christian, he has to go through Jesus Christ. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.839 And that's impossible. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:04.039 And think of the extraordinary privileges that we have. 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:13.319 So if we are united to Jesus, it means that everything that is His is your. 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:17.119 That's why the Bible describes us as joint airs with Christ. 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:23.680 So we have a share in His kingdom, in His love, in His glory, in His family, in His righteousness, 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:29.039 in His peace, in His access to the Father. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:33.920 You think of everything that the Bible describes about Jesus. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:37.360 You are united to Him in all of that. 00:18:37.360 --> 00:18:42.759 A great example is the passage we read in the morning as our call to worship in Philippians 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:43.759 2. 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:45.240 You read about what it says there about Jesus. 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:49.960 Been found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:54.079 So you think of Jesus, He comes down from heaven, He takes up human form. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:59.360 He humbles Himself, obeys God, which involves a downward path all the way to death, even 00:18:59.360 --> 00:19:00.840 death and across. 00:19:00.840 --> 00:19:06.960 From that, there's a path of exaltation where God has highly exalted Him, placed on Him 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:12.519 the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow 00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:16.440 in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:24.840 You are united to Jesus in everything that that describes. 00:19:24.840 --> 00:19:34.519 So that death, that resurrection and all the power that lies behind that, you are united 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:36.880 to that. 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:42.440 He is Lord and you are His. 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:46.960 And it's very important to remember this in terms of our Christian self-esteem, because 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:52.000 so often we can look at ourselves and we can feel so easily discouraged. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:55.440 We look at ourselves and we think, you know, we're worthless, we're useless, we muck up 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:02.080 so much, we're so far from what we should be in and our identity can be so clouded by 00:20:02.080 --> 00:20:04.279 our failings and our weaknesses. 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:09.640 But of course, all of that is theologically untrue. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:17.280 Because your identity, if you are a Christian, is in Christ. 00:20:17.280 --> 00:20:25.400 So if you want to look at yourself and see what you truly are, then you can only do that 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:29.000 by looking at Jesus Christ. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:32.040 Because that's really where you are. 00:20:32.040 --> 00:20:38.800 You are united to Him in an unbreakable relationship. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.799 When we go through our lives from Monday to Friday as Christians, we can be discouraged 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:46.480 and frustrated and we feel that often we're mucking up. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:51.039 And sometimes we can come to the conclusion where we say, I'm not in a good place. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:55.639 Maybe you've used that phrase yourself, you think yourself, I'm not in a good place. 00:20:55.639 --> 00:20:59.759 And I can understand why people say that and there's an element in which that's a fair 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:06.399 comment because sometimes we do get into bad habits, we sometimes do things that are unhelpful. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:13.440 But there is an important sense in which that statement is not true. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:18.759 Because a Christian can never really say, I'm not in a good place. 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:27.440 All a Christian can really say is, I've forgotten the amazing place where I really am. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:33.560 Because you are united to Jesus. 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:38.879 And of course there's an ethical application for that in terms of our lives because our 00:21:38.879 --> 00:21:42.679 union with Christ should really motivate us to shun sin. 00:21:42.679 --> 00:21:45.599 We go through life as Monday to Friday as Christians. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.559 We do that united to Christ. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:54.359 So where you go on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, you're going to be 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:57.279 taking Jesus with you. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:01.559 You're carrying His name with you. 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:06.559 And what we want is to reach the point where we will always say to ourselves, I am united 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.559 to Christ. 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:11.559 How could I sin against Him? 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:12.960 How could I speak like that? 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.679 How could I go there and do this? 00:22:14.679 --> 00:22:16.799 How could I do that sort of thing? 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:24.519 It's so important that we remember how bound, how closely bound up we are to Jesus. 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:27.759 And this is of course one of the situations where theology and feelings can come into 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:29.599 conflict. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:33.439 Because often we feel like Jesus is far away and often we can think to yourself, well Thomas, 00:22:33.439 --> 00:22:36.159 this sounds all a wee bit over the top. 00:22:36.159 --> 00:22:40.359 Surely the exalted Jesus who is sitting at the right hand of God the Father and who reigns 00:22:40.359 --> 00:22:48.559 over all the universe, surely I'm not that close to Him. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.199 Surely I'm not that important to Him. 00:22:53.199 --> 00:22:59.279 Surely the connection cannot be that close. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:04.200 Well if you struggle with this concept, I want you to listen to the words that Jesus 00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:06.799 himself prayed in John 17. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:12.559 He said, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:13.559 their word. 00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:19.680 So that's you, every single Christian in here, that they may all be one just as you, Father, 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:27.039 are in me, and I in you, that they may also be in us. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:30.480 So that the world may believe that you've sent me. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:34.159 The glory that you've given me, I have given to them. 00:23:34.159 --> 00:23:36.200 That they may be one even as we are one. 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:41.960 I in them and you in me, that they may be perfectly one. 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:49.759 So that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:55.119 Now that is utterly amazing. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:24:00.919 She asked Jesus, what's your dream, Lord Jesus, what's your ambition, what's your goal? 00:24:00.919 --> 00:24:14.119 It's to have people like you in me to be bound up in a way that is so incredibly close. 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:16.919 And that's what we all need. 00:24:16.919 --> 00:24:24.119 And for those who are maybe not yet a Christian, that's what Jesus wants for you. 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:26.399 That's what the gospel offers you. 00:24:26.399 --> 00:24:35.879 Jesus is saying, you can be united to me and everything that I have done. 00:24:35.879 --> 00:24:38.519 That's how Christianity works. 00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:42.399 That's what the gospel is offering you. 00:24:42.399 --> 00:24:46.759 We are in Christ. 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:52.079 But I also want us to look at the other in that we find in this verse. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:59.199 Here it is in Christ, but they are also in Philippi, which is kind of really different, 00:24:59.199 --> 00:25:01.879 but really interesting and really important. 00:25:01.879 --> 00:25:02.879 Here's a little test. 00:25:02.879 --> 00:25:03.879 Where's Philippi? 00:25:03.879 --> 00:25:06.119 Can you see it? 00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:07.359 Who knows where Philippi is? 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:09.439 Can you find it there on the map? 00:25:09.439 --> 00:25:10.439 Yes? 00:25:10.439 --> 00:25:11.439 No? 00:25:11.439 --> 00:25:12.439 Yes? 00:25:12.439 --> 00:25:13.439 Okay. 00:25:13.439 --> 00:25:16.960 It's way up top left corner in the orange bit. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.960 You can see it there. 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:23.480 The writing is very, very small, but it's way up there just in the northeastern part 00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:25.480 of Macedonia. 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:30.680 And that, of course, is the physical geographic location of these believers. 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:35.920 This, of course, is the first church that Paul himself planted in mainland Europe, an 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:39.480 act of chapter 16 on his second missionary journey. 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:41.840 And Paul's got a huge affection for this church. 00:25:41.840 --> 00:25:47.680 We read about how he says how he yearns for them with all the affection in Christ, with 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:50.160 all the affection of Christ Jesus. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:54.799 But I want us to just to recognize the fact that these Christians are in a specific location. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:58.080 They are in Philippi. 00:25:58.080 --> 00:25:59.080 Why is that so important? 00:25:59.080 --> 00:26:02.799 Well, I think there's two things that are particularly important. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.440 First, it teaches a very important lesson about the church. 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:11.680 Paul talks about the saints, the ones who are in Philippi. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:16.680 But implicitly behind that is the fact that they're saints in other places. 00:26:16.680 --> 00:26:21.240 And as Paul writes to these saints, he's highlighting the fact that, yes, they are in a specific 00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:30.400 location, but they are part of a wider body of believers who altogether make up one church. 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:32.880 So Paul's in Rome as he writes this letter. 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:37.480 But as he writes to these believers, he's showing that there is a wonderful connection 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:39.279 that exists across the Christian church. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:43.000 In fact, one of the reasons why he wrote this letter is because the Philippians had sent 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:47.799 them a gift and he wanted to return his thanks to them. 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:51.039 And so as we read the Old Testament, we see different churches scattered in different 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:55.160 places, but they did not exist as isolated independent bodies. 00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:59.240 There's a strong close connection between them. 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:04.400 They always want to keep in touch with one another. 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:09.440 And it's important to remember that when Paul thinks about all these different churches, 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.480 he didn't think of a church in Rome. 00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:16.519 He didn't think of a church in Philippi and another church in places like Ephesus. 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:26.559 He thought of one church with branches in different locations. 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:34.279 And of course, that reminds us of a very important biblical principle which nowadays, 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:40.880 I suppose, seems long forgotten and is maybe almost a wee bit controversial. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:52.120 But we must remember and recognize that separate denominations is an unbiblical concept. 00:27:52.120 --> 00:27:57.760 And I know that it's complicated and I don't want to sound like I'm being sort of overly 00:27:57.760 --> 00:28:09.880 simplistic, but we should always remember that our baseline view of church, our foundational 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:15.760 ecclesiology, our foundational understanding of the church is that there is one church 00:28:15.760 --> 00:28:22.640 and that division, isolation, separation, hostility is wrong. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:27.160 That's the biblical position and that's what we want to always maintain. 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:31.960 And of course, that's backed up by what we've just been discussing. 00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:37.240 Because if we are in Christ, if you are in Christ, if St. Columbus Free Church are in 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:43.359 Christ, of course, so is every other believer on this planet. 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:50.039 And so we're not just connected to him, we're connected to one another through our union 00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:51.319 with Christ. 00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:56.839 That should shape the way we view one another, that should shape how we view the church, 00:28:56.839 --> 00:29:01.160 and that should always be our foundational position. 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:05.839 And it's reminding us of the wonderfully important point that Christianity is ultimately not 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:13.279 about me or you, it's about us. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:17.959 We are not set apart in order to be isolated. 00:29:17.959 --> 00:29:24.359 We are set apart to come together as a new people, a new kingdom, a new family. 00:29:24.359 --> 00:29:27.559 The church of God is one church. 00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:35.399 But as Paul is telling us, different parts of that church are located in different places. 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:40.320 So although our ecclesiology is collective in the sense that there is, that we emphasize 00:29:40.320 --> 00:29:44.320 the unity of the church, there's also the specific emphasis on the fact that the church 00:29:44.320 --> 00:29:47.640 is found in particular places. 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:53.720 And so when Paul wrote to the church here, he was writing to that part of the one church 00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:55.200 that wasn't Philippi. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:30:01.560 And we today are part of that one church that is here in Edinburgh. 00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:07.319 And we are here to serve as part of that worldwide body. 00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:11.559 And that leads us on to the second thing I want to say about the phrase, in Philippi. 00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:17.679 And that little phrase, that word in, in Philippi, is really important not just in terms of ecclesiology, 00:30:17.679 --> 00:30:21.440 but also in terms of our mission. 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:23.559 Because these believers were in Philippi. 00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:28.919 In other words, they were in a specific location surrounded by people who desperately needed 00:30:28.919 --> 00:30:30.679 to hear the gospel. 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:32.400 They were in a mission field. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:34.640 Philippi was a mission field. 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:38.840 And Paul is emphasizing to them that they're not to live in isolation from the West, rest 00:30:38.840 --> 00:30:39.840 of the world. 00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:45.000 They were in Philippi, which means they had a huge opportunity to witness and to serve 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:46.000 there. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:51.640 And of course, exactly the same is true of you and me. 00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:54.440 Because we are in Edinburgh. 00:30:54.440 --> 00:31:01.680 We are in Scotland, and Scotland is a massive mission field. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:07.200 And this is where we come back to that little word, saints, again. 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:14.039 Because you, as a Christian, you as Christians, you are saints in Edinburgh. 00:31:14.039 --> 00:31:20.160 And this is where I want us to kind of conclude our study on Christians from Monday to Friday. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:24.560 Going through this week, you are going to be saints in Edinburgh, or wherever it is 00:31:24.560 --> 00:31:28.040 that you'll spend Monday to Friday this week. 00:31:28.040 --> 00:31:33.720 And that means that the way we live must reflect that. 00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:40.120 If we are in Edinburgh, then people can see us. 00:31:40.120 --> 00:31:43.400 People can observe the way we live our lives. 00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:50.519 And our conduct must be such that they can see that we are saints. 00:31:50.519 --> 00:31:52.120 Paul speaks of that in verse 27. 00:31:52.120 --> 00:31:58.400 He says, let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:06.000 How is that for a challenge from Monday to Friday? 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:11.200 That your manner of life would be worthy of the gospel. 00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:15.000 And that's why, as Christians, we live with this crucial balance between being in the 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.120 world so that we're in touch with people, that we're in contact with people, but at 00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:23.559 the same time, we have got to be different. 00:32:23.559 --> 00:32:26.759 We are saints, so we are set apart. 00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:28.039 We belong to a different way. 00:32:28.039 --> 00:32:30.200 So the rest of the world is here. 00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:32.960 Saints have been transferred to a different place. 00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:36.279 We are now different. 00:32:36.279 --> 00:32:38.680 And we have to show that we are different. 00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:41.160 We have to show that we belong to a different way. 00:32:41.160 --> 00:32:44.440 So if the world is going to be selfish, we are not going to be. 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:47.320 If the world is going to be greedy, we are not going to be. 00:32:47.320 --> 00:32:50.680 If the world is going to be easily angered, we are not going to be. 00:32:50.680 --> 00:32:55.480 If the world is going to do what is right in its own eyes, we are not going to be. 00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:57.800 Our conduct must be different. 00:32:57.800 --> 00:33:04.320 Our faith and our union with Christ has got to shape the way we live, from Monday to Friday. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:11.960 But people need to be able to see that we are different. 00:33:11.960 --> 00:33:14.720 And that's why we've got to be in the world. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:16.000 Can't separate ourselves. 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:20.319 That's why Monday to Friday is so important, because that's where you're going to be seen, 00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:22.799 and that's where the contact is going to be made. 00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:24.599 So we've got to be involved. 00:33:24.599 --> 00:33:29.240 We've got to be in contact through work and studies and community and whatever else we're 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.240 involved in. 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:35.799 To be in the streets and clubs and activities and hobbies of Edinburgh, we've got to be 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:39.160 in the workplaces, in the lecture theatres, in all of these places. 00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:40.480 We've got to be there. 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:43.799 If we keep our distance, people are not going to see what we're like. 00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:46.599 They're probably going to jump to the wrong conclusions about us. 00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:51.599 But what we must remember, and the rule that we have to take with us, is that we need to 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:57.519 be involved, but be different. 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:02.680 Be involved with the world around you, but be different. 00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:04.039 And both of these are essential. 00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:06.279 We must not neglect either. 00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:10.280 We're never going to reach the people around us if we keep ourselves separate, if we have 00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:14.199 no contact Monday to Friday. 00:34:14.199 --> 00:34:18.320 If we stand back and give the impression that we're just superior, then it's only going 00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:20.239 to alienate people. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:24.800 But neither are we going to have any influence on people around us if we involve ourselves, 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.440 and we're no different. 00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:32.480 If we go about Monday to Friday like everybody else goes about Monday to Friday, then they're 00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:35.720 not going to see anything. 00:34:35.720 --> 00:34:37.880 And so go for it. 00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:39.280 Go for it. 00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:43.519 If you like football, be in the football team, but be different. 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:44.519 Don't swear. 00:34:44.519 --> 00:34:45.519 Don't curse. 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:48.320 Don't have a go at somebody who makes a mistake. 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:52.920 If you like to sing in a choir, or if you like to play tennis, or if you like to go and 00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:59.680 involve yourself in a youth club or whatever it may be, go and do it, but be different. 00:34:59.680 --> 00:35:03.159 If you're going to have friends who are non-Christians, be their friend. 00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:05.800 Go for it, but be different. 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:10.200 Share their hobbies, share their interests, have fun, laugh together, but be different. 00:35:10.200 --> 00:35:15.559 If your friends are going to step over the line of appropriate behavior, be different 00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:17.480 and stand back. 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:19.360 Be involved in people's lives. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:21.280 Be involved in this community. 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:23.000 Be involved in your workplace. 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:35.080 Be in Edinburgh, but always, always, always be a saint while you're doing it, because 00:35:35.080 --> 00:35:37.960 that's what you are. 00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:48.240 You're a saint in Christ Jesus, and you're a saint in Edinburgh. 00:35:48.239 --> 00:35:53.359 And that's really what we need to take with us, I think, into Monday and Friday every 00:35:53.359 --> 00:35:55.159 week. 00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:59.239 We need to remember that we are united to Jesus Christ. 00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:04.559 Remember the security and the blessing and the hope and the comfort that that brings you, 00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:07.759 like nothing else. 00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:19.800 But Jesus needs you in Edinburgh, needs you on Monday to Friday in your job, in your hobbies, 00:36:19.800 --> 00:36:22.080 in your school. 00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:24.360 That's where he needs you. 00:36:24.360 --> 00:36:30.600 And so by his grace, we want to always live every moment of our lives, remembering that 00:36:30.600 --> 00:36:36.400 we're in Christ, that we're in Edinburgh, that it's all for him. 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:39.039 Let's pray. 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:47.079 Dear God, our Father in heaven, we thank you so much for the amazing privilege of being 00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:56.039 in Christ, and for the security and comfort and hope that that gives us, and for the amazing 00:36:56.039 --> 00:37:00.639 privilege of having that bond with you that is so close. 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:09.559 But we are also conscious that just as the believers we read about were in Philippi, 00:37:09.559 --> 00:37:15.440 so now we are here in Edinburgh, we are here in Scotland. 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:18.039 And Lord, we pray that you'd use us. 00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:24.039 And we pray that you'd have mercy on this city and on this nation. 00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:30.159 And we pray that we would go from Monday to Friday every week, living in a way that shows 00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:37.639 that we are different, that shows that we love you and that we love others. 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:42.199 And we pray that through all of that you would be bringing more and more and more people 00:37:42.199 --> 00:37:44.000 into your kingdom. 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:46.000 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:37:46.000 --> 00:38:02.000 Amen.