Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Paul does not stop with holydissatisfaction. He moves immediately to holy determination. Listen tothe rest of verse 12: “But I press on, that I may lay hold of that for whichChrist Jesus has also laid hold of me”.  Inother words, Paul says, "I haven't arrived, but I am pursuing. Ihaven't reached the finish line, but I am still running." There is atremendous difference between being dissatisfied and being discouraged. Somepeople look at their spiritual weaknesses and simply give up. Paul looked athis weaknesses and became more determined than ever to keep growing. Thephrase, “I press on,” is a strong word. It is the same word often translated"pursue" or even "follow after." Ironically, it was thesame word Paul used earlier when he described how he once persecuted thechurch. Before his conversion, Paul pursued Christians with relentless zeal.Now he pursues Christ with that same passion and intensity. What atransformation! The energy that once opposed Christ now serves Christ.                                                                                                                                                                        Thisreminds us that Christianity is not passive. We are not called merely to sitand drift through life. We are called to pursue Christ. The writer of Hebrewssaid: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, lookingunto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Noticethat Paul did not say, “I am waiting around.” He said, “that I may lay hold”.The Christian life is often compared to a race. A runner does not reach thefinish line accidentally. He runs intentionally. He trains. He disciplineshimself. He keeps moving forward even when he is tired. Paul understood thatspiritual growth requires effort. Not effort to earn salvation, but effortbecause we are saved. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul wrote: “Work out your ownsalvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to willand to do for His good pleasure.” God works in us, and we cooperate withHis work by pursuing Him wholeheartedly. ThenPaul gives the reason for his pursuit: “that I may lay hold of that forwhich Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...” The word “lay hold of”means to seize, grasp, to apprehend, or make one's own. Paul is saying, “Iwant to lay hold of the very purpose for which Christ laid hold of me.” Thinkback to the Damascus Road. Paul was traveling to persecute believers whensuddenly the risen Christ stopped him in his tracks. Jesus literally seizedPaul's life and changed his direction forever. Paul never forgot that day. Heknew Christ had saved him for a purpose. He knew Christ had not rescued himmerely to take him to heaven someday. Christ had a plan for his life here andnow. Thesame is true for every believer. God did not save us simply to forgive oursins. He saved us so that we might know Him, serve Him, glorify Him, and becomelike His Son. Romans 8:29 tells us: “For whom He foreknew, He alsopredestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God's goal for everyChristian is Christlikeness. Paul knew he had not yet fully become what Godintended him to be. Therefore, he kept pressing on.  Perhapstoday you feel frustrated by your spiritual progress. Maybe you see habits thatstill need to change. Maybe you struggle with the same temptations you'vebattled for years.  The question is not whether you havearrived. The question is whether you are still pressing on. Are you growing inyour knowledge of God's Word? Are you becoming more like Christ? Are youpursuing Him more today than you were a year ago? The Christian who stopsgrowing soon begins drifting. The Christian who keeps pursuing Christ continuesexperiencing His transforming power. Remember, the goal is not simply to knowabout Christ. The goal is to know Christ Himself.

Todaywe begin a new section in Philippians chapter 3. In the previous verses, Paulhas been sharing the great passion of his heart when he said, "That I mayknow Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of Hissufferings." Now, as we come to Philippians 3:12, Paul begins to describehis pursuit of Christ. He writes: "Not as though I had alreadyattained, either were already perfect..." Paul gives us one of themost important secrets of spiritual growth, and it is surprisingly simple. Thesecret is this: never become satisfied with where you are spiritually. Nowthink about who is making this statement. This is not a new convert. This isnot a believer who has only been walking with Christ for a few months. This isthe Apostle Paul. By the time he writes Philippians, Paul has walked withChrist for nearly thirty years. And yet, Paul says: "Not as though Ihad already attained, either were already perfect." The word"perfect" here does not mean sinless perfection. It means complete,finished, mature, or having fully arrived at the goal. Paulis saying, "I have not crossed the finish line yet. God's work in my lifeis not complete." What humility! The very man we would probably considerone of the greatest Christians who ever lived looked at himself and said,"I still have room to grow." One of the surest marks of spiritualmaturity is realizing how much more maturity is needed. The closer we get toJesus, the more clearly we see areas in our lives that need His transforminggrace. Have you ever noticed that when you first clean a window, it lookspretty good? But when the sunlight shines through it, suddenly you noticestreaks and smudges you never saw before.  1John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we havefellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses usfrom all sin.”  The closer we walkwith Christ, the brighter His light shines on our hearts. We begin to seeattitudes, motives, habits, and weaknesses that need to change. That does notdiscourage a growing Christian. Instead, it motivates him. Paul had what wemight call a holy dissatisfaction. He was satisfied with Christ, but he was notsatisfied with his own spiritual progress. There is a tremendous differencebetween those two things. Paul had found complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ,but he still longed to know Him more deeply, love Him more fully, and serve Himmore faithfully. Sadly,one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is spiritual complacency. Thechurch at Laodicea is a perfect example. In Revelation 3:17 they said: "Iam rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."ButJesus saw them differently. He said they were: "Wretched, miserable, poor,blind, and naked."  They thoughtthey had arrived when in reality they were far from where they needed to be.That danger still exists today.  Sometimeswe compare ourselves with other Christians instead of comparing ourselves withChrist. Paul never compared himself to other believers.He compared himself to Jesus Christ. And when you compare yourself to Jesus,there is always room to grow. Psalm42:1-2 gives us a beautiful picture of holy dissatisfaction: "As thedeer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soulthirsts for God, for the living God." The psalmist was not contentwith yesterday's fellowship. He longed for more of God today. That was Paul'sattitude. That should be our attitude as well. A satisfied Christian is often astagnant Christian. The Christian race is not over until we see Jesus face toface. There are still lessons to learn, victories to win, prayers to pray,people to reach, and ways to become more like Christ. So let us embrace whatPaul embraced—a holy dissatisfaction that keeps us pursuing Christ every day ofour lives. 

Today we come to one of the most remarkable statements, andperhaps one of the most quoted, made by the Apostle Paul. In Philippians3:10-11, he writes: "That I may know Him and the power ofHis resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Hisdeath, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Afterstudying verse 9, we learned about the great exchange. Paul had received arighteousness not his own. He had been justified by faith and accepted by Godthrough Jesus Christ. Now,in verses 10 and 11, Paul moves from justification to sanctification. He movesfrom being found in Christ to growing in Christ. Notice the first phrase: "ThatI may know Him." These words reveal the passion of Paul's heart. Thinkabout who is speaking here. This is not a new convert. This is not a youngbeliever just beginning his Christian journey. This is the Apostle Paul, a manwho had walked with Christ for nearly thirty years. He had preached the gospelacross the Roman Empire. He had suffered greatly for Christ. Yet after all those years, hisgreatest desire remained the same: "That I may know Him." Theword "know" here speaks of personal, intimate, experiential knowledgeof Jesus Christ. Paul was not asking for more information about Jesus. Hewanted a deeper relationship with Him. This is the goal of the Christian life.  Sometimeswe become more interested in knowing about God than actually knowing God. Welearn Bible facts, study Bible doctrines, and memorize Bible verses, yet weneglect a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merelyabout information. It is about transformation through a daily relationship withJesus Christ.  ThenPaul says: "And the power of His resurrection." What does this mean? Paulwanted to experience the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Theresurrection was not merely a historical event. It is a present reality in thelife of every believer. Romans 8:11 tells us: "But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from thedead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou." Think about that. The power of Christ's resurrection gives usvictory over sin. It gives us strength for daily living. It gives us courage intimes of trial. It gives us hope when circumstances seem impossible. Pauldoes not stop there. He also says: "And the fellowship of Hissufferings." That sounds very different. Most of us want resurrectionpower, but few of us want fellowship in His sufferings. Yet Paul understoodthat suffering often draws us closer to Christ than anything else. When we walkthrough trials, disappointments, hardships, losses, and difficulties, we learnto depend upon the Lord in ways we never would have otherwise. Peter wrote in 1Peter 4:13: "But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ'ssufferings." This does not mean that Christ's sufferings for oursalvation were incomplete. Rather, it means that as we suffer for His sake, weidentify more closely with Him. We often learn more about Jesus Christ in ahospital room than in a classroom, more through tears than through triumphs,and more through trials than during times of ease. ThenPaul says: "Being conformed to His death." Do you know what thismeans? It means that we die toself. We deny ourselves, as Jesus taught, and we learn to walk with Him. Oh, myfriend, may God help us realize that we can walk with Jesus Christ more closelyevery day, enjoy a deeper relationship with Him every day, and become more likeChrist because we are getting to know Him more intimately every day. You see,the Christian life begins by trusting Christ, continues by knowing Christ, andends with being forever with Christ. That is what it means to attain to theresurrection from the dead. We have a glorious and blessed hope. One day wewill see Him, and we will be like Him.

AfterPaul shares what he did in verse 8, he continues in verse 9: "And befound in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but thatwhich is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God byfaith." Oh, what a wonderful verse! Paul has just told us that knowingChrist is the greatest treasure in all the world. Now he explains one of thegreatest blessings that comes from knowing Christ. When we trust Jesus, we arenot only brought into a relationship with Him, but we are given a righteousnessthat we could never produce ourselves.  Noticefirst Paul's negative statement: "Not having my own righteousness,which is from the law." Paul knew all about self-righteousness becauseif anyone could have boasted in religious achievements, it was Paul. Verses 4–6already list his impressive credentials. He was circumcised on the eighth day.He was of the nation of Israel. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was aHebrew of the Hebrews. He was a Pharisee. He was zealous. Outwardly, he wasblameless according to the law. Yet after meeting Jesus Christ, Paul realizedthat all these accomplishments could never make him righteous before a holyGod. Theprophet Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all like anunclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Whata humbling truth. The best that we can produce in our own strength falls farshort of God's perfect standard. You see, religion always says, "Tryharder." But the gospel tells us that Christ has already done what wecould never do. The problem is not that we need a little improvement. Theproblem is that we need a completely new standing before a holy God. Noticewhat Paul desired instead: "But that which is through faith in Christ,the righteousness which is from God by faith." This is whattheologians often call imputed righteousness. That simply means that when weplace our faith in Christ, God credits Christ's righteousness to our account. Thinkof it this way. On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself. In salvation,God places Christ's righteousness upon us. Oh, my friend, what a gloriousexchange! In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read: "For He made Him who knew nosin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God inHim." Jesuslived the perfect life that we could never live. He died the death that wedeserved to die. Then, when we trust Him, God declares us righteous in Hissight. Another word for that is justification. We are justified in the sight ofGod. This is not because of what we have done. It is because of what Christ hasdone. Noticehow many times faith appears in Philippians 3:9: "through faith inChrist" and "from God by faith." Faith is simply theempty hand that receives God's gift. We do not earn righteousness; we receiveit. We do not work for it; we trust Christ for it. We do not achieve it; Godgives it. Martin Luther called this "the great exchange." You knowhis struggle with self-righteousness until the day he discovered the truth ofjustification by faith. This truth ignited the Protestant Reformation andchanged the course of human history. Perhapsone of the most important phrases in this verse is found right at thebeginning: "And be found in Him." Everything Paul desired wasfound in Christ. His acceptance was in Christ. His righteousness was in Christ.His salvation was in Christ. His future hope was in Christ. That is still truetoday, my friend. The question is not whether you are religious enough. Thereal question is whether you are in Christ. Have you stopped trusting in yourown goodness, your own efforts, your own religious performance, and placed yourfaith completely and entirely in Jesus Christ? When you do that, at that verymoment, God places you in Christ through the baptism of His Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:13). Then you stand clothed in Christ's righteousness before aholy God.

Today, I want us to focus on the next phrase: "for theexcellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." This is thereason Paul gladly counted everything else as loss. Nownotice carefully. Paul does not say, "for the excellence ofreligion." He does not say, "for the excellence of theology." Hedoes not say, "for the excellence of church membership." He says,"for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Christianityis not primarily about a system. It is about a Person. It is about Jesus.  Theword "knowledge" here means much more than intellectual information.Paul is not talking about knowing facts about Jesus. He is speaking aboutknowing Jesus intimately and personally. There is a great difference betweenknowing about someone and actually knowing that person. You can read abiography about a famous person and know where that person was born, where theylived, what they did, and so forth. But that does not mean you know thatperson. You see, many people today know about Jesus. They know that He was bornin Bethlehem. They know that He died on the cross. They know that He rose fromthe dead. They know Bible stories and verses. Yet they do not truly know Him. Paulis speaking about a living relationship with a living Christ. Remember whatJesus said in John 17:3. This is a key verse in the New Testament: "Andthis is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and JesusChrist whom You have sent." Notice that eternal life is not merely aplace where we go when we die. It is a relationship that we enter into when wetrust Christ. The Christian life begins by knowing Christ, and it continues byknowing Christ better. Themost wonderful thing about Jesus is that we never reach the end of knowing Him.After decades of serving Christ, Paul still yearned to know Him even more. Infact, later in this chapter, in verse 10, Paul says, "that I may knowHim and the power of His resurrection." Think about it. This is not anew believer talking. This is a man who had walked with Christ for nearlythirty years. Yet his desire was still the same: "that I may knowHim." The more Paul learned about Jesus Christ and walked with Him,the more he wanted to know Him. The more he experienced Christ's faithfulness,the more he loved Christ. The more he understood Christ's grace, the more heworshiped Christ. This is a mark of genuine spiritual growth. Christianityis not simply about learning more Bible facts. It is about growing in apersonal relationship with Jesus Christ. We know Him through His Word. We knowHim through prayer. We know Him through obedience. We know Him throughfellowship with His people. We know Him through the trials that teach us todepend upon Him. We know Him through daily communion with Him. NoticePaul's personal language when he says, "Christ Jesus my Lord."It was not merely Jesus the Lord. It was Jesus my Lord. That is why we can saywith Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Canyou say that? Not merely that Jesus is a Savior. Not merely that Jesus is theSavior. But that Jesus is your Savior and your Lord. Oh, there is a differencebetween knowing about someone and actually knowing that person. The greatesttreasure in all the world is not wealth. It is not success. It is not fame. Itis not even religious achievement. The greatest treasure in life is knowingJesus Christ personally. Thatis why Paul could count everything as loss, because he found somethinginfinitely better. He found a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesuspersonally? If you know Him, are you growing in that relationship? Is your lovefor Jesus Christ increasing daily? Is it your desire to know Him in a deeperway? Oh, my friend, may we be able to say with the Apostle Paul: "forthe excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

Today we continue in Philippians 3:8, where Paul expands uponthe remarkable statement he made in verse 7. There he said: "But whatthings were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." Paullooked at all his religious achievements, his family heritage, his education,his zeal, and his reputation, and he moved them from the profit column to theloss column. Nowhe takes this truth even further. In verse 8, he says: "Yet indeed Ialso count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesusmy Lord." Notice the change. In verse 7, Paul spoke in the past tense.He was describing a decision he made when he met Christ. But now in verse 8, hespeaks in the present tense. He is saying, "I still count all thingsloss." This is no longer merely his testimony of conversion. It is hisdaily perspective on life. Yearshave passed since the Damascus Road experience. Paul has planted churches. Hehas preached the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. He has sufferedpersecution. He was stoned and left for dead on one occasion. He has beenimprisoned. He has experienced countless hardships. Yet after all these years,he has not changed his mind. In fact, Christ has become even more precious tohim. The more Paul knows Jesus, the more convinced he becomes that Christ isworth everything. Noticewhat he says:"I also count all things loss." Not just somethings. Not just his religious achievements.Notjust his former traditions. All things. Because, my friend, anything thatcompetes with Christ for first place in our lives must be surrendered. Paul isnot saying that family, possessions, work, education, friendships, oraccomplishments are evil. Rather, he is saying that compared to Christ, theyare of far less value. Remember,Jesus taught the same truth in Matthew 10:37 when He said: "He wholoves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." The issue isnot whether we love these things. The issue is whether we love Jesus Christsupremely. Think about a young person playing with a handful of pebbles.Suddenly he discovers a diamond worth millions. The pebbles immediately losetheir appeal because something infinitely greater has been found. Thatis exactly what happened to Paul. When he met Jesus Christ, everything else wasput into proper perspective. The world spends its time pursuing wealth,success, pleasure, fame, recognition, and possessions. Yet Paul says that noneof these things compare to Christ. We need to remember that one day everypossession will be left behind. One day every earthly achievement will beforgotten. One day every human accomplishment will fade away. But Jesus Christremains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oneof the great tests of spiritual maturity is this: Is Jesus Christ becoming moreprecious to you with the passing years? Many people become more attached to theworld as they grow older. But Paul became more attached to Jesus Christ. Thelonger he walked with the Lord, the more he valued the Lord. This should betrue of us as well. Every year we live should deepen our love for Christ. Everytrial should increase our dependence upon Christ. Every blessing shouldincrease our gratitude to Christ. Every day should cause us to treasure JesusChrist even more. Let'sthink about something for a moment as we close. What do we value most? Whatoccupies our thoughts? A.W. Tozer once said: "I can tell you what kindof relationship you have with God when you tell me what you are thinking aboutwhen you have nothing else to think about." What are your thoughtsthen? That is a good question we should ask ourselves today. What captures ourheart? What would be the hardest thing for us to surrender today? The answer tothose questions will reveal what we treasure most. Paul's answer was clear: "Ialso count all things loss." Why? Because he had found somethinginfinitely greater. He had discovered Jesus Christ. 

Upto this point, Paul has been describing the things that once gave him greatconfidence before God. If anyone could have boasted in religiousaccomplishments, as we have seen over the last few days, it was Paul. He hadthe right family, the right education, the right religion, the right zeal, andthe right reputation. But then something happened. Paul met Jesus Christ, andeverything changed that day on the road to Damascus. The very things that Paulonce counted as assets, he now viewed as liabilities. The things he once placedin the profit column, he moved to the loss column. Thelanguage Paul uses here comes from the world of accounting and bookkeeping. Itis as though Paul took out a ledger sheet and carefully examined his life. Onone side, he listed all the things he thought would earn him favor with God. Onthe other side, he placed Jesus Christ. When Paul finished his calculations, hediscovered that everything he had trusted in was worthless compared to Christ. Infact, he says, "I have counted loss for Christ." NoticePaul did not merely say that these things were less important. He says theywere loss. Why? Because those things were actually keeping him from seeing hisneed for a Savior. His religion had given him a false sense of security. Hismorality had convinced him that he was righteous enough. His achievements hadfilled him with spiritual pride. The very things he thought were helping himget to God were actually keeping him from God. Thatis why salvation is often so difficult for self-righteous people. The personwho knows he is a sinner is often closer to the kingdom of God than the personwho believes he is already good enough. Jesus illustrated this in Luke 18 withthe Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember, the Pharisee stood and thankedGod that he was not like other men and listed all his religious achievements.The publican, the tax collector, bowed his head, beat his breast, and criedout: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus said that the taxcollector went home justified. Why? Because he recognized his need. Thatis what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 9:11-13 when He called Matthew to beHis disciple. Then He went to Matthew's house to eat. The Pharisees asked,"Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesusreplied: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those whoare sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Myfriend, God cannot fill hands that are already full. As long as we are holdingon to our own righteousness, we cannot receive the righteousness of Christ. Aslong as we trust in ourselves, we cannot fully trust in Him. Thisverse reminds us that becoming a Christian is not merely adding Jesus to ourlives. It is exchanging everything we trust in for Christ alone. In Matthew 13,Jesus told of the man who found the pearl of great price. He went and soldeverything he had to purchase that pearl. That is what we do when we come tounderstand who we are and realize that what we truly need is Jesus Christalone. That is why Paul said, "I have counted loss." Thisspeaks of a deliberate decision. Paulcarefully evaluated his life and came to a settled conclusion. He determinedthat Christ was worth more than anything and everything else put together. Haveyou ever done that? Have you ever come to that place in your life? Today I askyou a personal question: What is in your profit column? What are you dependingon for your acceptance with God? Is it your church membership, your baptism,your good works, your morality, your family heritage? Or are you trusting inJesus Christ alone? The moment we truly see Jesus Christ for who He is,everything else fades into the background. Paul's testimony is simple butpowerful: "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss forChrist."

Paul moves from what he inherited to what he personally achieved. Listento what he says: "As to the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecutingthe church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Thesewere not things that were given to Paul. These were things he worked hard toattain. If anyone could have earned a right standing before God throughreligion, dedication, and moral effort, it was Saul of Tarsus. First,notice that Paul said, "As to the law, a Pharisee." ThePharisees were the strictest religious group in Judaism. There were not many ofthem compared to the population of Israel, but they were highly respected fortheir devotion to the Law. The word Pharisee actually means "separatedone." They separated themselves from anything they believed would makethem spiritually unclean. They carefully studied the Scriptures, observedreligious traditions, and sought to obey every detail of the Law. SoPaul was not merely a religious man. He was a religious leader. In Acts 23:6,he boldly declared, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee." Hehad studied under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel according to Acts 22:3. Hepossessed the finest religious education available in his day. Yet with allthat learning and all that religious devotion, it could not save him. It ispossible to know the Bible intellectually and still not know Jesus Christpersonally. Many people today know Bible stories, memorize verses, and attendchurch regularly, yet they have never experienced the transforming grace ofGod. Knowledge alone cannot save. Secondly,Paul said, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church." Thismight seem shocking to us. How could persecuting Christians be considered acredential? But before his conversion, Paul believed Christians were theenemies of God. He thought he was serving God by trying to destroy the church. Acts8:3 tells us that Saul made havoc of the church, entering houses and draggingmen and women off to prison. In Acts 9, he was on his way to Damascus withauthority to arrest believers when he met the risen Christ. In Acts 26:9-11,when he gave his testimony before Agrippa, he said: “I punished them oftenin every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly enragedagainst them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." Paulwas sincere. He was passionate. He was committed. But he was sincerely wrong. Thisreminds us that sincerity alone is not enough because a person can be sincereand still be lost. A person can be passionate and still be mistaken. The mostimportant question is not how sincere we are. The important question is whetherour faith is based on the truth of Jesus Christ. Today, many people are zealousabout religion, politics, causes, traditions, or philosophies. But zeal withouttruth can lead us far from God. Paul had zeal, but he still needed a Savior. Third,Paul said, "Concerning the righteousness which is in the law,blameless." Notice he did not say sinless. He said blameless. In theeyes of the people around him, Paul lived an exemplary life. No one could pointto some scandalous sin and accuse him of hypocrisy. Outwardly, he appeared tobe everything a religious person should be. If Saul of Tarsus had lived in ourcommunity today, many churches would probably have wanted him to be a deacon, aSunday school teacher, an elder, or a ministry leader. Yet despite all hismorality and religious discipline, he was still lost. Thisis one of the most sobering truths in Scripture. Aperson can be religious and still need salvation. Remember, Jesus said inMatthew 7 that many will come to Him in that day and say, "Lord, Lord,have we not done many wonderful works in Your name?" And Jesus willsay to them, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knewyou." That is sobering. Are you sure—really sure—that you have beenborn again? We need the grace of God and salvation through Christ alone. 

Eachof these statements would have been highly valued by the Judaizers of his day.They believed that these things gave a person standing before God. Paul isabout to show that they do not. First, Paul says he was "circumcisedthe eighth day." This means that Paul was not a convert to Judaismlater in life. He was born into a faithful Jewish family that obeyed the Law ofMoses. According to Genesis 17 and Leviticus 12:3, Jewish male children were tobe circumcised on the eighth day. Paulis saying that from the very beginning he had every religious advantage. He didnot come from a pagan background. He did not enter Judaism as an adult. He wasraised according to the covenant traditions of Israel from infancy. Yet noticesomething very important. Even though Paul had experienced the proper religiousceremony at the proper time, he still needed to be saved.  Thatis a powerful lesson for us today. Many people trust in a ceremony. Some trustin infant baptism. Some trust in confirmation. Some trust in church membership.Others even trust in a profession of faith they made years ago. While thesethings may have their place, none of them can save us. A ceremony can identifyus with a faith community, but only Jesus Christ can save the soul. Paul hadthe right ceremony, but he still needed a Savior. Secondly,Paul said he was "of the stock of Israel." This means hebelonged to God's chosen nation, Israel. He was not a Gentile proselyte. He wasa direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Jews treasured theirnational identity. They knew God had chosen Israel and given them Hiscovenants, His Law, and His promises. Romans 9:4-5 lists many of theseprivileges. Yet Paul learned that being born into the right family could notsave him. Youmay have heard people say—and I certainly have—"My parents wereChristians," or "My grandfather was a pastor," or "I wasraised in church." Those are wonderful blessings. But no one enters heavenon the faith of parents or grandparents. God has no grandchildren.  Third,Paul said he was "of the tribe of Benjamin." This was one ofthe most honored tribes in Israel. Benjamin was the tribe that remained loyalto the house of David when the kingdom divided. Jerusalem was located on theborder of Benjamin's territory. Israel's first king, Saul, came from the tribeof Benjamin. Many Bible scholars even believe that Paul may have been namedSaul because of that connection. The tribe of Benjamin carried a certainprestige among Jewish people.  Finally,Paul said he was "a Hebrew of the Hebrews." This means that Paul hadmaintained the Hebrew culture, language, and traditions. Many of the Jewsthroughout the Roman Empire had adopted Greek customs and language. But Paul'sfamily had remained deeply committed to their Jewish identity.  Religion says,"Look at my family." Religion says, "Look at my heritage." Religionsays, "Look at my traditions." Religion says, "Look at mycredentials." The Gospel says, "Look at Jesus." Paul is buildinghis case carefully. He is showing that if anyone could have earned favor withGod through religious credentials and advantages, it was him. Yet in the versesahead, he will tell us that he counted all these things as loss for Jesus Christ.This is true today as well. You may have been raised in church. You may knowyour Bible. You may have Christian parents. You may even have served inministry as a pastor for many years. ButI am telling you, my friend, as wonderful as these blessings are, ourconfidence must never be in these things. Our confidence must be in JesusChrist alone. I will never forget reading where Billy Graham said, "Thegreatest mission field in the world is in the pews of American churches." Inother words, many people think that because they are sitting in church onSunday morning, they are Christians and on their way to heaven. 

Paul does something very interesting. He anticipates an argumentfrom the Judaizers. They might say, "Paul, you tell people not to trust inthe flesh because you do not have anything in the flesh worth trusting." SoPaul responds in verse 4: "Though I also might have confidence in theflesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I moreso." In other words, Paul is saying that if we are going to comparereligious credentials, family heritage, religious training, zeal, and outwardrighteousness, he can surpass them all. He is about toshow us that everything he once trusted in turned out to be worthless whencompared to knowing Jesus Christ. BeforeChrist saved him, Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus. He was highly educated,deeply religious, and respected by his peers. If anyone could have earnedheaven through religion, surely Saul would have been near the top of the list. Yetnotice what Paul says here. He does not say, “I used to have confidence in theflesh.” He says, “I might have confidence in the flesh.” In other words, ifsalvation could be earned by human effort, he would qualify. If anyone hadreason to trust in religious accomplishments, it was Paul. Thisreminds us of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He came to Jesus with animpressive moral record. He had kept the commandments from his youth. Yetsomething was missing. He had religion, but he did not have Jesus Christ. Manypeople today are just like that rich young ruler. I am concerned about everyonewho listens to this chat because sometimes we trust in our church membership,our baptism, our confirmation, our giving, or our efforts to be a good person.Maybe we trust in the fact that we were raised in a Christian home. Yet none ofthese things can save a person. TheJudaizers believed that faith in Christ was not enough. They insisted that aperson must also keep the Jewish laws and rituals. Paul says, “If that is true,then I win the contest.” But as we will see in the coming verses, Pauldiscovered something that changed his life forever. All those religiousaccomplishments and achievements could never remove a single sin. They couldnever give him peace with God. They could never make him righteous before aholy God. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us: "But we are all like an unclean thing,and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Noticethat Isaiah does not say our sins are filthy rags. He says our righteousnessesare filthy rags. Even the very best we can offer God falls short of His perfectstandard. That is why salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear: "For by grace you have been savedthrough faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,lest anyone should boast." The problem with trusting in the flesh isthat the flesh always gives us something to boast about other than Jesus. If Itrust my goodness, I boast in myself. If I trust my religion, I boast inmyself. If I trust my accomplishments, I boast in myself. But when I trust inChrist alone, all the glory belongs to Jesus. Paul'stestimony reminds us that a person can be sincere and still be lost. He can bereligious and still be lost. He can be moral and still be lost. He can knowScripture and still be lost. The issue is not whether we have religion. Theissue is whether we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we continuestudying this passage, Paul is going to take us through his impressivereligious résumé. Then he is going to show us why he gladly threw it all awayfor the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. What a testimony! Solet me ask you today: What are you trusting in? Are you trusting in somethingyou have done? Or are you trusting completely in Jesus Christ and in Him alone?I pray, my friend, that your trust is in Christ and Christ alone. Remember,true believers worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have noconfidence in the flesh.

Today, we are goingto look at the second mark of a genuine believer: “We rejoice in ChristJesus.” NoticePaul did not say we rejoice in our accomplishments. He did not say we rejoicein our denomination. He did not say we rejoice in our church attendance. Rememberwhen Jesus sent out the seventy-two, two by two, and they came back reportingwhat they had experienced. They said they had seen this and that, and that eventhe demons were subject to them. Jesus said, "Do not rejoice in that,but rejoice in the fact that your name is written in heaven" (Luke10:20). Jesus teaches us that our joy should be found in our relationship toHim. That is what Paul reminds us of here. Theword rejoice literally carries the idea of boasting or glorying in. So what arewe proud of? Jesus! What do we celebrate? Jesus! Who do we talk about? Jesus! Religionboasts about what people do. Christianity boasts about what Christ has done. Rememberthe Pharisee in Luke 18. He prayed, "God, I thank You that I am notlike other men." Then he proceeded to list all of his accomplishments.The publican, however, bowed his face before God, beat his breast, and criedout, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said that manwent home justified rather than the Pharisee who had done so much. You see,true believers boast in Christ alone. Ilove the words of Galatians 6:14: "But God forbid that I should boastexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." So when someone praisesus, we reflect that praise back to God. We thank Him. When something goodhappens in our lives, we thank God. When we see spiritual fruit, we give gloryto God. Why? Because we know where it all came from. Remember, Jesus said inJohn 15:5, "Without Me, you can do nothing." Now,the third mark that distinguishes a genuine believer is probably the mostimportant of all. Paul says here that: “We have no confidence in the flesh.”This statement strikes at the heart of human pride. The flesh refers to ourfallen nature. Paul says that true believers place no confidence in themselves.None. Zero. Our culture today teaches just the opposite. Believe in yourself.Trust yourself. Follow your heart. Depend on your abilities.  Scriptureteaches something very different. Jeremiah 17:9 says: "The heart isdeceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" InRomans 7:18, Paul proclaimed: "For I know that in me (that is, in myflesh) dwells no good thing." The flesh cannot save us. The fleshcannot please God. The flesh cannot produce righteousness. The flesh cannotearn heaven. Only Jesus Christ can do that. John19:30 records the triumphant words from the cross of Calvary, where Jesusproclaimed: "It is finished." Not partly finished. Not almostfinished. But finished. Completely. Totally finished. His death on the crossand His shed blood accomplished propitiation and satisfied God completely forour sins. Everything necessary for salvation was accomplished in Jesus Christ. Thatis why true believers have no confidence in the flesh. Our confidence is not inourselves. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ and in Who He is. The Holy Spiritnow dwells in us, and whatever He leads us to do, we can accomplish because itis God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Solet me ask you a personal question today. Which of these three marks bestdescribes your life? Do you worship God from the heart? Do you rejoice in JesusChrist? Do you have any confidence in the flesh, or is your confidence inChrist alone? Or are you still trusting your own goodness, your churchmembership, your baptism, or your religious activities? My friend, the truebeliever worships God in the Spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and placesabsolutely no confidence in the flesh. That is the difference between religionand a relationship with Christ. 

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Ibelieve this verse is the key verse for this entire chapter. As we talk aboutthe spiritual mind, Paul here gives three distinguishing marks of a genuinebeliever. Howdo you know if your faith is real? How do you know the difference between trueChristianity and mere religion? Today, specifically, we will be looking at thefirst one today. True believers worship God in the Spirit. Paulbegins by saying, "For we are the circumcision." Now rememberthe context. The Judaizers were saying that physical circumcision was necessaryfor salvation. But Paul says, "No, we are the true circumcision." Heis speaking of believers. He is speaking of those who have experienced aninward work of God in the heart. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedlyreminded Israel that He wanted more than outward rituals. Remember Deuteronomy10:16. Moses says: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of yourheart." Jeremiah 4:4 says: "Circumcise yourselves unto theLORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts." Soeven in the Old Testament, God was looking beyond the outward ceremony to theinward condition of the heart. The New Testament makes this very clear inRomans 2:28-29: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly... but he isa Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in theSpirit." My friend, God has never been impressed by religious ritualsalone. A person can be baptized, join a church, attend services every week, andstill not know Christ. Yousee, salvation is not an outward change first. It is an inward transformationthat eventually changes the outward life. The Bible teaches that if we are inChrist, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Thefirst mark of a true believer is this: we worship God in the Spirit. Jesusspoke about this in John chapter 4 when He met the woman at the well. Shewanted to talk about the place of worship. Jesus wanted to talk about theheart. He said: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worshipin spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Yousee, the Pharisees were experts at outward worship. They knew the ceremonies.They knew the rituals. They knew the traditions. But their hearts were far fromGod. They worshiped God with their lips, but their hearts, Jesus said, were farfrom Him. True worship is not merely going through the motions. It is notmerely singing the songs. It is not merely attending church. True worship flowsfrom a heart that has been changed by God's Holy Spirit. Itis possible to sit in church all your life and never truly worship. It is alsopossible to worship God while driving down the road, sitting on a porch, orwalking through a hospital hallway. Worship is the response of a redeemed heartto a wonderful Savior. When God's Holy Spirit lives within us, worship becomesa way of life. Ihave met believers all around the world who had very little materially, yetthey radiated joy and worshiped. I wish you could go to the slums of Bombaywith me and see believers in the midst of unbelievable poverty radiating withjoy. Or meet people in my first pastorate in Winchester Virginia, like Mildred Fahnestock,who was an invalid in a wheelchair with very painful crippling rheumatoidarthritis, yet had the glow of God upon her life. I also think of PhyllisSeverson in my second pastorate in Holland Michigan, who suffered from MS andspent years in a wheelchair. I knew her for many years, and she glowed with theglory of God and worshiped Him from that wheelchair. Myfriend, worship does not depend on circumstances. It depends on a relationshipwith God. This is what we must understand. We worship God in the Spirit. Thatis the first mark of a genuine believer. Do you have that mark today? Let'spray. Father, today, may we worship You in spirit and in truth. We ask this inJesus' name. Amen. 

Paul repeats the word beware three times here. It is as thoughhe is sounding a spiritual alarm. He is saying, “Watch out! Be careful! Payattention!” He uses such strong language because false teaching isdangerous.  Paulis warning the Philippians about a group of false teachers known as theJudaizers. These men seemed to follow the Apostle Paul everywhere he went,spreading their false doctrine. They said, “Jesus is good, but you must alsokeep the Law of Moses. You must be circumcised. You must become Jewish beforeyou can really be saved.” In other words, they were teaching Jesus plussomething. But the true gospel is never Jesus plus anything. The true gospel isJesus alone. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Thechurch council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 settled that question for the earlychurch. But some people refused to listen and continued teaching these things.So Paul describes them with three vivid pictures. First, he calls them “dogs”.When you hear that word, you might think of your beloved family pet. But thatis not the picture here. In Bible times, dogs were wild scavengers that roamedthe streets. They fed on garbage, carried disease, and could be dangerous. Theyoften traveled in packs. Ironically,the Jews often called the Gentiles dogs. But Paul turns that insult around andsays that these false teachers are the real dogs. They kept snapping at theheels of the Apostle Paul as he went about sharing the good news that Christalone saves. They followed him from city to city, barking their false doctrinesand causing confusion among new believers. My friend, false teaching isdangerous because it often sounds very close to the truth. A counterfeit maylook real, but it is still counterfeit. A glass of water may appear pure, butone ounce of poison destroys the whole thing. That is why we must know God'sWord. Second,Paul calls these false teachers “evil workers”. These men appeared to bevery religious. They were busy, sincere, and devoted. But Paul says their workswere actually evil. They were evil workers because they were trusting in humaneffort rather than God's grace alone. They were teaching people to depend onwhat they could do instead of what Christ had already done for them. Titus 3:5says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Hismercy He saves us.” Good works do not produce salvation; good works are theresult of salvation. There is a big difference. The only thing that can save usis the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Third,Paul calls these Judaizers “the mutilation.” This is actually a play onwords. The Judaizers insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation.Paul is saying that when a God-given symbol is turned into a requirement forsalvation, it loses its spiritual meaning and becomes nothing more than aphysical act. The true circumcision is not outward; it is inward. Romans2:28-29 tells us that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed bythe Spirit of God. God has always been interested in the heart. Religionfocuses on outward appearance; God focuses on inward reality.Today,we need discernment. The only way we can have that discernment is by being inGod's Word and filling our hearts and minds with His truth. When we handle thetruth regularly, we immediately recognize false teaching when it appears. Let me encourage you to test everything by Scripture. Know your Bible.Stay close to Jesus. Guard your heart. Never allow anything to take the placeof the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Let'spray. Father, thank You for the simple and glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.Give us discernment in these days when so many voices compete for ourattention. Help us recognize false teaching and stand firmly on the truth ofYour Word. May our confidence rest in Jesusalone. We pray this in His precious name. Amen.

Paulbegins this chapter by saying: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.To write the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.”Now, when Paul says, “Finally,” he is not ending the letter. In fact, hestill has two full chapters to go. The word simply means “furthermore” or “forthe rest.” Paul is introducing a new section of this wonderful book. Thefirst thing Paul says as he introduces this section is, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Thatshould catch our attention because, remember who is writing this? Paul is inprison. He might be executed. He does not know what the future holds for him.Yet he keeps talking about joy. How is that possible? It is because, as we havealready learned, Paul's joy is not found in circumstances. It is found in JesusChrist. Thereis a great difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on whathappens. If things go our way, we are happy. If things do not go our way, webecome unhappy. But joy is different. Joy is rooted in a relationship—ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. It is not based on circumstances. It is notbased on changing things. It is based on the unchanging character of our LordJesus Christ. That means we can have joy even when life is difficult. Thatis why James 1:2 says: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varioustemptations.” Notice, he did not say if you fall into trials. He said when.Trials are a part of life. Difficulties are a part of life. Heartaches are apart of life. But joy can still be a part of life because Jesus is the sameyesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. TheApostle Paul understood that praise changes things. Praising the Lord prevails over the enemy. The rejoicingbeliever discovers God's strength. Now,let me be clear. Rejoicing does not mean we ignore our pain. There may be somepeople listening today, dear friends, who are carrying heavy burdens. Maybe youhave recently received difficult medical news. Perhaps you are strugglingfinancially. Maybe you are carrying a burden for a child or a grandchild. Orperhaps you are grieving the loss of someone you love. Paul does not sayrejoice in those things. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” The Lord is still onHis throne. His love has not changed. His promises have not changed. His powerhas not changed. His faithfulness has not changed. His mercy has not changed. Nomatter what is happening around us, Jesus remains the same. Our joy is not inwhat we possess. Our joy is in Who possesses us—and that is the Lord JesusChrist. Then,as we look at the last part of this verse, Paul says something interesting: “Towrite the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.” Paulwas not afraid to repeat important truths because repetition helps us greatly.We never outgrow the gospel. We never outgrow the cross. We never outgrow ourneed to trust in the Lord. So today, let me ask you a question: What is tryingto rob your joy? Is it a difficult circumstance? A relationship problem? Ahealth concern? Financial pressure? Fear about the future? Then take a fewminutes today and focus on five things that are always true about Jesus. Repeatthem to yourself: His love never fails. His power never diminishes. Hispresence never leaves us. His work on the cross is complete. His return iscertain. When we begin to focus on these truths, I am telling you, joy willrise in our hearts. Joyis not found in perfect circumstances. It is found in a perfect Person—JesusChrist. And that joy can never be taken away. Let'spray together. Father, thank You that our joy is found in You and not in ourcircumstances. Help us to rejoice in the Lord every day when difficulties come.Remind us that You are still on the throne and that Your promises never fail.Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and find our strength and our joy in Himalone. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are going to finish Philippians 2 by looking atverses 28 through 30 where we are talkingabout risking everything for Christ. That is exactly what Epaphroditus did. Aswe have read through this chapter, we have seen how Jesus Christ lefteverything in heaven. He gave up His rights, came down to earth, made Himself aservant, and became obedient even to the death of the cross. As a result, Godhighly exalted Him. We also see the example of the Apostle Paul himself. Paulleft everything in his old life. As we read later in the book of Philippians,he counted it all as dung—a pile of manure—compared to what he gained inChrist. He made the great statement in chapter 1, “For to me, to live isChrist, and to die is gain.” Theexample of Timothy shows us the same truth. Timothy left his family, hisparents, and his friends in the city of Lystra to follow the Apostle Paul andto follow Jesus Christ. Now we come to Epaphroditus. He risked his life and “didnot regard his own life.” The phrase “not regarding his life”carries the idea of taking a great risk. Epaphroditus was willing to riskeverything for Christ. Hecarried the offering from the Philippians to Paul in Rome. The journey waslong. The roads were dangerous. The conditions were difficult. Paul was inprison and could potentially be executed, which meant Epaphroditus might sufferthe same fate. Somewhere along the way, he became gravely ill. He became sosick that it appeared he would die. Yet God had mercy on him and spared hislife. God also had mercy on Paul, sparing him additional sorrow. Yetthrough it all, Epaphroditus continued serving. Remarkably, he was moreconcerned about the people worrying about him than he was about the possibilityof his own death. So Paul tells the Philippians in verse 29: “Receive himtherefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem.” Godhonors His servants. The world honors celebrities. God honors faithfulness. Godhonors sacrifice. God honors those who quietly give themselves in service toothers. He also teaches us to honor those to whom honor is due. (Proverbs 3:27) AsI think about this passage, I am reminded of the famous words of Jim Elliot: “Heis no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Thetruth is that every believer is called to risk something for Jesus Christ.Maybe not our lives, but certainly our comfort, our convenience, ourreputation, our resources, and even our time. The greatest investment we canmake on earth is not in temporal things, but in eternal things. Thatis what Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 4. As he begins that chapter, hewrites: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy,we do not lose heart.” In other words, we do not quit. We do not give up.We do not faint. Then he goes on to say verses 117-18: “For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory... while we do not look at the things which areseen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” RememberPaul on his final journey to Jerusalem in Acts 20:24. The believers repeatedlywarned him that suffering awaited him there. Yet Paul declared: “Nor do Icount my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.” Myfriend, that was true of Paul. It was true of Epaphroditus. May it be true ofus as well. May we be willing to risk everything for the sake of Christ. Let'spray. Father, help us to live courageously for Jesus Christ. Give us heartsthat value eternal things above temporary comforts. May we be willing to spendand be spent for Your glory. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are continuing in Philippians chapter 2, lookingspecifically at verses 26–27. We are talking about Epaphroditus, a wonderfulservant of God from Philippi who was in Rome ministering to the Apostle Paul.We are going to find in this passage that he became very sick and almost died. Whenwe think about Epaphroditus, we are reminded of the four illustrations Paulgives us in Philippians 2 about being a servant, being a surrendered person,and having a submissive mind—the mind of Christ. Iam amazed at the many times in the book of Acts that Jesus is called God'sServant, the Servant of God. As you look through Scripture and history, you seemen like Moses. When Moses died, God referred to him in Joshua 1 as “Moses Myservant.” Then, at the end of the book of Joshua, when Joshua died, Godreferred to him as His servant, Joshua. Oh, my friend, great men and women ofGod are people who make themselves servants of God and serve Him by servingothers. Itis also what the Apostle Paul did. That is what Timothy did. And now we see itin the life of Epaphroditus as we read verses 26 and 27: “Since he waslonging for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and notonly on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Thinkabout this for a moment. Epaphroditus was the one who was sick. In fact, henearly died. Yet he was not primarily concerned about himself. He was concernedthat the Philippians were worried about him. What an incredible spirit! Most ofus naturally focus on ourselves when we are hurting, suffering, or sick. We areoften not thinking about what others might be going through because of ourillness. But Epaphroditus was different. His concern remained fixed on others. Thisreminds us of Jesus in Gethsemane. Even while facing the cross, Jesus thoughtabout His disciples. Even while dying on Calvary, He thought about His mother. Asa matter of fact, the word translated “distressed” in verse 26 is verysignificant. Some translations render it “full of heaviness.” This isthe exact same Greek word used to describe Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane inMatthew 26:37: “…He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed His spiritwas exceedingly heavy.” The burden was so great that Jesus sweat greatdrops of blood..Oh,my friend, we see something of that same spirit in Epaphroditus. Even in hissickness, even when he was near death, his heart was burdened for the believersback in Philippi. He worried because they were worrying about him. But then weread these wonderful words: “God had mercy on him.” God had mercy onEpaphroditus. Whata reminder that we are in God's hands. Even in suffering and sickness, God issovereign over our health. Notice that the passage does not say Paul healedhim. Paul had been used by God to perform miracles. There were times when evenhandkerchiefs associated with Paul were used by God to bring healing. Yet thatis not what happened here. The Scripture simply says, “God had mercy onhim.” Godis sovereign over our health. God is sovereign over our circumstances. God issovereign over our future. Sometimes God heals. Sometimes He sustains us in themidst of our sickness. But God is always faithful. He will never allow us tosuffer beyond His purposes for our lives, and He will always provide the gracewe need for every trial. Today,perhaps you are carrying a burden. Maybe you are facing an illness. Maybe youhave come to a place of discouragement in your life. I want you to know thatjust as God had mercy on Epaphroditus, God has not forgotten you. He knows yourneed today. He knows your suffering. And even in the midst of your suffering,God can still use you to encourage others through your service. What awonderful blessing to know that God has a perfect plan, even in the midst ofsickness and hardship.

Today we are continuing in Philippians 2, and we are lookingat verse 25, where the Apostle Paul writes: “Yet I consider it necessary tosend to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.” Thisman appears only briefly in Scripture, yet he teaches us a tremendous lesson. Epaphroditusno doubt lived in the area of Philippi. He was a follower of Christ, anexemplary Christian, and a man who lived a balanced Christian life. He wastrusted by the people at Philippi. His name actually suggests that he wasprobably a full Gentile, unlike Timothy, who had a Jewish mother and a Greekfather. Yet Epaphroditus was a man who loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all hisheart. Hewas trusted because of his faithfulness over the years. The believers atPhilippi entrusted him with carrying a special gift—perhaps money or othervaluable provisions—to the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. As wewill discover in these verses, he also cared for Paul during his imprisonment. Thisis an interesting man whom we meet only briefly in Scripture. Pauldescribed him in three ways. First, he was a brother. That speaks of hisfellowship with the Apostle Paul. Second, he was a fellow worker. That speaksof his labor. Third, he was a fellow soldier. That speaks of spiritual warfare.As we look at his life through these few verses, we find that he was a balancedChristian. Somebelievers love fellowship but avoid service. Others work hard but neglectrelationships. Still others enjoy debating doctrine but never reach lostpeople. Over the years, I have met many folks who become so interested inprophecy that they do not want the pastor to preach about anything else.Prophecy is all they want to discuss or study. But that is not the balancedChristian life. Epaphroditus maintained balance in his Christian walk. He lovedGod's people. He worked for God's kingdom. He fought for God's truth. He was afellow soldier of Jesus Christ. Thisreminds me of the book of Nehemiah. As Nehemiah and the people rebuilt thewalls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days, they faced constant opposition from theirenemies. Nehemiah stationed the workers on the wall with a sword in one handand a trowel in the other. They were working while remaining ready to battle ata moment's notice. My friend, that is a good description of the Christian life. TheChristian life requires both fellowship and service. We also need to understandthat we are engaged in spiritual warfare. We need accountability. A balancedChristian life includes worship, fellowship, evangelism, service, prayer, andBible study. Iwill never forget my very first semester at Lynchburg Baptist College—todayknown as Liberty University. We had a class co-taught by Dr. Elmer Towns andDr. Jerry Falwell called The Balanced Christian Life. We used a book written byCharles Ryrie entitled “The Balanced Christian Life”. That class was oneof my first introductions as a brand-new believer to what the Christian lifeshould look like. It helped me understand the importance of balance. Atthat point in my life, I was very interested in evangelism. But there is moreto being a Christian than simply trying to get everyone saved. We needfellowship with one another. We need teaching from God's Word. We needopportunities to participate in all the various aspects of Christianliving—giving, prayer, Bible study, service, and worship. A balanced Christianlife makes all the difference. Whenone area is neglected, imbalance develops. We should constantly ask ourselves:Am I still growing in every area of my Christian life, or am I neglectingsomething important? My friend, let us make sure we are like Epaphroditus,living a balanced Christian life. Letus pray. Father, help us become balanced Christians. Teach us to love Yourpeople, serve Your kingdom, and stand for Your truth. Make us faithful workersand faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today we are continuing in Philippians 2, looking at verses22–24. Here Paul gives us a beautiful statement anda wonderful description of Christian service. He says of Timothy, “As a sonwith his father, he served with me in the gospel.” Noticethat Paul does not say Timothy served under him. He says Timothy served withhim. There was a deep relationship between these two men. Paul had becomeTimothy's spiritual father, and Timothy had become Paul's spiritual son. Ihave often reflected on my fifty-plus years as a senior pastor and all thestaff members I had the privilege of serving with. I never said they servedunder me. I never viewed myself as their boss, because I was not. I was aleader, and I always felt my responsibility was to help these men become thevery best they could be and to encourage them forward for the glory of God. Mydesire was to help them grow in every area of life as disciples of JesusChrist. Yousee, the Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. God usesrelationships to shape us. Moses had Joshua. Elijah had Elisha. Jesus had Histwelve disciples. Paul had Timothy and Titus. One of the greatest blessings inministry is investing in others. Some of the most rewarding moments in my lifehave come from seeing others taught, encouraged, discipled, and faithfullyserving the Lord. Iwill never forget our first ministry together with Eric Farel, Bob Quinn, RonCombs, and others. We spent many hours serving together, but even moreimportantly, we spent private hours praying together, reading God's Wordtogether, encouraging one another, discipling one another to be all that wecould be for God, and holding each other accountable. In our next ministry atCalvary Baptist in Holland Michigan, I was privileged to regularly be involvedin discipleship with dear friends like Rick Flowers, Tom Weaver, and FrankSenters, among many others.  Realdiscipleship is much more than simply going through a discipleship course. Itmeans being established in the Word of God and prayer. It means beingestablished in the fellowship of believers. It involves having anaccountability group with whom you pray, talk, encourage, and support oneanother when someone is struggling. It also means being established in thestructure of the local church. You discover your spiritual gift, use that gift,and help others become all that God wants them to be. You build them up in thefaith. Finally,it means being established in the ministry of Jesus Christ. That is, doing whatJesus did—sharing the gospel of the Kingdom of God, telling people how to besaved, and then leading them to follow Christ and abide in Christ. That is whatreal discipleship is all about. Paulpoured years into Timothy. He taught him. He traveled with him. He prayed withhim. He encouraged him. He corrected him. He prepared him. As a result, Timothybecame capable of carrying on the work. That is discipleship. 2 Timothy 2:2says: “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, committhese to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Did younotice the four generations in that verse? Paul, Timothy, faithful men, andthen others also. That is God's plan. Everyone of us should have someone who is learning from us how to become a betterbeliever and follower of Jesus Christ. We are all disciples, and we should allbe disciplers. So today, who are you helping grow spiritually? Who are youteaching the Bible? Who are you encouraging in their walk with the Lord? Theseare important questions for us to ask ourselves. A church that intentionallydisciples others will remain healthy for generations to come. Let'spray. Father, thank You for the people You have used in our lives. Help us toinvest in others as Paul invested in Timothy. Use us to encourage the nextgeneration to follow Jesus Christ faithfully. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen. 

Today we're looking at Philippians 2:22. Here, the ApostlePaul is talking about Timothy. Paul writes: "But you know his proven character,that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel." Oneof the most valuable qualities in the Christian life is proven character. Noticethat Paul did not praise Timothy primarily for his gifts, talents,intelligence, or abilities. He praised him for his character. The phrase provencharacter speaks of something that has been tested and approved. Gold istested by fire. Steel is tested by pressure. Character is tested by life. Timothyhad been tested. Whenyou go back to Acts 14, where Paul first meets Timothy in Lystra, Timothywitnessed Paul being stoned for preaching the gospel. It was during this periodthat Timothy gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. He had a godlygrandmother and mother who taught him the Scriptures, and he grew in the graceand knowledge of the Lord. Then, when Paul began his second missionary journeywith Silas in Acts 16, one of the first people mentioned in Lystra was Timothy.The Bible tells us that, “he was well spoken of by the brethren who were atLystra and Iconium”. In other words, Timothy already had a good testimonybefore Paul invited him to travel with him. Paul said, in effect, "I wantyou to join me and Silas on this missionary journey." Weknow that Timothy traveled with Paul to Philippi, where Paul and Silas werebeaten and thrown into prison. Luke was also with them during this period. Justimagine the privilege Timothy had of being surrounded by and mentored by suchgodly men. Year after year, as Paul invested in him, Timothy grew in his faith,his knowledge of Christ, and his character. Eventually, he became a man ofproven character. Only after proving himself faithful did the Apostle Paulinvite him to become part of this missionary team. Thisteaches an important lesson for all of us. God is more interested in developingour character than displaying our abilities. Many people want immediateinfluence. They want instant success. They want positions of leadership beforethey have developed spiritual maturity. That can become a problem in manychurches when people seek positions for which their character has not yetprepared them.  ButGod works differently. Remember, David spent years tending sheep beforebecoming king. Joseph spent years in slavery and prison before ruling in Egypt.Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before God called him to lead Israel.Timothy spent years learning, serving, growing, and becoming Paul's trustedrepresentative. My friend, we discover that character is more important thanabilities and all the other things for which people are often praised. Yearsago, I taught people not to praise someone merely for their talent or ability. "Oh,they play the piano so well." "They are such a gifted speaker." Instead,praise them for their character and the discipline that enabled them to developthose abilities. Praise them for doing the right things for the right reasons.Praise them for faithfulness, honesty, kindness, loyalty, thoughtfulness, diligence,and integrity. That is proven character. Someone has wisely said: "Godprepares the man before He prepares the ministry." The Christian life isnot a sprint; it is a marathon. Faithfulness over time produces provencharacter. Maybetoday you feel overlooked. Maybe you have been serving quietly for years and noone seems to notice your faithfulness. But God notices. Every prayer. Every actof service. Every sacrifice. Every hidden act of obedience. God sees them all. Luke16:10 says: "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also inmuch." God often develops greatservants in ordinary places.Let'spray. Father, help us today to develop proven character. Teach us to befaithful in the small things and patient during the seasons and years ofpreparation. May our lives bring honor to You. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen.

Today we will be looking at Philippians 2:21. But before wetalk about that, let's remind ourselves what the book of Philippians is about.The book of Philippians is about the joyful mind and the secure mind. TheApostle Paul is teaching us something very powerful. Before we can claim inchapter 4, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthensme," we first must practice what istaught in the earlier chapters. Inchapter 1, Paul teaches us to have a single mind—a mind that is set on Christ,a mind that is focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a mind that desiresto glorify the Lord Jesus Christ before glorifying itself. Then chapter 2becomes very practical as Paul teaches us how to have a submissive mind—a mindthat is submitted to the will of God. In verse 20, the Apostle Paul commendedTimothy as a man who genuinely cared for the spiritual welfare of others. ThenPaul makes a very sad statement in verse 21: "For all seek their own,not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Thinkabout that statement for a moment: "For all seek their own, not thethings which are Jesus Christ's." Paul was living in Rome, the centerof the Roman Empire. There were many believers there. In Romans 16, when Paulwrote to the church at Rome, he mentioned dozens of Christians by name. Yetwhen he looked for someone to send to Philippi, he found only Timothy who wasavailable and willing to put Christ's interests first. Thisverse exposes one of the greatest spiritual diseases that affects believers andchurches. It is the disease of self-interest. The natural tendency ofevery human heart is to focus on self. The first words of many little childrenare often, "Mine!" or, "I want that! That's mine! Don't touchit!" We naturally ask: "What do I want?" "What do Ineed?" "What is best for me?" Yet the Christian life is exactlythe opposite. Thesubmissive mind that Paul has been describing throughout Philippians chapter 2causes us to ask: "What does Christ want?" "What will helpothers?" "What will advance the gospel?" The world teaches us tolook out for number one. Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves. In Luke 9:23,Jesus said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." That is not a popularmessage today because we live in a culture that promotes self-fulfillment,self-promotion, self-expression, and self-centeredness. But Christianity iscentered on Christ, not on self. Onemissionary who served for more than fifty years in Africa once lamented thelack of long-term commitment among believers. He quoted the words of Barzillaiin 2 Samuel 19:36: "Thy servant will go a little way." Thatseems to describe many Christians today. They are willing to serve a littleway. They are willing to sacrifice a little. They are willing to commit alittle. ButJesus, our example in Philippians 2, went all the way. He left heaven. Hehumbled Himself. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Myfriend, we cannot truly follow Jesus Christ while living for ourselves. Whena church becomes filled with self-centered people, ministries suffer. Peoplestop serving. Needs go unmet. The gospel loses momentum. But when believers putJesus Christ first, amazing things happen. People are saved. Lives are changed.Churches become healthy. Missionaries are sent. And the gospel advances. Sothe question today is simple: Am I seeking my own interests or Christ'sinterests? Am I willing to serve even when it costs me something? Am Iavailable when God calls? The greatest joy in the Christian life is found whenwe stop living for ourselves and begin living for Christ and for others. Let'spray. Father, forgive us for the selfishness that so easily creeps into ourlives and hearts. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness.Give us the mind of Christ and teach us to put Your interests above our own. Wepray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Let'sbegin by reading Philippians 2:19-20: "But I trust in the Lord Jesus tosend Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know yourstate. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for yourstate." What a remarkable statement! Remember, Paul is writing from aRoman prison. He is chained to a Roman guard. He is uncertain about the outcomeof his trial. Yet even while facing his own problems, his heart is focused onthe believers at Philippi. That is the mark of a mature Christian. A matureChristian does not become consumed with his own troubles. He remains concernedabout others. Paulwanted to know how the Philippian believers were doing. Were they standingfirm? Were they remaining united? Were they growing spiritually? He careddeeply about them. But Paul faced a problem. He could not go himself. So helooked around for someone he could trust. Among all the believers in Rome, Paulfound one man whom he believed would genuinely care for the Philippians. Thatman was Timothy. Paul says, "I have no one like-minded." Thephrase "like-minded" carries the idea of being of the same soul orkindred spirit. Timothy had spent years traveling with Paul, learning from him,serving alongside him, suffering with him, and praying with him. Over time,Timothy began to develop the same heart that Paul had. That is whatdiscipleship is all about. Jesusspent three years with His disciples. Paul spent years with Timothy. Godlycharacter is often caught as much as it is taught. Timothy learned how to carefor people by watching Paul care for people. I am reminded of what Paul wrotein 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Imitate me, just as I also imitateChrist." Every believer needs someone to learn from and someone tohelp. One of the greatest needs in our churches today is spiritual mentoring.Older believers should be encouraging younger believers. More mature Christiansshould be helping those who are younger in the faith. Timothyhad a servant's heart. Notice Paul says that Timothy would "sincerelycare" for their welfare. The word means genuine concern. Not professionalconcern.    Not forced concern. Notconcern because it was his job. Genuine concern. Timothy truly cared aboutpeople. That immediately raises a question for us. Do we genuinely care aboutothers? It is easy to become wrapped up in our own schedules, our own plans,our own problems, and our own needs. Yet Jesus constantly looked beyond Himselfto the needs of others. Even while hanging on the cross, He cared for Hismother. Even while suffering, He prayed for His enemies. Even while dying, Hesaved a thief. That is the heart of Christ. Onepastor said, "People don't care how much you know until they know how muchyou care." How true that is.Peopleare looking for genuine Christians who will listen, pray, encourage, and help. Asimple phone call can change someone's day. A handwritten note can strengthen adiscouraged believer. A visit can encourage someone who feels forgotten. Aprayer can lift a burden. You never know what God can dothrough a caring heart. The submissive mind always produces concern for others.Selfishness asks, "What can others do for me?" Love asks, "Whatcan I do for others?" Perhapstoday there is someone God has placed on your heart. Maybe it is a familymember. Maybe it is a neighbor. Maybe it is a fellow church member. Maybe it issomeone who is hurting. Don't ignore that prompting. Reach out. Encourage them.Pray for them. Show them the love of Christ. That is exactly what Timothy wouldhave done. And that is exactly what Christ would have us do. Let'spray. Father, thank You for the example of Timothy. Give us hearts thatgenuinely care for others. Deliver us from selfishness and help us to seepeople through Your eyes. Use us today to encourage someone and point them toJesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

"For the same reason you alsobe glad and rejoice with me." The Apostle Paul is inviting thePhilippians to share in his joy. Nowthink about it. Paul is in prison, suffering and uncertain about the future.Yet he keeps speaking about joy. This teaches us something so important:Christian joy is not based on circumstances. It is based on Jesus Christ. Theworld's happiness rises and falls with comfort and success, but biblical joycan exist even in suffering. Paul and the Philippians were united in sacrifice,service, and joy. TrueChristian fellowship is much deeper than just a social connection. You may goto church, attend Sunday school, participate in church events, and spend timewith other believers. You may go golfing together, play tennis, or enjoy otheractivities together. Those things are wonderful. But true Christian fellowshipis deeper than simply enjoying social events together. True fellowship issharing together in the work of Jesus Christ. Thereis joy in serving with other believers. There is joy in praying together. Thereis joy in giving together. Yes, there is even joy in suffering together. Thereis joy in seeing lives changed through the work of God as we labor togetherwith fellow believers. Some of the deepest joy believers experience comesduring difficult seasons when they see God working in powerful ways. Acts 5tells us that after the apostles were beaten, they returned to the churchrejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name. James1 reminds us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials,tribulations, and troubles, knowing that the testing of our faith producespatience. Suffering produces Christian maturity in our lives. Joy grows when weserve God's purposes and trust God's purposes, even in suffering. Paul wantedthese believers not merely to survive hardship, but to rejoice in the middle ofit. That kind of joy becomes a testimony to the world. People expect us torejoice when things are going well. But when Christians rejoice in trials, theworld sees something supernatural, something different, and they want what wehave. Only Christ can produce that kind of joy in our lives. Maybetoday you're carrying burdens, disappointments, or heartaches. Remember this:your joy does not depend upon changing circumstances. It depends upon anunchanging Savior. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heis still on the throne. God is still working. The gospel is still true. Heavenis still ahead. Because of that, we can rejoice. We'vebeen talking about the submissive mind here in Philippians 2. As Paul hasdescribed it, the submissive mind ultimately produces joy. The submissive mindis the same as a surrendered life. And a surrendered life produces joy inChrist. The Bible teaches us that Jesus humbled Himself. He obeyed the Father.He endured the cross. He now reigns in glory. Thatreminds me of Hebrews 12:1–3: "Therefore we also, since we aresurrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, andthe sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the racethat is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of ourfaith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising theshame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For considerHim who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you becomeweary and discouraged in your souls." My friend, when we follow thesame principle that Jesus practiced, we discover that surrender leads to joy. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for the joy that is found only in JesusChrist. Teach us to rejoice not only in blessings, but also in sacrifice andservice. Help us to trust You in every circumstance and reflect the joy ofChrist to the world around us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we're continuing in Philippians 2, looking at verse 17,where the Apostle Paul says: "Yes, and if I am being poured out as adrink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad andrejoice with you all." Paul is using an Old Testament picture ofsacrifice. In those days, wine would often be poured out upon a sacrifice as anoffering to God. Paul says that his own life is being poured out like thatdrink offering. What a picture of surrender! Paulwas in prison as he wrote these words. He faced uncertainty, suffering, andpossible execution. Yet he did not speak with bitterness. He spoke with joy. Whywas that? Because he had totally and absolutely surrendered his life to JesusChrist. He saw his suffering as an act of worship. Romans 12:1 tells us that weare to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable untoGod, which is only our reasonable service” after all that God has done forus. Christianity is not merely believing certain truths. It is the offering ofourselves fully to God. Paul'sjoy did not depend upon comfortable circumstances. His joy came from knowingthat his life was being used for the glory of God. Oh, my friend, what adifference it makes when we begin to understand that! This is the secret oflasting joy. The world says today that joy or happiness comes from getting. Butthe Bible, and Jesus Himself, teach us that joy and true blessedness come fromgiving. In Acts 20:35, we read these words that Jesus said: "It is moreblessed to give than to receive." Somany of us today struggle with joy because we are focused mainly onourselves—what we want, what we feel, and what we are going through—instead offocusing on God and His glory. Joy grows when we pour out our lives in servingChrist and others. Have you ever poured out your life? The Scriptures tell usthat Jesus Christ poured out His blood on the cross, and He became brokenbread. That is what the Lord's Supper is about: broken bread and poured-outwine. Today that is what we can become in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ bythe grace of God. Aswe do, we begin to nourish others until they can learn to nourish themselves. Wemight even become a doormat. Yes, people may wipe their feet on us. Yet werejoice when that happens, just as Paul did in prison. What joy we have insidebecause we know that the feet of those who wipe their feet on us are cleanernow. Perhaps, as a result of our response rather than our reaction, they toowill glorify Christ and come to know Him. Paulrejoiced even while suffering because sacrifice for Christ is never wasted. Missionariesunderstand this great truth. Faithful pastors understand this truth. Godlyparents understand this truth. Godly Christians—believers who give their livesin service through the ministry of their local church—understand this truth. Sometimesserving Christ is costly. It may cost comfort, convenience, popularity, andeven relationships. But nothing given to Christ is ever lost. Jim Elliot, thegreat missionary martyr, once said: "He is no fool who gives what hecannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Noless than six times, Jesus said in the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, andJohn—that when you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you loseyour life for His sake and the gospel's, you will find it. So today, askyourself: Am I living sacrificially for Christ? Am I holding back areas of mylife from God? Am I willing to be poured out for His glory? The greatest lifeis not the comfortable life. It is the surrendered life. I pray that this isyour heart today. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for the example of Paul, and above all, theexample of Jesus Christ. Teach us to live sacrificially and joyfully for Yourglory. Help us to absolutely surrender all of our lives completely into Yourhands. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we are looking at verse 16 of Philippians 2, whichsays: "Holding fast the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day ofChrist, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." The phrase"holding fast" can also mean "holding forth." It paints apicture of something being extended outward for others to see. What are weholding forth? We are holding forth the Word of Life. This refers to thegospel, the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. The world around us isspiritually dying, and it needs the lifeline of the gospel. Picturesomeone drowning. They are about to go under for the last time. You happen tohave the only lifeline on the whole ship. You are standing there with theability to hold it forth and throw it to the individual who is drowning,rescuing them from certain death. That is exactly what we are called to do. Weare in the rescue business, rescuing precious souls—souls for whom Jesus Christdied—from entering eternity without Him. Peopletoday are searching for meaning, peace, forgiveness, and hope. We possess theonly message of eternal life. Jesus said in John 6:63: "The words thatI speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." We are notcalled merely to believe the gospel privately. We are called to proclaim itboldly. Jesus said: "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you andordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruitshould remain." (John 15:16) Alighthouse does not hide its light. It shines outward to guide others safelyhome. Every believer is called to hold forth the Word of Life through bothspeech and conduct. Our message and our lifestyle need to match each other. Whenbelievers constantly complain, fight, or live inconsistently, the gospelmessage becomes clouded. But when our lives reflect Jesus Christ, the gospelbecomes visible through our very lives. ThenPaul says something very personal in this passage. He speaks about rejoicing: "ThatI may rejoice in the day of Christ." The Day of Christ refers to thetime when believers will stand before Christ for reward. It is also called “theJudgment Seat of Christ”, and is also referred to in the epistles as "theDay of Jesus Christ," or simply as "that Day". It refers to thetime when you and I will give an account of how we held forth the Word of Lifeand what we did to bring others to Jesus Christ. Paulreferred to this Day of Christ twice in Philippians 1. Philippians 1:6: "Beingconfident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ." And then in Philippians1:10: "That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you maybe sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." In 1Corinthians 1:7–8, Paul wrote: "Waiting for the revelation of our LordJesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blamelessin the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." That Day refers to the time whenJesus Christ returns for His church, and believers stand before Him to berewarded. It is not a judgment for our sins. That was taken care of at thecross. Faithfulpastors do not simply want large crowds; they want transformed lives. Paulsaid: "…that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." Inother words, he desired that his life and ministry would not be empty orfruitless. There is no greater joy than hearing that those we have influencedare walking in the truth. 3 John 4 says: "I have no greater joy than tohear that my children walk in truth." Can you imagine the joy inheaven when we see those who were impacted by our witness? Everyconversation about Christ matters. Every gospel tract matters. Every prayermatters. Every act of kindness matters. We should never underestimate what Godcan do through simple faithfulness.

"Thatyou may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in themidst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights inthe world."  Whata description of the world in which we live today—a crooked and perversegeneration. The word crooked means twisted or bent away from God's standard.The word perverse means distorted or corrupted. Does that not describe ourworld today? Truth is being redefined. Morality is being distorted. Darkness iscelebrated while righteousness is mocked. We see it on every hand, all aroundus, throughout our world, and especially in our country, the USA. Yet God hascalled us not to hide from the world. He has called us to shine in it. Rememberin Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world."In verse 16, He said, "Let your light so shine before men, that theymay see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Light doesnot complain about the darkness. It does not fight with the darkness. Myfriend, all it has to do is shine, and the darkness flees. Iam convinced with all my heart that if Christians truly let the light of JesusChrist shine—remember, He said, "I am the light of the world." NowHe lives in us. His light shines through us. It is not our light; it is Hislight, and it shines through us. If we would only let it shine, the darknesswould be pushed back. It would flee. You do not go into a room and curse thedarkness when it is dark. No, you simply turn on the light switch. As soon asthe light comes on, everything becomes plain and clear, and you can see acrossthe room. That is what we do as believers. Our light shines. Paulsays believers are to be blameless and harmless. This does not mean sinlessperfection, but lives marked by integrity and purity. The world should not seehypocrisy in our lives. Our lives should support the message that we preach. Oneof the greatest tragedies is when Christians damage their testimony throughbitterness, compromise, anger, or constant negativity. We just talked aboutthat in verse 14. Yousee, the darker the world becomes, the brighter faithful believers will shine. Thinkabout Daniel in Babylon, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Thinkabout Joseph in Egypt and the difference he made. Or even Noah before theflood. They lived in corrupt cultures, yet their lives stood out. The ApostlePaul and the early believers lived in a Roman culture that was dark, corrupt,and cruel. But, my friend, the light was shining. As it shone through theirlives, wonderful things took place that turned the world upside down. Yousee, God never intended for His people to blend into the darkness. Yet thatseems to be what so many churches and believers are trying to do today. Youcannot tell the difference between a believer and the world around them. NoticePaul says we shine in the midst of a crooked generation. We are in the world,but we are not of the world. That is why Jesus prayed in John 17 that theFather would not take believers out of the world, but that He would keep themfrom the evil one. Sohow do we shine in a practical way? We shine through holy living. We shinethrough kindness. We shine through truth. We shine through love. We shinethrough joy in suffering. We shine through forgiveness. We shine throughfaithfulness. A Christian filled with the HolySpirit of God becomes a lighthouse in a dark culture. Peoplearound us desperately need hope. They are confused, fearful, and empty. Manyhave never seen genuine Christianity lived out consistently.  Itrust God will use you and me to make a difference in the world in which welive, because someone is watching how we handle stress, disappointment,conflict, and suffering. Are you shining clearly today? Or are you blendinginto the darkness? Ask God to make your light shine as a bright testimony forJesus Christ. Remember this: the darker the night, the more visible the light. 

Philippians 2:14 Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today our verse is short, simple, and extremely convicting.We are looking at Philippians 2:14, which says, “Do all things withoutcomplaining and disputing.” What a powerful command. Paul has just told usthat God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Now hetells us that one of the clearest evidences that we are surrendering to God'swork and God's will is that we stop complaining. Thinkabout the nation of Israel. Complaining was one of their greatest sins as theyjourneyed through the wilderness. They complained about the food, theleadership, the hardships, and the direction in which God was leading them.Even after witnessing miracle after miracle beyond imagination, they grumbledagainst God. The truth is, we often do the same thing. “Complaining”reveals a heart that is dissatisfied with God's providence. “Disputing”refers to arguing, questioning, and inward rebellion. Paulsays, “Do all things.” Did you notice that? Not some things, but allthings without complaining and disputing. That includes difficult jobs, familypressures, interruptions, disappointments, church ministry, trials, andsuffering. James tells us to “count it all joy” when we fall into varioustrials and temptations. Now, this does not mean we never express concernswisely or lovingly. There is a difference between seeking solutions and havinga grumbling spirit. I have met many people who have grumbling spirits. Nomatter what happens, they always have something negative to say. They rarelyseem to say anything positive. It becomes evident that their ungrateful andunthankful hearts reveal a lack of trust in God and an inability to see Him atwork in their situations. Acomplaining spirit destroys joy, unity, and the testimony of believers. Remember,Philippians is the epistle of joy. Joy and complaining cannot live in the sameheart at the same time. It is impossible. Why do we complain? Think about it.Usually, it is because pride tells us we deserve better. Humility says, “Lord,I deserve judgment, but You have given me grace, and I am so thankful.” JesusHimself is our example. Think about all that He endured: rejection, betrayal,false accusations, suffering, and the cross. Yet 1 Peter 2:23 says, “When Hewas reviled, He did not revile in return.” You see, grumbling andcomplaining contradict the very spirit of Christ. We represent a graciousSavior. He has been so good to us. He has blessed us in countless ways.Sometimes our greatest witness is not how we act when life is easy, but how werespond when life is hard. Theworld expects bitterness, anger, and negativity. But when believers respondwith peace, gratitude, trust, and patience, people notice. Complaining spreadsdarkness, but gratitude spreads life. Today, ask yourself: What am Icomplaining about? What situation have I resisted instead of surrendered? HaveI trusted God's wisdom in my circumstances? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Ineverything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ for you.” Noticeit does not say to give thanks for everything, but in everything. Godmay not cause every difficulty in our lives, but He uses every difficulty forHis glory and for our growth in Christ. So today, instead of complaining,choose gratitude. Instead of disputing, choose trust. Instead of focusing onyour problems, focus on the goodness of God. A thankful heart is one of theclearest marks of spiritual maturity. May God help us to have that kind ofheart. Let'spray together. Father, forgive us for our complaining and disputing. Teach usto trust You even in difficult circumstances. Fill our hearts with gratitudeand help us reflect the spirit of Jesus Christ. May our attitude point othersto You. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today, as we come to Philippians 2:12-13, we move from theexample of Christ to the everyday experience of the Christian life. Paul hasjust shown us the humility and obedience of Jesus Christ. Now he tells us howthat same mind of Christ is to be lived out in us. Listen to these powerfulwords in verses 12 and 13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have alwaysobeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work outyour own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you bothto will and to do for His good pleasure.” Theword “therefore” connects this passage to everything Paul has just saidabout Jesus Christ. Because Christ humbled Himself, obeyed the Father, and gaveHimself for us, we are now to live differently. Paul begins by calling thePhilippians “my beloved.” Oh, what tenderness and affection are found in thesewords from Paul. He loved these believers. Even from prison, his heart was withthem. Thenhe says, “As you have always obeyed.” Obedience is one of the clearestevidences of genuine salvation. Remember, Jesus said in John 14:15, “If youlove Me, keep My commandments.” My friend, true faith always bringsobedience into our lives. As you continue through this verse, Paul wanted theirobedience to continue whether he was present or absent. They were to live forthe approval of God, not for the approval of men. They were to live for thepleasure of God. That is a challenge for all of us today. Sometimes we do rightonly when others are watching. But mature Christianity is doing right when noone is watching because we know God is watching. ThenPaul gives this command: “Work out your own salvation with fear andtrembling.” Now this verse has often been misunderstood. Paul is not sayingthat we work for our salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. Ephesians2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not ofyourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Paulis writing to believers who are already saved. The phrase “work out” meansto bring to completion, to carry something to its intended result. It was usedof working a field or mining out valuable ore. The idea is this: God has placedHis life within you, and now He wants that life expressed through you. Howimportant is this? Salvation is not merely something we possess; it issomething that transforms us daily. The Christian life is not about tryingharder in our own strength. It is about cooperating with what God has alreadyworked within us. Then Paul says we are to do this “with fear andtrembling.” That is not fear of losing our salvation. It is reverence, awe,and seriousness before a holy God. It is recognizing the incredible privilegeand responsibility of belonging to Jesus Christ.  Sowhy should we take the Christian life seriously? Verse 13 gives the answer: “Forit is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Nowthis is an amazing truth. The Christian life is not merely imitation; it isincarnation. Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit. God works in us beforeHe works through us. The word “works” here is related to the word fromwhich we get our English word “energy.” God energizes the believer fromwithin. He gives us the desire to obey Him and the power to obey Him.  Aswe look at this passage of Scripture, Philippians 2:13 reminds us that we arenever alone in the Christian life. God is actively at work within us. Maybetoday you feel weak, discouraged, or spiritually dry. Remember this: if youbelong to Jesus Christ, God has not abandoned you. He is still working in you.Sometimes His work is slow and hidden, but He never stops shaping His children.Like a sculptor chiseling stone, God patiently removes what does not belong inus, and He forms Christ within us. Remember Romans 8:29 says that we arepredestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God's goal for our livesis to make us like Jesus Christ. 

We have walked together through one of the greatestpassages in all the Bible: Philippians 2:5–11. Today, we want to review what wehave been looking at over the last nine days. During these days, we have seenthe humility of Christ, the servanthood of Christ, the obedience of Christ, thesacrifice of Christ, the exaltation of Christ, and the lordship of JesusChrist. Now we come to the most important question of all: Will we let thismind be in us which also was in Christ Jesus? Pauldid not give this passage merely so that we could admire Jesus intellectually.He gave it to believers so that we would imitate Christ in a very practicalway. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is what wehave called the submissive mind. Remember, chapter one was the single mind—themind that is set on Jesus Christ and His gospel. The submissive mind is themindset that says, “Not my will, but God's. Not my glory, but His. Not myrights, but loving service.” Myfriend, this is the mindset that is the exact opposite of the spirit of theworld. The world says, “Promote yourself. Protect yourself. Exalt yourself.Demand your rights.” Jesus says, “Humble yourself. Serve others. Obey theFather. Glorify God.” Humility is not misery. It is the pathway to joy.Philippians, remember, is the epistle of joy. Joy flows from surrender. Prideproduces conflict, but humility produces unity. Pride says, “I deserve better.”Humility says, “I deserve judgment, yet God has given me grace.” Thisperspective changes everything. Thinkagain about the journey of Jesus in this passage. He was in the form of God. Heemptied Himself. He became a servant. He became man. He humbled Himself. Heobeyed unto death. God exalted Him. One day every knee will bow to Him. What aSavior! So how do we live out this life practically every day? First, everymorning we can begin by surrendering our minds to Jesus Christ. PrayPhilippians 2:5: “Lord, let Your mind be in me today,” and ask God to shapeyour thoughts, your attitudes, and your reactions. Second,intentionally look for ways to serve others. Humility grows through service.Sometimes the holiest moments happen in the ordinary acts of kindness in ourlives: encouraging someone who is discouraged, helping without recognition,listening patiently, meeting a practical need, choosing forgiveness instead ofresentment. Third, surrender your rights to the Lord. One of the greatestobstacles to unity is our insistence on personal rights and preferences. AsOswald Chambers said, “The only right you really have is the right to give upyour right to yourself.” The mind of Christ willingly lays down selfish demandsfor the good of others. Fourth,remember the cross daily. The cross destroys our pride because it reminds usthat we are sinners saved entirely by grace. When we stand at Calvary, boastingdisappears. Finally, keep your eyes on the exalted Christ. This old world isonly temporary. The kingdom of Jesus is eternal. One day every knee will bowand every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We should live in thelight of that coming day. Thismindset is something God wants us to have every day. Churches do not experiencerevival merely through better programs or louder preaching. Revival begins whenbelievers humble themselves before God. Families change when hearts become servanthearted. Churches become unified when believers stop demanding recognition.Communities are impacted when Christians live like Jesus. The world todaydesperately needs to see the mind of Christ lived out through His people. Today,as we close this series, choose humility. Choose obedience. Choose service.Choose surrender. Choose Jesus Christ.  

Today we come to the climax of the magnificent passage weread in Philippians 2:11: “that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christis Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Paul has taken us from the heights ofheaven to the depths of the cross, and now back to the throne of grace. What isthe result of it all? It is all to the glory of God the Father. Oneday every voice in the universe will declare the same truth: Jesus Christ isLord. The word confess here means to openly acknowledge, to declare, toagree upon. There will be no atheists then. There will be no skeptics then. Nofalse gods then. No competing kingdoms then. Every tongue will declare whatheaven already knows: Jesus Christ is Lord! Thinkabout what that means. The baby born in Bethlehem is Lord. The carpenter fromNazareth is Lord. The rejected Savior is Lord. The crucified Lamb is Lord. Therisen Christ is Lord. The coming King is Lord. This confession will notdiminish the glory of the Father. It will magnify it, because it is all to theglory of God the Father. Thisis important for us to think about. Jesus never competed with the Father forglory. Everything Jesus did ultimately honored the Father. In John 17:4, inJesus' prayer, He said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finishedthe work which You have given Me to do.” The entire life of Jesus Christwas centered on the Father's glory. This is the purpose of our lives too. FirstCorinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, doall to the glory of God.” We often ask, “What will make me happy? What willmake me successful? What will make me comfortable?” But the better question is:What will glorify God? When we start asking that question, everything changes. Themind of Christ is not self-centered. It is God-centered. Jesus did not come tobuild an earthly empire for Himself. He came to glorify the Father throughperfect obedience. Now God has exalted Him forever. This is the great purposeof salvation—that we as redeemed sinners would glorify God. Ephesians 1repeatedly mentions that the saved are saved to the praise of His glory.  Whenwe forgive others, God is glorified. When we serve humbly, God is glorified.When we obey in difficult circumstances, God is glorified. When we worshipChrist sincerely, God is glorified. Even suffering can glorify God whensurrendered to Him. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:16, “If anyone suffers as aChristian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” Oneof the clearest evidences of spiritual maturity is a growing desire for God'sglory instead of our own. Pridewants recognition. Humility wants God honored. The flesh says, “Notice me.” TheSpirit says, “Magnify Christ.” That is why John the Baptist expressed this sobeautifully when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Weknow this is the heartbeat of Philippians 2: Jesus willingly humbled Himselfbefore the Father so that the Father would be glorified through His obedienceand exaltation. Now, as believers, we are called to live our lives the sameway. Imaginewhat would happen if every Christian began each day by saying, “Lord, glorifyYourself through my life today.” This could transform marriages, churches,conversations, workplaces, and ministries. Because the focus would shift fromself to Christ. Today, let your words glorify God. Let your actions glorifyGod. Let your attitudes glorify God. Remember this: the day is coming when allcreation will unite in one great confession: Jesus Christ is Lord, to the gloryof God the Father. What a moment that will be. Are you living today in thelight of that future reality? “Father, thank You that one day every tongue will confess that JesusChrist is Lord. Forgive us for living for our own glory instead of Yours. Helpus to magnify Christ in our words, our attitudes, and our actions. May ourlives point others to Jesus and bring glory to Your throne alone.InJesus' name, amen.” 

Today we come to one of the most sobering and glorious truthsin all of Scripture. Philippians 2:10 says this: “that at the name of Jesusevery knee will bow.” Notice—not some knees, not many knees, but everyknee. The entire universe will one day acknowledge the lordship of JesusChrist. Right now, some people debate about Jesus. They reject Him. They mockHim. They ignore Him. But the day is coming when all debate will end forever.Every created being will bow before Him. NowPaul divides this into three different groups: “those in heaven, those onearth, and those under the earth”.Whatdoes this include?  Those in heaven”refers to the angels and the redeemed believers already in glory. Imagineheaven today—a multitude of angels worshiping Jesus continually. Revelation5:11–12 gives us a picture of this. When John had that vision of heaven, theywere saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.” The saints in heaven bowjoyfully because they know the greatness of the Savior. ThenPaul says, “those on earth.” This includes every living person on earth. Kingswill bow, presidents will bow, celebrities will bow, atheists will bow,religious leaders will bow. All will bow one day before the Lord Jesus Christ.No earthly power or fame will matter at that moment. The most powerful peoplein history will stand equal before Jesus Christ. Thenhe says, “those under the earth.” This refers to the realm of the dead andthose awaiting the final judgment. This no doubt includes all those who havegone into eternity without Christ, and whose souls even now are in a terribleplace in the heart of the earth called Sheol, Hades, or hell. Read Luke chapter 16 and Revelation20:11–14.Whata terrible day that judgment will be. But every knee will bow. No one is goingto escape this reality. The tragedy is that many who refuse to bow willinglynow will bow unwillingly later. Today is the day of grace, and today is the dayof salvation. Romans 10:9 reminds us, “If you confess with your mouth theLord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, youwill be saved.” God invites people today to come willingly now inrepentance and faith. But one day, submission will no longer be voluntary.Every knee will bow because Jesus Christ truly is Lord. Thistruth should affect how we live even today. First, it should produce worship.If heaven is centered around Christ, our lives should be too. Worship is notmerely singing in church. It is surrendering every area of our lives to JesusChrist. Second, this truth should produce humility. Pride melts when weremember that every human being will one day bow before Christ. The ground islevel at the foot of the cross, and we too will bow before Him along with allcreation. Third,this truth should produce urgency in evangelism. People around us desperatelyneed the gospel—friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. They are living nowas though Christ does not matter, but eternity says otherwise. One day everyperson you know will stand before Christ. This should burden our hearts topray, to witness, and to share the gospel while there is still time and hope. Finally,this truth gives us as believers great hope. Right now, evil seems strong.Truth seems attacked. The world appears chaotic. But Jesus Christ wins. Historyis not spinning out of control. It is moving toward the visible reign of JesusChrist. As we said yesterday, one day all the world will come to Jesus. It iscoming to Jesus and every knee will bow before Him as Lord.  Believers today joyfully bow before the authority of Jesus Christ.Will you join us today in bowing before Him even now? Lord Jesus, we bow before You today as the King of Kings andLord of Lords. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. Help us to livesurrendered lives that honor You. Give us boldness to share the gospel withothers before that coming day when every knee will bow. We pray this in Jesus'name. Amen.

Because of Christ's humility and obedience, Godthe Father responded. “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him”.The world rejected Jesus, but the Father exalted Him. Men mocked Jesus, but theFather crowned Him. Men nailed Him to a cross, but the Father raised Him fromthe dead and seated Him at His own right hand in glory. The resurrection andascension were heaven's declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thephrase “highly exalted” means super-exalted or exalted to the highest place. InEphesians 1:20–21, Paul wrote that “God seated Christ at His right hand inthe heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might anddominion”. No one is higher than Jesus. No one is greater than Jesus. Noone will ever dethrone Jesus. Heaven is moving toward one great conclusion, andthat is the complete triumph of Jesus Christ.This exaltation of Jesus includes Hisresurrection, His ascension, His heavenly reign, and His future visiblekingdom. The One who wore the crown of thorns will one day wear many crowns.Revelation 19:16 says Jesus is, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” ThenPaul continues: “and given Him a name which is above every name.” Whatis that name? Some believe it might refer to the name Jesus, but most likelyPaul is speaking about the title Lord. In verse 11, every tongue confesses thatJesus Christ is Lord. In the New Testament, Paul is declaring thatJesus Christ shares fully in the divine authority and glory of God Himself. Thisis astonishing because, in the Roman Empire, Caesar claimed to be lord, butChristians boldly proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord.” That confession often cost themtheir freedom, their possessions, and even their lives. Still today, declaringJesus as Lord is radical. Because if Jesus is Lord, He has authority over ourlives. He determines truth. He deserves obedience. He deserves worship. Hedeserves first place in our lives. Manypeople want Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. They want forgiveness withoutsurrender. They want heaven without holiness. They want salvation withoutsubmission. But the gospel calls us to bow before Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believein your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”The resurrection proves His Lordship.God exalted Jesus after Jesus humbled Himself. Thisis the principle throughout Scripture. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselvesin the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humbleyourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” Wealso know that we live in a world obsessed with self-promotion. But God'skingdom works differently. The way up is down. The way to greatness isservanthood. The pathway to honor is humility. Wesee in the Old Testament that when people humbled themselves—like Joseph,David, and Moses—God exalted them. Jesus went to the cross before ascending tothe throne. Today, maybe you feel overlooked. You might feel forgotten or misunderstood,or faithfully serving without recognition. Remember, God sees humble obedience,and your humility is never wasted. God knows how to exalt His servants in Hisperfect time and in His perfect way. Ourresponsibility is not self-promotion. Our responsibility is faithful obedience.One day every wrong will be made right when Christ reigns over all. Today,worship Jesus not only as Savior, but as your Lord. Ask yourself: Is there anyarea of my life resisting His authority? Have I surrendered my plans, myfuture, and my ambitions to Him? Am I living for my kingdom or His? The exaltedChrist deserves complete surrender. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for exalting Your Son, Jesus Christ. Weworship Him today as Lord of all. Forgive us for the areas where we haveresisted His authority. Help us to walk in humility and faithful obedience,trusting You to lift us up in Your perfect time. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen.

“He became obedient to the point of death,even the death of the cross.” Jesus'entire earthly life was marked by obedience. Hebrews 10:7 says: “Behold, Ihave come to do Your will, O my God.” From Bethlehem to Calvary, Jesuslived in perfect submission to the Father. In the Gospel of John Jesus made itvery clear that He did not do what He Himself wanted to do. He always did whatHis Father told Him to do. He went where His Father told Him to go, and Hespoke what His Father told Him to speak. It is very obvious that Jesus lived alife of submission to the Father. Where Adam disobeyed in a garden, Jesusobeyed in a garden. In Gethsemane, facing the horror of the cross, Jesusprayed: “Not My will, but Thine be done.” What obedience! Notice verse 8 says: “He became obedientto the point of death.” Obedience cost Him everything. Sometimeswe speak casually about obedience, but biblical obedience is often very costly.For Jesus, obedience meant: rejection, betrayal, false accusations, mocking, beatings,crucifixion, and ultimately death. Then Paul emphasizes: “Even the death ofthe cross.” Thecross was the most humiliating and shameful form of execution in the Romanworld. Roman citizens were generally exempt from crucifixion. It was reservedfor the worst criminals, slaves, and rebels. Victims were publicly stripped,mocked, and displayed in agony before the world. My friend, that is the deathJesus willingly obeyed unto—the death of the cross. Deuteronomy 21:23 declares:“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Galatians 3:13 tells us: “Christhas redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”Hebecame that curse for us by hanging on the cross. Jesusdid not merely die physically. He bore the wrath and judgment for our sins—thejudgment we deserved.Isaiah53:6 says: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” 2Corinthians 5:21 says: “For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” At the cross, Jesustook our place. He suffered the judgment we deserved so that we could receivethe forgiveness we did not deserve. My friend, this is the heart of the gospel. Remember,Jesus chose this. Matthew 26:53 says that He could have called twelve legionsof angels, but love held Him to the cross. The nails did not hold Him there. Itwas the love of God and the love of Christ that held Him on that cross when Hedied. What application does this have for you and metoday? First, we must realize that obedience always involves surrender. Youcannot follow Christ while insisting on your own way and your own will. Jesussaid in Luke 9:23: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himselfand take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Second, true obedience istested when it becomes costly. Anyone can obey when it is convenient. Obediencebecomes real when sacrifice is required. Maybe the sacrifice will involve: ourreputation, our comfort, our popularity, our financial security, our relationships,or our personal plans. When we come to Christ and choose to follow Him, it willcost us something. But nothing we surrender for Christ compares to what Hesurrendered for us!  Thecross changes everything about how we view sacrifice. Paul later tells us inRomans 12:1:“Present your bodies a living sacrifice.” The Christian lifeis not about shallow, convenient Christianity. It is about cross-centereddiscipleship. But here is the wonderful truth: the cross is not the end. Sundaywas coming. Humiliation would give way to exaltation. Death would give way toresurrection. Tomorrow, in Philippians 2:9, we will see heaven's response toChrist's obedience: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him.”  Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“Andbeing found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself.” Thatphrase is astonishing. Jesus humbled Himself voluntarily. Nobody forced Him.Nobody trapped Him. Nobody took His life from Him against His will. RememberJesus said in John 10:18: “No man takes my life from me. I lay it down ofmyself.” You see, humility was not weakness in Jesus. It was deliberatesurrender. Whenpeople looked at Jesus, they simply saw a man. “Being found in appearance as aman,” most people saw Him and never realized who stood before them. They saw acarpenter from Nazareth, a Jewish teacher, a poor rabbi with no earthly power. Matthew13:55 says they asked the question: “Is not this the carpenter's son?” Theymissed the glory hidden behind His humanity. The Creator walked among Hiscreation unnoticed. Imagine that. The One who spoke worlds into existence wasmocked by sinners. The One who created human hands allowed those hands to nailHim to a cross. YetHe humbled Himself. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually chosethe low place. He touched lepers others avoided. He welcomed children othersignored. He ate with tax collectors and sinners others despised. He washeddirty feet others refused to touch. Remember John 13: Jesus wrapped Himself ina servant's garment. Then He washed the disciples' feet and said: “I havegiven you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” Humilityis not simply admiring Jesus. It is learning from Him. In Matthew 11:28-30,Jesus said: “Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I willgive you rest.” Then He says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls. Formy yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It is getting in the yoke withJesus in humility. Humilityis one of the clearest marks of genuine spirituality. Pride was the originalsin. Lucifer fell through pride. Adam and Eve reached upward in pride. ButJesus willingly stepped downward in humility. He was never insecure. He neverdenied who He was. Yet He constantly placed others before Himself. Our worldcelebrates self-promotion, but Jesus modeled self-denial. The culture says,“Build your platform.” Jesus says, “Take up your cross.” The flesh says, “Benoticed.” But Jesus says, “Serve faithfully.” Oneof the hardest things for us is hidden humility. True humility is content with only God seeing. Philippians2 is teaching us that humility is not optional for believers. It is the mindsetof Jesus Christ. Remember James 4:6 says: “God resists the proud, but Hegives grace to the humble.” Think about that. Pride puts us in oppositionto God, but humility places us under the grace that we desperately need everyday.Sohow do we cultivate humility? First, by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ. Pridegrows when we compare ourselves to others. Humility grows when we compareourselves to Jesus. Second, by serving others intentionally. Humility isdeveloped through acts of service. And third, by remembering that everything wehave is from God. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says: “What do you have that you did notreceive?”  Today, ask God to reveal areas of hidden pridein your life. Maybe that pride is in: our knowledge, our accomplishments, ourministry, our possessions, or even our spiritual maturity. Independence itselfcan become a source of pride. Pride can even hide behind religious activity. But,my friend, the cross of Jesus Christ destroys pride because it reminds us thatwe are sinners completely dependent upon His grace. The closer we walk withJesus, the humbler we will become. Let'spray together. “Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible humility. Forgive usfor pride and self-centeredness. Teach us to take the low place joyfully andserve others with sincere hearts. Help us to think less about ourselves andmore about You and others. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.”

Today we are looking at Philippians 2:5-11, where we aretalking about the mind of Christ: This passage begins with: “Let this mindbe in you.” Today we come to one of the greatest miracles in humanhistory—when God became a man. We find this in verse 7: “But He made Himselfof no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in thelikeness of men.” This is the miracle of the incarnation. The eternalGod stepped into humanity without ceasing to be God. RememberJohn 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Think aboutthat statement: The infinite became an infant. The Creator entered creation. TheOne who made the stars was born beneath them. My friend, Jesus was not partlyGod and partly man. He was fully God and fully man at the very same time. Thisis essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If Jesus were only man, He couldnot save us. If He were only God, He could not represent us. Because He is bothGod and man, He became the perfect mediator between God and humanity. Remember1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God andman, the man Christ Jesus.” Jesusentered humanity. He experienced hunger, weariness, rejection, sorrow, andphysical pain. He knew what it was to be tired after a long journey. He knewwhat it was to weep at a grave. He knew what it was to be misunderstood andbetrayed. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannotsympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yetwithout sin.” This should give us great comfort. Jesus understands humansuffering firsthand. When you hurt, He understands. When you are weary, Heunderstands. When you are rejected, He understands. YetJesus never sinned. He was tempted externally, but unlike us, He had no sinfulnature within Him. He is the perfect Savior. Paul said He came “in thelikeness of men.” That does not mean Jesus only appeared human. It means Hetruly became man while remaining distinct from sinful humanity. He looked likeany other Jewish man of His day. Isaiah 53:2 says, “He has no form norcomeliness. And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” Peoplesaw a carpenter from Nazareth. But hidden within that humble frame was theglory of God. Many missed Him because they were looking for outward splendor.People still miss Him today. Some want a political savior. Some want a miracleworker. Some want religion without repentance. But Jesus first came as asuffering servant. Howdoes this apply to us? How can we make this real to us? If Jesus was willing toenter our world, we should be willing to enter the struggles of others. Trueministry steps into other people's pain. Jesus did not remain distant from ourbroken humanity. He moved toward sinners, and we are called to do the same. Galatians6:2 reminds us, “Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law ofChrist.” Wesometimes prefer a comfortable Christianity that avoids messy people anddifficult situations. But Jesus stepped directly into our mess to rescue us. Sowho around you today needs compassion? Who needs encouragement? Who needssomeone willing to listen? The mind of Christ moves toward people, not awayfrom them. Yes,my friend, because Jesus became one of us, we can approach Him with confidence.Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we mayobtain mercy and find grace in our time of need.” Oh, what a Savior! Let'spray together. Father, thank You for sending Jesus into our world. Thank Youthat He understands our weaknesses and our sorrows. Help us to show Hiscompassion to others today. Make us willing to enter the burdens and hurts ofthose around us with the love of Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are delving into one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible here inPhilippians 2:7, where the Apostle Paul wrote, “But made Himself of noreputation, taking the form of a bondservant.” Today we are going to talkabout how “He emptied Himself”. What an amazing truth we find here—thatJesus Christ, the God of heaven, emptied Himself and came among us. Philippians2 takes us into the humility of Jesus Christ. Remember, that is what Paul isteaching: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Theheart and mind of humility that Jesus had brought Him to planet Earth as ahuman being. Verse6 shows us that Jesus is fully God. We talked about that yesterday. Now verse 7shows us what He was willing to do for our salvation. Paul says, “But madeHimself of no reputation.” The phrase literally means “He emptied Himself.”Now, this has sometimes been misunderstood, so we need to look at it carefullytoday. Jesus did not empty Himself of His deity. Jesus never stopped being God.When Jesus walked on earth, He still forgave sins. He still calmed storms. Hestill received worship. He still claimed equality with the Father. He was fullyGod and fully man at the same time. So what did He empty Himself of? Helaid aside the independent use of His divine privileges. He voluntarilysurrendered the visible glory and heavenly privileges that He had with theFather before the world began. Remember John 17:5, where Jesus prayed, “Andnow, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I hadwith You before the world was.” Think about what Jesus left behind: the worshipof angels, the splendor of heaven, the glory of eternity, the uninterruptedfellowship of heavenly majesty. He entered into a fallen world filled withsuffering, rejection, hatred, and pain. The Creator stepped into His creation. Theeternal God became a baby. What humility! Paulcontinues by saying that He took “the form of a bondservant.” Notice thecontrast in verse 6: He was in the form of God. In verse 7, He took the form ofa servant. The One who ruled heaven and the universe became a servant onearth—not merely a servant, but a bondservant, a slave. Jesus did not pretendto serve. He became a servant. Think about John 13, where Jesus washed thedisciples' feet. That was the work of the lowest household servant. Can youimagine that? The hands that formed the galaxies washed fishermen's feet. Thatis the mind of Christ. Mark10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but tominister.” This is so opposite of our culture today. The world says, “Promoteyourself, demand recognition, protect your image.” Jesus says, “Serve.” Remember,real greatness in the kingdom of God is found in servanthood. Matthew 23:11says, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Yes, many peoplewant the crown, but few want the towel. Yetthroughout Scripture, God honors servants. Joseph served in prison beforeruling in Egypt. David served sheep before leading Israel. Moses served in thewilderness before delivering a nation. Jesus served all the way to the cross. Thequestion today is this: Where is God calling you to serve?Maybein your home.Atyour church.Atwork.Maybein a hidden ministry that nobody ever notices. Yousee, the flesh wants applause, but the spirit wants obedience. One of thegreatest tests of humility is whether or not we are willing to serve when noone sees us and no one praises us. Are we still joyful today in serving theLord? The mind of Christ says, “Yes, I will serve.”Today,ask yourself:AmI looking to be served or to serve?DoI quietly resent humble tasks?AmI willing to do unnoticed ministry?Thatmay mean being a nursery worker, cleaning the church, helping elderly people,or being a faithful prayer warrior that nobody knows about. Heaven sees it all.Remember this: Jesus never asked us to go lower than He already went. Remember:“He emptied Himself” and so should we!

Let this mind be in youwhich was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not considerit robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking theform of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Todaywe're looking at Philippians 2:6, where Paul wrote, “Who, being in the formof God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” Yesterday inverse 5, we saw Paul's command: “Let this mind be in you.” We arelooking at the greatness of the One who perfectly lived that mind—that mindwhere “He did not cling to His own rights.” Today, we're talking about Christ'smind and the importance of understanding the deity of Jesus Christ.  Thisis one of the clearest declarations of the deity of Jesus Christ in the Bible.The word “form” means the very essence and nature of something. Jesuswas not merely like God—He is God. Jesus never became God. He always was God. John1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and theWord was God.” In verse 14, John said, “And the Word became flesh anddwelt among us,” speaking of Jesus Christ. Colossians1:15-17 declares that Jesus Christ created all things: “He is the image ofthe invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things werecreated that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things werecreated through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all thingsconsist.” What a powerful statement on the deity of Jesus Christ and Hiseternal being. Hebrews1:3 says, “The brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.”Jesus did not become God at Bethlehem or in the Virgin Mary. He was, andhas always been, eternally God the Son. Yet Paul says here that He “did notconsider it robbery to be equal with God.” The idea here is that Jesus did notselfishly cling to His divine privilege. Thinkabout it. The One who was worshiped by angels, the One seated in heavenlyglory, the Creator of the universe, willingly laid aside His rights to come andrescue sinners. Contrast that with Lucifer in Isaiah chapter 14, where we aretold that Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne. I will be like the Most HighGod.”Pridesays, “I deserve more.”Pride says, “I want recognition.”Pride says, “I will promote myself.”ButJesus demonstrated just the opposite spirit. Adamand Eve grasped for equality with God in the garden. But Jesus, who already wasGod and possessed equality with God, released His privilege for our salvation. Oh,my friend, what humility. Here is the application for us today: What rights arewe clinging to?Theright to be appreciated.The right to be comforted.The right to always be understood.The right to win every argument.The right to have our preferences met. Myfriend, the mind of Jesus Christ says, “I will surrender my rights for the goodof others.” This is the heart of Christian maturity. In 1 Corinthians 10:24 weread, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the well-being of others.” Imaginewhat would happen if, in our homes, husbands and wives stopped fighting forpersonal rights and started serving one another. Imagine churches filled withbelievers saying, “How can I help?” instead of, “How can I be recognized?” Oh,my friend, this is the mind of Christ. Humility is not weakness. It is strengthunder control. Jesus could have remained in His heavenly glory, but love movedHim toward the cross. We must continually remind ourselves to examine any areaof our hearts where pride has taken root. Then, consciously surrender that areato Jesus Christ.Maybelet someone else have the last word today.Maybe give up recognition.Maybe quietly serve without needing any praise. Thatis Christlike thinking. May God help us to have this mind which was also inChrist Jesus. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Let this mind be in youwhich was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not considerit robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking theform of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Welcometo Pastor's Chat today. Today we're back to Philippians 2:5-11. Some Biblescholars believe this is the greatest passage in all the Bible. Many people andBible scholars believe that this section was an early Christian hymn that theApostle Paul quoted to teach the church about the humility and the glory ofJesus Christ. Today we want to talk about the mind of Christ, the mind thatchanges everything.  Butwe need to remember in context that Paul is not merely teaching doctrine here.He is dealing with relationships in the church. Back in verses 1-4, Paul hadurged the believers to walk in humility, to walk in unity and selflessness.Remember he said, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition orconceit, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem others better thanthemselves." Then he gives the perfect example, Jesus Christ. “Letthis mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”.  Nowthe word mind here refers to the attitude, the mindset, the disposition or theway of thinking. Some people call this the submissive mind. It is the attitudethat willingly lays aside selfish ambition for the good of others and for theglory of God. Our thinking determines our living. Remember Proverbs 23:7, "Asa man thinks in his heart, so is he." If our minds are filled withpride and selfishness and comparison, jealousy, personal rights, relationshipswill begin to crumble. Homes become tense. Churches become divided andfriendships become strained. But when the believer develops the mind of Christ,unity and joy can flourish.  RememberPaul wrote Philippians from a Roman prison cell. Yet joy is filling his heartand his letter because Christ filled Paul's heart. The mind of Christ is notjust natural. It is supernatural. Remember Romans 12:2, “Be transformed bythe renewing of your mind…”. The Christian life is not behaviormodification. No, it is heart transformation. Remember that. This is exactlywhat is the mind of Christ.  Therest of the passage tells us about Christ. He surrendered. He surrendered Hisrights. He humbled Himself. He became a servant. He obeyed the Fathercompletely. He sacrificed Himself for others. Jesus did not live for Himself.If you ask what the mind of Christ is, you find it in Mark 10:45, “For eventhe Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give Hislife a ransom for others”. This is the mind that you and I are called to.  Sotoday, ask yourself the question, am I demanding my rights? Am I easilyoffended? Am I more concerned about being served or serving others? Would myfamily say I have the mind of Christ? Oh, my friend, the battle for humilitybegins in the mind. A church split usually starts with a proud thought. Abroken marriage often begins with selfish attitudes, and a bitter spirit beginswith unchecked thinking. But revival also begins in the mind.  Whenbelievers begin to say, "Lord Jesus, think through me, love through me,serve through me," everything changes. That is when we know we have themind of Christ. Maybe today there is someone you need to encourage instead ofcriticize. Maybe there is someone you need to forgive instead of avoid. Maybethere is a selfish attitude the Holy Spirit is revealing. The mind of Christalways moves us toward humility, unity, and sacrificial love.  Today,please pray this prayer with me. “Father, thank You for giving us the perfectexample of Jesus Christ. Forgive us for selfish thinking and proud attitudes.Renew our minds today and help us to think like Jesus. Fill us with humility,love and a servant's heart. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.” Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're in Psalm 15, and we're looking at verse 5. We'vebeen talking about how to practice what the Apostle Paul encouraged the churchat Philippi to do in Philippians 2:3–4: to esteem others better than themselvesand to carry about their lives in lowliness of mind and humility. When we dothat, there are practical things we need to do. To me, Psalm 15 describes someof these very practical applications we can make in our lives that will help usfulfill what Paul talked about in Philippians 2. Nowwe come down to verse 5. Verse 5 says this: “He who does not put out hismoney at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.” Now theword “usury” usually has to do with interest. You do not put out your moneysimply for oppressive gain through interest. This is not saying you should notinvest in the stock market. It is not saying you should not put your money in asavings account that draws interest. This is talking about personal financialintegrity. Inall of our business dealings, God cares about how we treat people financially.In the Old Testament, you will find several cases where people loaned out moneyto make interest, but they charged exorbitant interest. They literally broughthardship upon other people and almost placed them into slavery because of theinterest they demanded. Sometimes this still happens in our culture and societytoday. The Bible is telling us, as believers, that we are not to put hardshipon others financially simply for our own personal gain. Again,He is speaking about our finances and our business dealings. God cares abouthow we treat others financially. In Proverbs 11:1 it says, “Dishonest scalesare an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” If wewant to enjoy fellowship with God, we must live honestly and fairly. ThenDavid closes this chapter with a beautiful promise: “He who does thesethings shall never be moved.” Oh,my friend, what stability! What security! The person who walks with God has asteady life. Trials may come. Storms may rage. But they are anchored in theLord. Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He isat my right hand I shall not be moved.” Aswe close this chapter, may we remember something very important: none of usperfectly measure up to Psalm 15. If we are honest, we all have failed in ourspeech, our thoughts, our tongue, our motives, and our actions. Ultimately,Psalm 15 points us to Jesus Christ, the only perfectly righteous One who trulyfulfilled every one of these qualities. He alone walked uprightly. He alonealways spoke the truth. He alone never sinned with His tongue. He aloneperfectly pleased the Father. Becauseof His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven, cleansed, and brought intofellowship with God. Hebrews 10:19 says, “Therefore, brethren, havingboldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Today, if wereally want fellowship with Jesus Christ—sweet fellowship with the Lord—we mustwalk closely with Christ, confess sin quickly, guard our tongues, livehonestly, and cultivate a heart that fears God. I'masking today: Is there anything in your life that is hindering your fellowshipwith the Lord? Are you walking uprightly before Him? Are you speaking the truthin your heart? My friend, when you draw near to God, we are promised that Hewill draw near to you (James 4:8). Itrust and pray that you, by God's grace and through the Holy Spirit, live outthese truths found in Psalm 15, so that God's promise will be fulfilled as youenjoy and experience a life of stability and security. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're studying Psalm 15, talking about a person wholives a life of integrity. His character, his walk with God, and his fellowshipwith the Lord are so real that he does things that cause him to be a stable,secure kind of person who literally displays the glory of God in his life everyday. Nowwe come down to verse 4. Here in verse 4b, we find a very remarkable statement:“He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” This verse isdescribing a person who keeps his word even when it costs him something. Thisis a rare quality today in our culture, because people often break theirpromises when circumstances become inconvenient.  Thisverse jumped out at me years ago: “He who swears to his own hurt and changesnot.” We often do just the opposite. So many times, when we're accused or whensomething takes place, we defer the blame to someone else. “The devil made medo it.” “My wife caused the problem.” “My husband caused the problem.” “My bossis at fault and has made this whole mess for us.” Buthere is a powerful truth. As we try to understand the person who walks withGod, enjoys fellowship with God, and has the lowliness of mind that Paul talksabout in Philippians chapter 2—esteeming others better than himself—this is apowerful thought: you swear to your own hurt and do not change. Sometimes youmay even take the blame for something you didn't do. NowI know when I say that, especially today, people respond, “I'll never do that.Why should I take the blame for something I didn't do?” Sometimes, to keeppeace. Maybe just to keep your mouth shut when accusations come. Instead oftrying to defer the blame or defend yourself—even when you truly didn't doit—you simply remain silent. Youmight say, “How can I do that?” Let me tell you—Jesus did exactly this. He tookthe blame for something He didn't do. He took your sin, my sin, and the sin ofthe whole world upon His shoulders. He took it to the cross. He paid a terribleprice when He “swore to His own hurt and did not change.” He simplysaid, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Actually,He prayed for those who were guilty and who were to blame for putting Him onthe cross. To the thief on the cross, He said, “Today you will be with Me inparadise.” That thief admitted, “I am getting what I justly deserve.” YetJesus got what we justly deserved in our place. He swore to His own hurt anddid not change. Sosometimes—not every situation, but many times—the situation calls for us to saynothing. Just say nothing. Take the blame and have peace with those around us,even if it means pain, hurt, or loss for us. Jesus died on that cross—aterrible death. He took the blame for something He didn't do. If He did that,don't you think maybe we could ask God for grace sometimes to do the same? Whenthings happen and we are being blamed, perhaps we should just keep our mouthsshut instead of trying to fight back, blame others, or expose everyoneinvolved. Now listen, there are times when justice must be pursued. God is aGod of justice. God says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”Romans chapter 12. Solet's try to practice this the best we can. This is a hard one. I stillremember memorizing this verse and thinking, “Wow, I don't know if I can dothis every time I need to.”  But by God'sgrace, and by looking to our example—Jesus Christ on the cross—"when Hewas reviled, He reviled not again.” Ohmy friend, may God help us to have that kind of spirit and that kind ofattitude. I trust this encourages you today and does not discourage you. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're looking at an amazing chapter in the Bible, Psalm15. When I read this years ago and saw that very last verse that said, “Hethat does these things shall never be moved,” I thought, “I better find outwhat these things are.” So Psalm 15:1 asks the question, “who is the person,the individual, who has fellowship with the Lord and who lives in the presenceof the Lord?” And then the rest of the psalm describes certain attitudes andactions that characterize that person. Forinstance, we've been talking the last couple of days about how he watches histongue. He does not say things that are slanderous, and he doesn't gossip. Hedoesn't take up a reproach against his neighbor or take sides against aneighbor in a way that causes more difficulty. Instead, he is a peacemaker. Todaywe're moving on to verse 4 in this chapter. Here, the psalmist describes how weshould look at the wickedness around us: “In whose eyes a vile person isdespised, but he honors those who fear the Lord.” What this means is thatthe godly person does not admire wickedness. We live in a culture today thatcelebrates sin and mocks righteousness, but the believer must not allow theworld to shape his values. Wehave a Madison Avenue kind of attitude where we feel like we have to haveeverything the world has. We are constantly being brainwashed through socialmedia, television, and advertising into believing that this is the best life:you have to own these kinds of appliances, wear these kinds of clothes, runaround with this kind of crowd, drive this kind of car, and live in this kindof house. Weend up joining the rat race trying to keep up with people we don't even knowand, most likely, don't even like. Yet here we are living that way—driven byit, going to work, trying to get more in order to keep up with people we don'teven care about. And while we should care about their souls, we often care moreabout what they think about us. May the Lord help us. We need to wake up. Weborrow money we don't have, to buy things we don't need, in order to impresspeople we don't even like. I read that statement one time and thought, “Oh,goodness, how true that is.” So,“in whose eyes a vile person is condemned,” as one translation says, or“despised.” In Psalm 1, David begins the book of Psalms with these words: “Blessedis the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in theway of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” The whole book ofPsalms—a book about living the blessed life—begins with a negative. We do nothang out with, run around with, celebrate, or seek advice from those who areevil and wicked in order to determine how we should live. Instead, we look intoGod's Word. That'swhy verse 2 of Psalm 1 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, andin his law doth he meditate day and night.” Then this person “shall belike a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in hisseason. His leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” Oh,that's the kind of life David is describing here in Psalm 15. So, when it comesto vile, wicked, and evil people, we should despise their way of life. Weshould have a heart that says, “That's not the path I want to follow.” Butthen it goes on to say that we “honor those who fear the Lord.” Weencourage those who love Jesus, who stand for truth and righteousness. This iswhat God wants us to do. We honor and value godliness, faithfulness, humility,and obedience because that is the kind of life that pleases God. Maythe Lord help us not to join the “rat race”! (Read the book of Ecclesiastes)  Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we've been looking at Philippians chapter 2, where theApostle Paul is encouraging the church at Philippi to live in unity, to haveunity of spirit as they fellowship with one another. The only way they can dothat is, as he says in verse 4, to “let each of you look out not only forhis own interests, but also for the interests of others.” In the previousverse, he talked about having “lowliness of mind and letting each esteemothers better than themselves” (v. 3). Aswe were thinking about that, our minds went to Psalm chapter 15, a great psalmthat teaches us the character of a man who walks with God, who enjoysfellowship with God, who enjoys fellowship with other believers, and who livesa life of peace in his relationships with others. Today,we are looking at Psalm 15:3b, where the psalmist writes, “Nor does evil tohis neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his neighbor.” Remember,the first part of verse 3a, that we talked about yesterday, “He that doesnot backbite with his tongue”—in other words, he is not a gossip or aslanderer.  Herethe psalmist is speaking about the fact of loving others and refusing to joinin spreading accusations. “He does no evil to his neighbor”. He doesn'tthink about how he can hurt his neighbor or cause harm to come to his neighbor.Who is a neighbor? A neighbor could be somebody you work with. It could besomebody who lives across the street from you, somebody who sits on the samepew with you at church, or someone you encounter during the day as you goshopping or go out for entertainment. A neighbor is anybody around you who hasa need in his life, and that need is always Jesus and a relationship with God. So,we do no evil to our neighbors. For example, when someone becomes a source ofirritation to us by the way they're driving, we don't respond and then drive ina way that causes evil to them. “We do no evil to our neighbor”. Thenhe goes on to say: “Nor does he take up a reproach against his neighbor.”We don't listen to criticism and then repeat it. When we hear something bad aboutsomeone else, we don't carry it on to another person so they will also thinkbadly of that individual. Usually, when we spread criticism, we are trying toput somebody else down so that we look a little better ourselves. The motive inour own hearts, of course, is pride, and that is the opposite of the lowlinessof mind that Paul talks about in Philippians 2. Godcalls us to be peacemakers, not troublemakers. This verse is basically teachingus what we read in Romans 12:18: “If it be possible, as much as lies in you,live peaceably with all men.” Remember, Jesus Himself said in the Sermon onthe Mount, found in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for theyshall be called the children of God.” Whencertain people come into a room, immediately it seems like there aredistractions, division, strife, discord, and bad feelings. You know what I'mtalking about. But there are other people who come in with the glow of God uponthem, walking in fellowship with the Lord—people who love anyone and everyone,and it radiates in their eyes, in their speech, in their attitude, and in theirconversation. They come into the room, and they are peacemakers. Oh,how blessed are the peacemakers! Jesus said they shall be called children ofGod. You know what that means? It means they are recognized as having anintimate, close relationship with God Himself as their Father. One Bible translationcalls them the sons of God. People see them and say, “This person must live ina different family than I came from. I need to find out about that family.” Howinteresting is that? Ipray that as we think about these things, we will live lives of integrity andtruly become people who lift others up rather than tear them down. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

I believe this is a very good time to remindeveryone to pray for our military chaplains. First,pray for Dr. Steve Keith, who heads up the team of chaplains from the Liberty Baptist Fellowship.Then specifically, you can remember two chaplains we are very close to. One ismy son, Nathan Grooms, who is a U.S. Navy Chaplain and is presently deployed.Also, someone I call my adopted son, Shawn Taylor, who is an U.S. Air ForceChaplain. Shawn served as our worship leader for ten years at Rainbow ForestBaptist Church, and he is also presently deployed away from his family. Pleasedo pray for them and for all of our chaplains. Thenright here in the community where I live, in Sneads Ferry, we have the largeMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune military base. I have two dear friends who workwith the military here. One is Justin Sterns, who does discipleship on basewith many of the Marines there. Then also Dave Mason, who has a ministry ofmilitary evangelism to the Marines here and provides a place where they cancome on Friday nights, listen to the Word of God, fellowship with one another,be encouraged, and walk as they should—not only as Marines, but as believersand followers of Christ. Both of these men are reaching others for Christ righthere in our community. Soplease pray for all our military today. Pray for our nation's leadership aswell, as we are living in a crucial time in our country especially with theconflict in the Middle East. Thank you again for your prayers. This shirtsimply reminded me to ask you to pray. Now,as we were studying Philippians chapter 2, especially verses 3 and 4, we readthese words: “Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each one ofyou not look out for his own interests only, but also for the interests ofothers.” As I read those two verses, I could not help but think again ofPsalm 15, which we have been studying together. Yesterday,we talked about what was in verse 2b: “He who speaks the truth in hisheart.” Now in verse 3, David moves to the use of our tongues: “He whodoes not backbite with his tongue.” The word “backbite” here means slanderor gossip. You know how much damage is done by careless words. We used to sayas children, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurtme.” But that is absolutely not true. Words can hurt more deeply than we canever imagine. Wordsare eternal. Once you say them, you cannot take them back. As a matter of fact,they are recorded in heaven because the Scripture says that one day we willgive an account for every idle word that comes out of our mouths (Matthew12:36). It is important what we say—and what we do not say. SoPsalm 15 says: “He who does not backbite with his tongue.” We are not tobe backbiters, slanderers, or gossipers. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and lifeare in the power of the tongue.” A believer who walks closely with God mustguard his speech. Gossip destroys friendships, churches, and testimonies. Thatis why Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29—a passage we studied a few months ago: “Letno corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessaryedification.” Insteadof tearing people down, we should be building them up for the glory of God. Ipray that the Lord will help us do that. The way to do that is to think goodabout people—to think positively about people. As Oswald Chambers said, weshould see every person in Christ, or every person needing Christ. Then we canbecome people who encourage others and build them up rather than tear themdown, despite what they may say or do against us. We do not retaliate and saywhat we should not say. Remember,the Scripture says that when Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Peter2:23). And His last words about those who crucified Him were: “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). May the Lordhelp us to live that way.

Todaywe are focusing on verse 2 of Psalm 15, where David is answering the questionhe asked in verse 1: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwellin Your holy hill?” In other words, who is able to experience and enjoycontinuous intimate communion and fellowship with the LORD God Almighty? Thenhe answers the question in verse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and worksrighteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” First,we are walking uprightly, and we are working righteousness. We are doing rightthings. We are thinking about right things. Then David says something sopowerful, and I believe it is literally key to our walk in the Christian life: “Andspeaks the truth in his heart.” To experience true fellowship with theLORD, it is essential that we not only thinks about truth, and not only hastruth in our heart, but that we speaks the truth. We walk and live in thattruth. Thatis why in Second, and Third John—those books where John is writing tobelievers—he says that one of his greatest joys is to hear that his childrenwalk in the truth. Now what does this mean: “speaks the truth in his heart”? Asa matter of fact, in Psalm 51, where David is repenting of his terrible sin ofadultery and murder, he says this in verse 6: “Behold, You desire truth inthe inward parts.” Godwants us to think about the truth, talk about the truth, listen to the truth,and let the truth guide our decisions. You see, I am convinced the battle ofthe ages is the lie versus the truth—the lie versus the truth. I have oftenthought that when people come and say, “Pastor Mike, what should I do aboutthis?” or “I'm having a problem and I don't know how to handle this,” one of mymain objectives as I sit there, listen to them, and begin to share counsel issimply this: I need to tell them the truth—the truth that comes from the Wordof God. The reason they are confused or in trouble is because they have been listeningto, and “speaking” the lie in their mind and heart. RememberGod's Word is Truth. Jesus said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thytruth. Thy word is truth.” Not only that, remember Pilate asked thequestion in John chapter 18:38: “What is truth?” Interestingly, justbefore Pilate asked that question, Jesus had said: “For this cause I wasborn, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witnessto the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Then Pilateasked the question, “What is truth?”—while Truth Himself was standingright in front of him, and he was missing it. Myfriend, Jesus is truth. John 14:6 says: “I am the way, the truth, and thelife. No man comes to the Father but by Me.” On the other hand, the devilis a liar. In John 8:44, Jesus said: “You are of your father the devil, andthe lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, andabode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie,he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Inthe very beginning, Satan lied to Eve. We are either believing the lies of theevil one as we make choices and decisions in life, or we are listening to thetruth of God's Word. That is why we must let mercy and truth come into ourhearts. Proverbs 3:3 tells us: “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bindthem around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, our hearts.” Becauseas we listen to the truth, speak the truth in our hearts, and make ourdecisions based on truth rather than the lies of the evil one, my friend, itmakes all the difference in the world in our daily walk. That is why John wouldsay to those precious disciples in Second and Third John: “I rejoicedgreatly that I found thy children walking in truth.” We walk uprightly. We workrighteousness. And we speak the truth in our hearts—in our innermost being. Welet that truth live within us. Are you letting that truth live in you today? Itrust you are. 

Thereis nothing more important than practicing the presence of the Lord and desiringto be in His presence on the holy hill. That is Mount Zion. That is where thetemple was. That is where God made known the glory of His presence among Hispeople. You dwelt in His presence there. Today, we can dwell in His presenceevery day. Asa matter of fact, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So what does“the fear of the Lord mean? It means being continuously aware of and consciousof the presence of the Lord in your life—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Youknow He is there. As Brother Lawrence put it, you “practice His presence.” Thatis what David is asking here. Now,who can do that? Who has the right, the privilege, and the experience ofdwelling in the presence of the Lord? David begins to answer the question inverse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks thetruth in his heart.” Three things are mentioned right off the bat. First, “walkinguprightly”. Second, “working righteousness”, and “speaking thetruth in his heart”.  Lookat what he says: “He who walks uprightly.” This speaks of integrity. Itmeans a life that is sincere, genuine, and consistent—not perfect, but real. Theword “walk” reminds us that this is a daily lifestyle. Remember, God toldAbraham in Genesis 17:1: “Walk before Me blamelessly.” That is walkinguprightly. That is walking in the right direction following Jesus every day! Youfind this same truth mentioned in Psalm 23:3 “He leads me in paths ofrighteousness for His name's sake.” Righteousness is doing that which isright. So first, we walk with the Lord uprightly. We are cleansed of our sin.We are enjoying fellowship with Him. We are listening to His voice, payingattention to His Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience by faith. We areenjoying a life of experiencing God. We walk uprightly, and it shows forth tothe world around us. That is so important. Thenwe “work righteousness”. Now this is interesting. Righteousness is doingwhat is right. I will never forget, as a young Christian, hearing someone say: “Doright. Do right. Do right. If the stars fall from heaven, do right.” People havecome to me asking for counseling or advice on how to handle a certain situation,and my answer—because of how I have been influenced—is simply this: “Be aChristian. Be a Christian.” “Just do right!” Thatmeans you do right according to God's Word. It means you follow Jesus. You dowhat Jesus would do in that situation, my friend. The only way you can do thatis by first walking uprightly. You walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Remember,our righteousness is as filthy rags. What we do on our own, without the HolySpirit helping us, guiding us, and directing us, “is as filthy rags”. Itmight impress people and make us feel good, but it actually stinks in the sightof God (Isaiah 64:6). Butmy friend, when we follow Jesus, when we are in love with Jesus, when we areenjoying His presence, when we have the fear of the Lord, and when we arewalking in a path that brings glory to His name, people can see the differencein our lives. That is a powerful thing. So our walk matches our profession whenwe walk uprightly. James 1:22 says: “But be doers of the word, and nothearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Abeliever who enjoys close fellowship with God seeks to obey the Lord. Oh, myfriend, that is not sinless perfection, but it is a heart that desiresholiness. May God help us to have that kind of heart. Let us continue over thenext few days looking at Psalm 15. I hope you will take time to memorize it tooand hide it in your heart, that you might not sin against the Lord.Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Ihave been so blessed with wonderful mothers in my life. My mother was, I wouldalmost say, the perfect mother. She loved us, cared for us, prayed for us, andset a wonderful example before us. We miss her so much. I'm sure there are manyothers out there whose mothers have gone to be with the Lord. We say, “Godbless you,” and we trust that God's grace and comfort will surround you todayas you reflect on precious memories of your wonderful mother. Iam also married to one of the most wonderful mothers in all the world—andthat's Edith. She is a reflection of Christ in her love for our children andgrandchildren. She is giving, kind, and the greatest cook in the world, as youcan probably tell when you look at me! Our grandchildren come to be with us, Ithink, just to eat her cooking. We are so blessed, and I'm sure many of you areas well. So today, we say to all the mothers out there: Happy Mother's Day! Aswe were finishing our devotion yesterday on Philippians chapter 2, verses 1through 4—the introduction where Paul is basically telling us to be kind to oneanother, thoughtful of each other, and to look out for one another's interestsrather than just our own—I couldn't help but think of Psalm 15. Psalm15 is a psalm I memorized early in my Christian life. I memorized it because itonly has five verses. It's a short psalm. The last verse ends with these words:“He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” That caught myattention. “He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” You cantell I memorized it in the old King James Version. I thought, “Wow, if you dothese things—what are these things?” Psalm15 has five verses, and David begins the psalm by asking a very importantquestion—one that we should all ask. It is found in verse 1: “LORD, who mayabide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” In other words,who can truly enjoy fellowship with God? Who can live in the presence of theLord and experience communion with Him? That is a good question. Are youenjoying fellowship with the Lord? That'swhat Paul is talking about in Philippians chapter 2—and really throughout theentire book, for that matter. He is speaking of fellowship with the Lord andfellowship with one another, so that we become an example to the world aroundus as we live as citizens of heaven. Davidis not asking how a sinner can be saved, because we know from the wholetestimony of Scripture that salvation is given by grace through faith alone. Ephesians2:8–9 says: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Noone earns entrance into heaven by good deeds. We are saved only through therighteousness of Jesus Christ. ButPsalm 15 describes the character of the person who walks closely with God. Itdescribes the kind of life that enjoys intimate fellowship with the Lord. Yousee, sin breaks fellowship. It does not remove salvation for the true believer,but it does hinder communion with God. Isaiah 59:2 says: “But youriniquities have separated you from your God.” SoDavid is asking, “Who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who can walk daily inthe presence and blessings of God?” Then he begins to give us the answer inverse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks thetruth in his heart.”  First, we findthat the person who enjoys fellowship with God is a person who walks uprightly. Overthe next few days, I believe we are going to continue through this psalm andanswer the question: “He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” Whatare these things? What are those qualities that lead us into true, intimatefellowship with Jesus Christ? That is what we want for all of our mothers, allof our dads, and all Christian believers who are reading or listening to ourPastor's Chat today. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today, let us continue here in Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. In the firsttwo verses Paul has been talking first about the right motives for spiritualunity and a submissive mind (vs. 1-2a). Then he talked about the right marks ofspiritual unity and a submissive mind (v. 2b). Now we are talking about theright means—the right means of spiritual unity (vs. 3-4). First,in verse 3a, Paul speaks of the negative and he says, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit.” That is the negative. We are to makesure we do everything in humility and that we do not have vain conceit as we dowhat God wants us to do with a submissive mind and with unity in the Spirit inthe body of Christ. Nowin verses 3b-4, Paul goes on and deals with the positive and the practical. “…butin lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each ofyou look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest ofothers.” This is humility in action. Humilityis not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. OswaldChambers put it this way: “It is not thinking of yourself at all.”Because as you are displaying the mind of Christ, living for Him, servingothers, and putting others first, you do not have time to think about yourself. Yourprayers can, of course, be personal, asking God for grace and help in time ofneed. But at the same time, your prayers will mostly be intercessory. You willbe concerned about the needs, hurts, pains, and sorrows of others. This ishumility in action. “Esteemingothers better than yourselves” does not mean pretending others are morecapable or more gifted. It means choosing to treat them as more important. I liketo put it this way: Make sure every person—from the youngest baby and child tothe oldest person around you—is treated as a person of tremendous value. Theywere created in the image of God, and God loves them. With God's love, weshould love them. And when you meet a believer, you are meeting Christ Jesus! RememberSaul's (Paul's) experience in Acts 9:4-5: “Then he fell to the ground, andheard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecutingMe?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said,"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick againstthe goads." In other words when you mistreat a believer, Jesus Himselfhas said that you are mistreating Him! Think about that! Myfriend, this practically means rejoicing when others succeed, honoring themabove yourself, and wanting what is best for them no matter who they are. Thatis what you pray for. That is what you desire. You see them, as Oswald Chamberssays, as they are in Christ. This is exactly what Jesus did. ThenPaul adds, “Look out for the interests of others.” This does not mean ignoringyour own needs. It means not stopping there. It means living with a broaderperspective. Lot lived for himself. Remember Lot, Abraham's nephew? He chosethe land that looked like Egypt, near Sodom and Gomorrah, and he losteverything. Abraham chose to go the other way, wherever Lot did not go. Helived for others and became a blessing to the nations. Myfriend, this is the submissive mind—not me first, but others next. When achurch lives this way, joy overflows, unity is preserved, and the gospeladvances with power. Here is a simple challenge this week: Ask the Lord to showyou one specific way to put this into practice. Maybe it is yielding apreference. Maybe it is encouraging someone you struggle with. Remember Romans12:21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Jesus said thesame thing in Matthew 5:43–44. Pray for someone who maybe irritates you. Putthis into practice, and if we do that, we will fulfill Paul's joy. Remember hesaid, “Do these things; fulfill my joy.” 

I cannot believe that I am sitting here in my office doing this Pastor's Chat after the back surgery yesterday that we had. It was a day of miracles. We live in an amazing day. I am so grateful and thankful, and I believe all that happened because of prayer—pure prayer. We do not take anything for granted. We could have the best health system and the best of everything, but unless God helps us, takes care of us, and we trust Him, it is really all in vain. So Praise the Lord and Thank You… Thank you…Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!Now let us go on here for these last couple of minutes to our passage in Philippians that we were talking about yesterday. We are looking at verses 2 and 3 where Paul said: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”We have already been talking in this chapter about having the right motives for spiritual unity. Remember, the right motives have to do with the fact that since we have consolation in Christ, since we have comfort in Christ, we have fellowship of the Spirit, and since we have love in Christ. Since we have them, and since Christ has been our all in all, therefore we should continue to have the right marks for spiritual unity. (Philippians 2:1-2)Those right marks include having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind. This will lay the foundation for right means in our service to the Lord. Paul gives the negative first which is: “nothing is done through selfish ambition, but in lowliness of mind, and esteeming others better than ourselves”. God help us to remember that we need the right motives. We need these right spiritual marks and the right means. They bring about spiritual unity in our families and in our church.Then Paul writes: “Let nothing—let nothing—be done through selfish ambition and conceit.” We talked about what that meant, but I want to finish with this thought. Paul's command is strong when he says this. “Let nothing.” Not just let anything, or let some things, or even most things—but nothing—be done through vainglory and selfish motives. Even good ideas and sincere convictions must not be pushed forward with selfish motives.For a example, I was thinking about how we might go to a business meeting at church to vote on whether we should change the Wednesday night prayer meeting to Thursday night. Now, I do not ever remember having to vote on things like that, but some churches do. You sit there and say, “Oh wow, that is awesome. All my social activities and athletic activities for my kids are on Wednesday night. I am voting to move it to Thursday night.” Then another member shows up and says, “Oh man, I hate this. No, I am voting to keep it on Wednesday night because I am already committed to all these things on Thursday night in my social life.” We go to the meeting to vote based on what we want and what best benefits us. I'll never forget the great pastor of yesteryear Adrian Rogers saying, “That is not the way it works. We all should go to the meeting thinking, “What does Christ want for our church? He is the Head of our church. What does He want?” And then vote accordingly!When we have unity of mind and unity of spirit, when we have the consolation of love, we have the right motives. We are not being selfish. And you know what happens? We do what Christ wants us to do, and we vote the way Christ wants us to vote. Then we become part of His ministry and a church full of joy, happiness, and comfort with one another. And a great witness to the community and world around us!I trust that you have been blessed by these verses and that you continue to be encouraged to do nothing this way—nothing in the way of conceit, nothing done through selfish ambition. God help us.God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are looking at Philippians 2, and we are going on to verses 3 and 4. But letus remember, in verses 1 and 2, as we talked about the spiritual motives andthe marks for spiritual unity, that these things will give us a heart ofsubmission. The submissive mind is a secret to Christian joy in our lives. Ofcourse, chapter 1, the single mind, lays the foundation for that. If our singlemind is focused on Jesus Christ and the gospel, and on sharing that good newsunder whatever circumstances we are in, what a difference it will make.  Nowin verses 3 and 4, Paul goes on to say, “Let nothing be done through selfishambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others betterthan himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but alsofor the interests of others.” Paulhere begins with the negative: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit.” Sometimes we have to deal with the negative before we can puton the positive. That is why most of the Ten Commandments are “thou shaltnot.” It sounds kind of negative, but then it gives us the opportunity tounderstand that only by God's grace can we do the positive—to love God with allour heart, live for Him, and let nothing come between us and Him. First,Paul deals with negative of selfish ambition—he says, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition.” Selfish ambition is that drive thatpromotes ourselves at the expense of others. It is putting personal gain aboveeverything else. That is something we sometimes see in churches. I could noteven begin to tell you how many times I have dealt with people who come andsay, “I deserve that position. I deserve to be the one giving that speech. I amthe one who deserves it.” It is simply trying to put themselves out in front,and it causes difficult situations every time. Nexthe adds, “nothing through selfish ambition or conceit.” Conceitliterally means “empty glory.” It is an inflated view of ourselves. It says,“My opinion matters most. My way should prevail.” My friend, how many timeshave we seen this in business meetings? We have seen it in situations in thechurch between people. It is so sad when you hear somebody promoting themselveswith empty conceit. They believe they deserve it. They feel entitled. Bothof these things—selfish ambition and conceit, which Paul says should nevermotivate us—are rooted in pride. Pride is always destructive. Proverbs 13:10says, “Only by pride comes contention.” At the root of all contention,strife, and division in a church, my friend, is not merely a matter ofpreferences or the way we do or do not do things. It is a matter of pride. “Iwant my way. I am going to have it my way, and I am going to make sureeverybody knows what I want.” “I have a right to express my opinion.” Myfriend, that causes many divisions. It divides families. It divides churches.It divides ministries. Paul saw it in Rome, and now he warns against it inPhilippi. Even strong, healthy churches are vulnerable when pride enters in. Wehave seen it happen with pastors. They start out with a spirit of humility,like King Saul did. Then, before long, God blesses their ministry, and theybegin thinking more highly of themselves than they should. The next thing youknow, they are full of pride and determined to be in control. It is all theirway or no way, and they refuse to listen to others. I have seen that happen.You have heard about it in Christianperiodicals and circles. Butmy friend, that is not God's way. That is why Paul goes on to say, “Letnothing be done” through these things.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit. That means not some things, not most things, but nothing. May wethink about that as we examine our own hearts concerning conceit, pride, andselfish ambition. Do we have that kind of heart? If we do, let us ask God tocleanse us and forgive us, and let us have the mind of Christ—a mind ofhumility.

Nowwe are going to continue in Philippians 2, and today we are talking about theright marks of spiritual unity. Yesterday we talked about the right motive forspiritual unity in the first verse which lead to these marks. “Therefore ifthere is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowshipof the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded.” Then he goes on to say, “having the same love,being of one accord, of one mind.” Today, we want to look atthese four things: being like-minded, having the same love, being of oneaccord, and of one mind. These are the four marks of spiritual unity. Thesame mind means thinking the same way. Now this does not meanuniformity in every opinion. It means that our thinking is being shaped by themind of Christ. It has nothing to do with our preferences or opinions about howthings ought to be done in the church, or the music that should be sung—whetherit be contemporary or traditional. No, it means when it comes to the gospel ofJesus Christ and the very essentials of what our faith is about, we have unity,and we have the mind of Christ. First Corinthians 2:16 says, “we have themind of Christ.” The way we have this is that “we are not conformed tothis world, but we are transformed by the renewing of our minds” in theHoly Spirit and in the Word of God” (Romans 12:2). Second,we see the mark of the same love. Now this is not emotional preference,but deliberate, sacrificial love that seeks the good of others. Jesus said inJohn 13:34–35, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as Ihave loved you. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you havelove for one another.” In First John 3:16, “By this we know love,because He laid down His life for us.” What love is that? The love of Godin Christ Jesus through His death on the cross. We experience that love, and weare to have that same love for one another. Thenone accord, which literally means “one-souled”—hearts knit together indeep spiritual connection. Acts 4:32 tells us of the early church: “Now themultitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.” So we havethat as a mark of spiritual unity. Lastly,of one mind. This is having a single purpose—the glory of Jesus Christand the advancement of the gospel. Remember Paul said earlier in Philippians1:27 that we are “to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind strivingtogether for the faith of the gospel”. Sothis is not shallow unity. This is deep. It is Spirit-produced harmony. Infact, it reflects something very profound—it is the unity of the Trinityitself. Jesus prayed about this in John 17, that His followers would be one asHe and the Father are one. This is internal—and eternal too, for that matter.Paul is not focusing on rules or structure. He is focusing on our hearts, ourminds, and our attitudes. Whenthe Spirit produces this kind of unity, the church becomes something powerful,something attractive. It's like iron filings drawn to a magnet. Even whenpressures try to pull them apart, something stronger pulls them back together. Haveyou ever been a part of a church like that—one that is warm, loving, and has asense of belonging that is unmistakable? Oh, my friend, that is what we need inour country today: churches like that. Thisis what Paul calls for. You will notice it all begins when the truth of verse 1shapes the attitudes here of verse 2 in our hearts. God help us as we let Himdo that in us each and every day. God bless and may youhave a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are looking at Philippians 2:1-2a and we are talkingabout the right motive for spiritual unity. Let us read these verses. “Thereforeif there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if anyfellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded…” TheApostle Paul here gives us four “if” statements. In theoriginal language, they carry the idea of certainty. They could just as wellhave been translated “since”: since there is consolation inChrist, since there is comfort of love, since there is fellowship of theSpirit, and since there are affection and mercy. As you read these statements,Paul is not questioning these realities by saying “if.” He is actually buildingon them. He is essentially saying this: “Since these things are true in yourlife, live like it.” Wheredid your consolation come from? In Christ. Where did your comfort of love comefrom? From Christ. In the context of the church and the fellowship ofbelievers, we know that this consolation in Christ is that encouragement ofcoming alongside. It is not just the sense that the Holy Spirit and Christ havecome alongside me, but that others in Christ have come alongside me—fellowbelievers praying, encouraging, and helping. That encouragement comes throughChrist in others. It is the same root word used for the Holy Spirit as ourComforter. Christ Himself strengthens and encourages us. He does it throughHimself, of course, and through the Holy Spirit, but He also does it throughothers. Second,that comfort of love is that deep, soothing assurance of God's love that ispoured into our hearts. That brings to mind Romans chapter 5:3-5. Paul says, “Andnot only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulationproduces perseverance.” Remember, in previous verses he is talking aboutthe gift of suffering and suffering in Christ—suffering for Christ. He goes onto say, “and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does notdisappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by theHoly Spirit who has been given to us.” There is that comfort of love thatcomes through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Fellowshipof the Spirit is the shared life we have in the Holy Spirit. Every believer isconnected not just to God, but to each other. It is mystical in a sense. Youmay meet someone and feel as though you have known that person all your life.You love that person. Where did that come from? The Holy Spirit. He connects usas we are in Christ. Fourth, this affection and mercy is the tender compassionthat flows from the heart of God. It is also that affection and mercy that comefrom fellow believers because of Christ and the unity we share with them. Paulis essentially asking: Has Christ, and have others, encouraged you? Has Christ,and have others, comforted you? Do you share in the Holy Spirit with others?Have you received God's mercy? The answer is: “yes, of course!” So then, whatdoes this produce? It produces unity in the body of Christ. Thatis why Paul adds, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded.” Paul alreadyhad joy in Christ and joy in his sufferings, despite his circumstances. But itadded to his joy to know that the believers were getting along with one anotherand were unified in Christ. Unity brings joy. We see it in our families, in ourchurch, and even in our country. It brings joy to spiritual leaders, it bringsjoy to the church, and most importantly, it brings joy to the heart of JesusChrist. Disunity,on the other hand, is more serious than we often think. It is not just apersonality clash. In a sense, it is ingratitude—it is receiving all that Godhas given us yet refusing to reflect His heart toward others. My friend, let usremember today the overwhelming grace that God has given us, as we love oneanother and maintain the right motive for spiritual unity. 

Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better thanthemselves. Let each one of you look not only for his own interests, but alsofor the interests of others.” Now,if you have been with us through chapter 1, you know that the Apostle Paul iswriting from a Roman prison. Yet his letter is saturated with joy. The wholebook teaches that if you want real joy, you must have the right mindset. Youneed a mindset that is fixed on Jesus Christ. Chapter 1 tells us you need asingle mind: “For me to live is Christ.” Paul wrote that this mindsetkeeps our joy steady, no matter what our circumstances might be. Now,as we come to chapter 2, Paul introduces the next great secret of Christianjoy. It is the submissive mind—a mind that is submitted to the Lordshipand the will of God. The church at Philippi was a wonderful congregation. Theywere generous, loving, and courageous in their faith. But they were not withoutproblems. My friend, that reminds us there is no perfect church. If you everfind the perfect church, I have heard it said many times, that once you joinit, it will not be perfect anymore. Yousee, the church is not a congregation of people trying to display theirspiritual trophies. It is a place where lost sinners, broken sinners, andbroken people can find hope in Jesus Christ. And it is a place where savedsinners can learn to live for Christ and display His glory. Thechurch is a wonderful place. But the Apostle Paul had heard, while in prison,through Epaphroditus that two prominent women in the church, Euodia andSyntyche, were in conflict. Their disagreement had the potential to divide thewhole church. At the same time, there were pressures from the outside. Falseteachers were pressing in, trying to disrupt the truth of the gospel. Paulunderstood something very clearly about the church: disunity is one of Satan'sfavorite weapons. It grieves the Lord, weakens the church, and damages itswitness to the world. So Paul, before giving one of the greatest examples ofhumility and submission in verses 5–11—the example of the Lord Jesus Christ—he firstlays a foundation in verses 1–4. Nowlisten very carefully. In these first four verses we just read, he appeals tothe highest spiritual motives. Because we are in Christ, because we havereceived the comfort of His love, the fellowship of His Spirit, and the tendermercies of God, we are called to live in unity. Paul is not calling for outwarduniformity forced by rules. He is calling for inward spiritual unity that flowsfrom hearts that are right with Christ and right with one another. Thekey verse here is found in verse 3, where he writes, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteemothers better than themselves.” In chapter 1, it was Christ first. Inchapter 2, it is others next. And Paul gives us four examples of humility and asubmissive mind in this chapter: the Lord Jesus Christ in verses 5–11, theApostle Paul himself in verses 12–18, Timothy in verses 19–24, and Epaphroditusin verses 25–30. Hegives us these examples to show what it truly means to have a submissive mind.But everything begins right here in verses 1–4. If we understand and applythese verses, the rest of the chapter will come alive. My friend, as we studythis chapter together, may God help our hearts to be open to His holy Word. Mayour hearts be open to live in submission to His truth, and in submission to theLord Jesus Christ. What a difference it will make in our churches and in theworld around us.