0:05 [Music]
0:07 welcome to back to the Bible radio
0:09 featuring best-selling author and
0:11 internationally known Bible teacher
0:13 Warren where's being wouldn't it be
0:15 wonderful if all we had to do was enjoy
0:20 the fellowship of the gospel or if all
0:22 we had to do was just promote the
0:25 furtherance of the gospel it's a real
0:27 joy to fellowship with God's people and
0:29 to study the Word of God and it's a
0:31 delight to witness to people and to
0:33 share the message of the good news of
0:36 salvation well you find the fellowship
0:40 of the gospel in Philippians 1 3 through
0:42 11 and then you find the furtherance of
0:45 the gospel in Philippians 1 12 through
0:48 26 but when you come to verse 27 of
0:51 Philippians chapter 1 you move into
0:54 striving together for the faith of the
0:57 gospel we are not just simply sons who
1:00 enjoy the fellowship in the family or
1:03 servants who enjoy furthering the gospel
1:06 we are soldiers we're in a conflict the
1:08 Christian life is not a playground the
1:10 Christian life is a battleground
1:13 let's read Philippians chapter 1 and
1:17 begin at verse 27 down through verse 30
1:19 Paul writes to his friends at Philippi
1:23 and says only let your conduct be as it
1:26 be cometh the gospel of Christ that
1:29 whether I come and see you or else be
1:32 absent I may hear of your affairs that
1:35 you stand fast in one spirit with one
1:38 mind striving together for the faith of
1:41 the gospel and in nothing be terrified
1:44 by your adversaries which is to them an
1:47 evident token of perdition judgment but
1:51 to you of salvation and that of God for
1:53 unto you it is given in the behalf of
1:55 Christ not only to believe on him but
1:59 also to suffer for his sake having the
2:02 same conflict which you saw in me and
2:07 now here to be in me he's talking here
2:10 about the church defending the gospel
2:12 striving together for the faith of the
2:15 gospel now there's some saints of God
2:18 who only enjoy the fellowship of the gospel
2:18 gospel
2:21 there are others who all they talk about
2:23 is the furtherance of the gospel and
2:25 we're glad for these things but how
2:27 about striving together for the faith of
2:29 the gospel when Nehemiah was rebuilding
2:32 the walls of Jerusalem his workers had a
2:34 trowel in one hand and a sword in the
2:37 other if we don't defend the faith
2:39 that's been delivered to the Saints
2:42 there won't be any gospel to share we're
2:44 going to lose ground and the enemy is
2:47 going to take over the church today must
2:51 fight for the faith of the gospel and if
2:52 we're going to win that battle and
2:55 defeat the enemy three essentials are
2:59 important and here they are number one
3:03 consistency let your conduct be as it be
3:07 cometh the gospel of Christ consistency
3:11 secondly cooperation standing fast in
3:13 one spirit with one mind striving
3:16 together for the faith of the gospel and
3:20 thirdly confidence in nothing be
3:24 terrified by your adversaries can you
3:26 remember those three essentials you see
3:28 if you're going to have joy in your
3:30 ministry you have to defend the gospel
3:33 you have to defend the faith that's been
3:35 once and for all given to the Saints and
3:37 if you're going to do this there has to
3:41 be consistency cooperation and
3:43 confidence Paul is giving us three
3:45 different pictures of the Christian life
3:47 here isn't he consistency he talks about
3:51 us as citizens cooperation he uses the
3:55 picture of an athlete confidence he
3:57 changes the image to that of a soldier
4:00 and so with these three images in mind
4:02 and these three essentials let's look
4:05 together at Philippians 1:27 through 30
4:09 if we are going to defeat the enemy and
4:11 carry on the Ministry of the love the
4:14 Word of God there has to be consistency
4:17 only let your conduct be as it be cometh
4:20 the gospel of Christ now this word
4:25 conduct means literally politics it's
4:26 the greek word that gives us our word politics
4:27 politics
4:30 it means behavior it means how you
4:32 conduct yourself
4:35 the circumstances where you are you must
4:38 remember that the city of Philippi was a
4:41 colony of Rome now what was a Roman
4:44 colony well the Roman government was
4:46 very wise they realized that the best
4:49 way to keep peace was to have more of
4:53 Rome in the places where they conquered
4:55 and so what they would do is they would
4:57 take a city and they would make it a
5:00 Roman colony they said Philip I you are
5:02 a Roman colony even though you are not
5:05 located in Italy even though you're not
5:06 next to the city of Rome you are going
5:09 to be a Roman colony this means that you
5:10 are going to be governed by Roman law
5:12 your officers are gonna have Roman
5:15 titles you'll be protected by Rome
5:17 you'll have all the privileges of Rome
5:19 but you must remember that you are a
5:22 Rome away from Rome you're a colony of
5:25 Rome now you show all the people around
5:28 you how wonderful it is to be a Roman
5:30 sometimes the Roman Empire would
5:33 transport their own Roman citizens into
5:36 these colonies to set the example of how
5:39 wonderful it was to be a Roman that's
5:41 what God has done in the church your
5:45 church is a colony of heaven on earth
5:48 now God wants to win people to himself
5:51 this is not the day of judgment this is
5:53 the day of grace the day of salvation
5:56 and God has planted your church there in
5:59 your city to be a colony of heaven on
6:02 earth and you are to show to the people
6:05 around you how wonderful it is to be a
6:06 citizen of heaven
6:10 you see Rome's philosophy was this if we
6:13 plant Romans out there in Greece and
6:15 Asia Minor and other places and if these
6:18 Romans are good examples everybody will
6:20 want to be a Roman and we won't have any
6:23 problem with with the people disobeying
6:26 the law or revolting against the Empire
6:29 consistency now what does it mean to be
6:32 a citizen of heaven on earth the church
6:33 that I'm a part of the church that
6:35 you're a part of as a colony of heaven
6:38 on earth we are enrolled in heavens
6:42 register we're citizens of heaven Jesus
6:44 said one day don't rejoice because the
6:46 demons are subject to you but read
6:47 is that your names have been written
6:50 down in heaven our names are written in
6:52 heaven every Roman citizen carried proof
6:55 of his citizenship he was proud of his
6:57 citizenship now you and I are enrolled
6:59 on heavens register
7:01 we're not embarrassed or ashamed that we
7:04 belong to Jesus Christ we speak heavens
7:07 language John wrote in first John
7:11 chapter 4 they speak of the world and
7:13 the world hears them because they belong
7:16 to the world now when we speak people
7:18 who belong to Christ listen to us
7:20 you can tell what people belong to by
7:21 what they talk about
7:23 you can tell what they're interested in
7:25 by what they talk about we speak heavens
7:28 language that doesn't mean we use some
7:30 strange language no it just means that
7:33 all of our speech is seasoned with the
7:36 things of the Lord Jesus Christ we obey
7:39 heavens laws the Apostle said we ought
7:41 to obey God rather than men now we don't
7:44 deliberately proudly arrogantly
7:48 belligerently disobey man's laws if ever
7:50 there comes a real conflict of
7:53 conscience and we cannot obey the laws
7:55 of men then we have to obey the laws of
7:57 God but we better be very very careful
7:58 that we're not just creating a problem
8:01 as much as lieth in you live peaceably
8:04 with all men and so we're enrolled on
8:05 heavens register we speak heavens
8:08 language we obey heavens laws were loyal
8:11 to heavens cause the Romans in Phillipi
8:14 were loyal to Rome and we're waiting for
8:16 heaven's Lord they never knew it Philip
8:19 I when Caesar might show up or when some
8:20 great general might come or some
8:23 official to examine the books you and I
8:24 don't know when the Lord is going to
8:26 come back that's why Paul says in
8:29 chapter 3 of Philippians verse 20 our
8:32 citizenship is in heaven from whence
8:35 also we look for the Savior the Lord
8:38 Jesus Christ consistancy the greatest
8:40 weapon we have against the enemy is a
8:43 consistent Christian life not debates
8:47 not lawsuits not carrying flags and
8:49 banners the greatest weapon the church
8:51 has against the enemy today is
8:54 consistent Christians living the way
8:56 Christians are supposed to live let your
8:59 conduct be as it becomes the gospel of Christ
9:00 Christ
9:03 pay your bills love your neighbors do
9:06 your homework earn an honest day's wages
9:09 live like a Christian should live
9:11 consistency that's the first essential a
9:14 second is cooperation Paul says that I
9:16 may hear of your affairs that you stand
9:19 fast in one spirit with one mind
9:21 striving together for the faith of the
9:23 gospel the picture here is of an
9:26 athletic team the little phrase striving
9:27 together is a Greek word that gives us
9:31 our word athletics it's an athletic team
9:35 working together to win the game now I
9:36 must confess to you I am NOT a good
9:39 athlete when I was a student at
9:40 Washington School in East Chicago
9:42 Indiana I want you to know that year
9:45 after year I was the last person chosen
9:47 for every team whether it was the
9:50 intramural team or the physical IDI
9:53 Department our gym class I was the last
9:54 one shows and nobody wanted me on the team
9:55 team
9:58 I'm just lacking in athletic skill but I
10:00 know this much about sports if you're
10:02 gonna be on the team you have to believe
10:04 in teamwork there cannot be a glory
10:07 hound who has to make all the goals we
10:10 have to work together and that means the
10:12 same thing in the church there should be
10:15 one spirit one enthusiasm there should
10:18 be one mind to to strive together to
10:21 work together to be a team working
10:24 together God has given to each of us a
10:27 specific task to do if a team is going
10:30 to win the game each player must do the
10:32 job that he's been given to do
10:35 Paul compares us to a bunch of runners
10:38 over in Chapter three that we're running
10:40 the race verse 14 i pressed toward the
10:42 mark for the prize of the high calling
10:44 of God in Christ Jesus
10:46 each one of us has been given the
10:50 opportunity of winning a reward now the
10:52 important thing is that we don't get in
10:54 the way of the other people what is our
10:56 rule book for the game of life the Bible
10:59 who is the coach the Lord Jesus Christ
11:02 who's the team all other Christians not
11:03 just the people in your church or your
11:05 Sunday School class or your denomination
11:08 all of God's people and if each one is
11:11 doing the job God's given them to do
11:13 running on the track got assigned to him
11:16 fighting the battle God gave to him if
11:18 each one is doing his job and there is
11:21 cooperation we're going to win and we're
11:22 going to defeat the enemy
11:25 the tragedy is today we have division
11:28 and dissension and this Christian
11:30 criticizes that Christian and this
11:33 ministry opposes that ministry if we're
11:35 going to fight the fight of faith and
11:37 defeat the enemy if we're going to
11:39 strive together for the faith of the
11:41 gospel there must be consistency and
11:48 if we're going to fight the fight of
11:50 faith and defeat the enemy if we're
11:52 going to strive together for the faith
11:54 of the gospel there must be consistency
11:57 and there must be cooperation thirdly
11:59 there must be confidence you said don't
12:01 be afraid that we're terrified is a
12:04 picture of horses stampeding don't
12:06 stampede when you see the enemy coming
12:08 here's what you should know number one
12:11 these battles are proof that you are
12:14 really born again verse 29 unto you it's
12:17 given on the behalf of Christ not only
12:19 to believe in him but also to suffer for
12:22 his sake the fact that you're fighting
12:24 these battles is proof that you're born
12:26 again secondly it's an opportunity for
12:29 you to grow thirdly you're not fighting
12:32 alone you're not fighting alone all of
12:36 us are involved in this verse 30 having
12:38 the same conflict agony it's the same
12:41 word used of the Lord Jesus when he was
12:43 in the garden praying having the same
12:46 conflict which you saw in me at Philippi
12:48 and now you here to be in me at Rome
12:50 they'd seen Paul when he was arrested
12:53 and Paul was beaten and Paul was
12:55 humiliated and Paul says look we're all
12:57 in this together
12:59 you heard perhaps about the two ladies
13:01 who had never flown before and they were
13:04 up in the plane and the pilot came on
13:07 and said you may have noticed that the
13:10 molder on the left side of the plane has
13:12 quit working and the one lady said to
13:14 the other lady will thank the Lord we're
13:16 sitting on the right side of the plane
13:18 well what difference does it make you're
13:19 all in it together
13:21 now don't rejoice when you hear about
13:24 some Christian who failed because his
13:26 failure is going to hurt you and don't
13:27 be envious when you hear about some
13:29 church that's really growing and doing
13:31 something for God their growth is going
13:33 to strengthen you we're all in this together
13:35 together
13:38 cooperation confidence now don't be
13:41 afraid of the enemy in fact Paul tells
13:44 us here the fact that you stand up for
13:47 the Lord Jesus Christ will do two things
13:49 number one it will bring your salvation
13:52 and number two it will bring them
13:55 condemnation Paul is referring to his
13:57 own case in Rome he said I'm gonna stand
13:59 up boldly as all we
14:02 so now I'm gonna be bold in my defense
14:04 and if I win this battle in Rome it's
14:07 going to help you in Philippi that's
14:08 what we need to pray for all the saints
14:10 are you praying for those who are
14:14 involved in great battles today striving
14:17 together for the faith of the gospel now
14:19 the enemy is there trying to hurt us all
14:25 he can and when he sees us stampeding he
14:27 knows he's won the battle but you must
14:31 remember that suffering for the Lord
14:33 Jesus Christ battling for the Lord Jesus
14:36 Christ is a great privilege unto you it
14:38 is given in the behalf of Christ not
14:40 only to believe on him that's how you're
14:44 saved but also to suffer for his sake we
14:46 don't suffer for nothing we suffer for
14:48 something the glory of Christ we don't
14:51 suffer for no one we suffer for someone
14:54 the greatest in all the world
14:56 the Lord Jesus Christ now let's review
14:59 these three essentials if you want to
15:01 have joy in your ministry you've got to
15:03 expect battles if you're striving
15:06 together to serve the Lord you're going
15:08 to have battles number one there must be
15:11 consistency let's walk like those who
15:13 are citizens of heaven I want to say it
15:15 again the greatest weapon we have to
15:18 defeat the enemy is the consistent
15:20 Christian life of God's people
15:24 consistency number two cooperation let's
15:26 work together let's not try to be glory
15:28 hounds let's not all worry about who's
15:30 name is going to be first on the list
15:33 cooperation praying together working
15:36 together rejoicing together sharing
15:38 together in the work of the Lord and
15:41 finally confidence don't be afraid in
15:44 nothing be terrified by your adversaries
15:46 Jesus said be of good cheer I have
15:50 overcome the world and you and I are not
15:52 only involved in the fellowship of the
15:53 gospel and the furtherance of the gospel
15:56 but God wants to help us to strive
16:01 together for the faith of the gospel now
16:02 if you're not having joy in your
16:05 ministry today it may be that you are
16:07 not looking to the Lord Jesus Christ as
16:10 your role model perhaps you're modeling
16:13 yourself after some super Saint
16:16 super preacher who may not be modeling
16:18 himself after the Lord Jesus Christ
16:20 let's read the passage Philippians
16:24 chapter 2 verses 1 through 11 if there
16:27 be therefore any consolation in Christ
16:30 if any comfort of love if any fellowship
16:33 of the Spirit if any tender mercies and
16:37 Compassion's fulfill ye my joy that you
16:39 be like-minded having the same love
16:43 being of one Accord of one mind let
16:45 nothing be done through strife or
16:48 vainglory but in lowliness of mind let
16:51 each esteem others better or more
16:55 important than themselves look not every
16:56 man on his own things but every man also
17:00 on the things of others let this mind
17:03 this attitude be in you which was also
17:06 in Christ Jesus who being in the form of
17:09 God thought it not robbery something
17:12 selfishly to be held on - to be equal
17:14 with God but made himself of no
17:16 reputation literally he emptied himself
17:20 and took upon him the form of a servant
17:23 and was made in the likeness of men and
17:26 being found in fashion as a man he
17:29 humbled himself and became obedient unto
17:32 death even the death of the cross
17:35 wherefore God also hath highly exalted
17:37 him and given him a name which is above
17:39 every name that at the name of Jesus
17:42 every knee should bow of things in
17:44 heaven and things in earth and things
17:46 under the earth and that every tongue
17:49 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
17:53 to the glory of God the Father in
17:56 Philippians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul
17:59 lays down three conditions that we must
18:02 meet if we are going to follow the Lord
18:06 Jesus Christ as our model in our example
18:07 let me give you those three conditions
18:09 the first one I just read to you verses
18:12 1 through 11 we must submit to the
18:16 person above us even as Jesus Christ
18:18 submitted to the Father and came to do
18:21 the will of the Father so we must submit
18:24 to the person above us that's verses 1
18:27 through 11 in 12 through 16
18:29 the second condition is this we must
18:32 surrender to the power within us it is
18:35 God who works in you both to will and to
18:38 do of his good pleasure you see by
18:41 nature we can't do this but we can do it
18:43 only if we surrender to the power within
18:46 us and then 17 through 30 we must serve
18:49 the people around us Paul talks about
18:52 his service about Timothy's service
18:54 about the service of app afroditi s--
18:56 who had been sent from the Philippian
18:58 church now can you remember those three
19:00 conditions if we're going to follow
19:02 Jesus Christ as the model for our
19:05 ministry number one we must submit to
19:07 the person above us number two we must
19:10 surrender to the power within us and
19:13 number three we must serve the people
19:16 around us now we'll look at verses 1
19:18 through 11 and let's take a little
19:23 inventory am I really submitted to the
19:25 person above me you see all of us should
19:29 be under somebody's authority children
19:30 must be under the authority of their
19:33 parents parents must be under the
19:35 authority of the Lord and certainly of
19:37 the church I believe that every
19:38 Christian ought to be a member of a
19:40 local church and be under the authority
19:43 of that church we are people who are
19:46 under Authority nobody should exercise
19:49 Authority who is not under Authority and
19:51 the model here is the Lord Jesus Christ
19:55 you see too many times pastors or elders
19:58 or or Sunday school leaders or church
19:59 officers think that they are the
20:02 authority and as a consequence they
20:05 become rather dictatorial and this is
20:08 why Paul points out in Philippians 2 1
20:10 through 11 that we must follow the
20:13 example of the Lord Jesus Christ now
20:15 there are 4 questions I'm going to ask
20:17 and I'm asking my own heart these
20:20 questions if I am really submitted to
20:23 the person above me the answers to these
20:25 questions will reveal at number 1 do I
20:29 think first of others in verses 1
20:31 through 4 he talks about that verse 3
20:34 let each esteem others more important
20:37 than themselves verse 4 look not every
20:39 man on his own things but every man also
20:41 on the things of others
20:43 throughout the New Testament you find
20:45 this little phrase one another one
20:47 another love one another minister to one
20:49 another forgive one another serve one
20:53 another others many years ago The
20:55 Salvation Army was having their annual
20:57 conference and the founder of the
20:59 Salvation Army General William Booth was
21:01 not able to attend it was too old and
21:04 weak and they asked him to send a
21:06 message to be read to the conference in
21:09 general William Booth sent a cablegram
21:13 with one word in it others that's a good
21:16 word others do I think first of others
21:19 here is the Lord Jesus Christ who had
21:22 all of the privileges and glories of
21:24 heaven but he thought of others didn't
21:27 think of himself am I thinking first of
21:31 others let this attitude be in you which
21:34 was also in Christ Jesus now when we
21:36 think of others we're going to be a part
21:37 of the answer or not a part of the
21:40 problem will be motivated by Christ if
21:42 there be therefore any consolation any
21:46 stimulus any incentive in Christ any
21:49 encouragement of love any fellowship of
21:52 the Spirit if any tender mercies and
21:55 Compassion's fulfill you my joy that
21:57 you'd be like-minded having the same
22:00 love being of one Accord of one mind
22:01 don't do anything through strife in
22:05 vainglory think about others father help
22:07 us to have this attitude all may we
22:10 sacrifice and serve to the glory of your
22:15 name through Jesus Christ our Lord amen
22:17 thanks for being a part of our back to
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22:21 wonderful to have you with us each day
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