Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
You know that the Apostle Paul loved the Christians in the Philippian Church
You know his heart went out to them
You know this because, even while he was in a Roman prison awaiting his
Audience with Caesar
His concern was for them
And what was best for their spiritual welfare
And for their well-being
plywood paul b so concerned about christians who obviously had a better
off than he did
ever wonder about that
paul was concerned for the philippines because they have things were heating up
in philip i
things had never
been really smooth
lose and simple
for the church in that city but now things that turn for the worst
to top it all off
something was causing a problem within the congregation
that threatens to disrupt
the unity
off the chair
understanding accepted be doctrinal truth
nothing is more important in a church
it's more important inserts unity
not your preferences
not your individual tastes
not your likes and dislikes
unity is so important
only truth
is more important
we see why in the lord jesus christ prayer to his heavenly father in the
garden of guests emily the night before screw sufficient in which he prayed for
unity
so that the world may know that i'll have sent me john chapter seventeen
verse twenty one
unity therefore calgary road baptist church is required
sold at the same here a week for each
will be recognized to be the one savior sent by god the father
to save centers
unity is stahl important
however
unity is not
the most important thing
in collections chapter two we read of the apostles testimony where any
explains his willingness
to forsake unity with the apostle simon peter in order that he might maintain
the purity and the integrity of the gospel therefore
unity is extremely important
but there is something more important than unity
you know lost people don't have any idea
it does completely
over their head
because they do not live their life govern by either truth or principal you
couldn't see it
by the way they live their lives
you can observe it in their conduct
hour by hour day by day
week by week month by month hereby here the way they live
there
was there a problem with truth that fell apart
now at this point in our study of philippians i'd say no all there was not
pay
there was not a a problem with troops there it seems as though
there may have been personality problem
it may be that that folks have been somewhat shaken by the persecution
that had intensified of late that cannot rocks your goal will be uh...
however there seems to be nothing at this point in our study
to justify
a lack of unity
no justification whatsoever for it
therefore why does follow emphasize unity to his congregation for only one
reason
yemenjian extraction is necessary
yet and it sure stairs not and not stern
unity in its church is absolutely
we required
if we're going to do the job of getting the gospel out and serving da
shiva pastor he'll understand it's really hard to maintain unit eight
if you mean by he'll do something that is more than just paying lip service
to serving god pastor there are many things which really interfere with unity
there's been shot past our and then there's education and there's fabric and
then of course there's the hobby
pastor all these things make you happy very difficult attainment and that's not
even account for prosecution
my friends you're right
your your absolutely right
unity is difficult
can i say
however
unity is required
unity
not
an option
therefore
job
education
family
hobbies and such things interfere
with the unity of the church
than those things must be addressed in some way
because unity is not an option
affluence is an option
hobbies is an option
recreation is an option
vacation is an option yet it is not an option
unit is not an option
you see it is inconceivable that god would want anything in your life
to interfere with their reasons for your wife but just to serve god
it doesn't make any sense
to all our anything and your right
to interfere with their reason for your life wants us to serve god
that's not rocket science is it
that's what causes the last person to turn around walk out the door to kick
rocks mumbling to himself as you go
passed a law strike there's nothing more important than me
he gets up in the morning
goes into the
goes into the bathroom looks in the mirror becomes opera star
me me me me me me me
the be the me and as the rest of the day according to what
what started out with
uh... good luck with the marriage
good luck with the marriage or that's gonna work
personally students
they always do
in order to serve god
fair
must be
and it's not an option
i didn't write it
there must be
the answers have a handout that i'd like for them to get out to everybody one for
every one of you
and look at it for just a moment to before you put it away till the end of
the service
and hand out it's just a very simple outline
take a quick look at it
and you'll notice what paul commands of the philippines church members
there is his expectation
in verse one
there is his exhortation first-half verse two
there's his explanation
second half of urs
for the second portion of urs to and then he elaborates on it
the endeavors to verse three and verse four
so when you get a hold of you could you could you could look out for the
instructor to verses one three four
and go through that and see where the breakdown is that everybody get one
please put away for now
and then and then go back to it
very simple outline for parts of the apostle paul's effort to persuade the
philippines to come together in a spirit of unity
inverse wonderfully instructed to is found paul's expectation
weed out without him but last week
consolation in christ
comfort of love
fellowship of the spirit and bowels and mercies which i told you was emotions
those are the four realities
that paul expected every church member to attest to
in his own personal life
every believer
who was also a part of the philippine sir
close for realities formed the basis
upon which paul's exhortation
was founded
paul's exhortation which is actually stated in the form of a commanding is
fulfill you might joy
he writes to them
fulfill you might show up
he immediately follows with an explanation
that should be like-minded fulfill you might show i hate that should be
like-minded
and then he elaborates with these words
having the same lobbying of one of court of one mind
let nothing be done through strife irving glory
but in loneliness of mind let me just a mother better than themselves look not
every man on the something but everyman also on the things about it
dot metric leopold spent a lot lives his life
diametrically opposed
to the meaning me me me
approach to life
i've outlined paul's appeal in its entirety but i want you to focus your
attention
on paul's exhortation for a moment
which is a philippians chapter two verses one
where he rights fulfill you might joanne
fulfilled he mine
joi
paul as an apostle of jesus christ as the founder of the flippin congregation
and even as the spiritual father of most of those believers actually uses the
command of the those church members
fulfilling s joy
fulfilling his joy
does that strike you as art
is that seem to you to be somewhat in conflict two
what i said was
christianity's opposition to the meaning me me me approach to life
there's a surprise you just a little bit to read that policy issued this
directive
fulfilled eat my
joi
i think it ought to strike you as as at least a bit strange
if you have an a feel for the tenor off the christian faith at all i think it
should strike you as straight you see the large he's a surprise to sell did
not come to be mister thompson deti
but to many esther and at the end his life a ransom for many
he did that right
and he said he did that
and the powerful argument that paul dickson first print instructor fourteen
for the superiority of the gift of prophecy over the gift of tons
false argument is based on the recognition that south benefit and south
edification is not only and not christian inist anti christian
therefore
since prophecy pedophiles out there is
and tom satisfies self
processing must be the superior guest
because it is authors oregon and did not sell for yet
it's no surprise to me it at all that charismatic static hostels
and evangelicals generally overlooked
and app
parent selfish motive for paul's command
that the philippians fulfill his joy
since
selfishness is part and parcel of their general belief system
everything they believe about tons
everything they believe about feelings everything they believe about prosperity
about living for christ in serving dot even what they believe about sin and
salvation
is in my opinion based on a deeper and selfishness
that they do not recognize to be simple
but it yes
after all they believe god exists to serve avm
and that were sick of god service to god and even such things as separation from
c_n_n_ embattled s
said they continue to love the instead dot resigned to it
however
true religion
genuine christianity
the faith that has been delivered to the saints
recognizes that selfishness is
sinful
i'm wrong
i sell that to ask this
is paul wrong
for commanding before instant for bill
is julie
after all
who's he
what right does he have
if the savior came to serve rather than be served
what right did does the apostle paul have
to insist that those christians do something whatever it is
just to make him happy just to get him talking
to answer that question let's use our bibles to see what precisely it was
dictates to the apostle paul shoveling
turn your bible back to second corinthians chapter two verses three if
you would please
what date all joy
second corinthians chapter two verses recounts what he writes
and higher up to this same aunty lest when i came i said have sorrow
from them of home i ought to rejoice
having confidence in you wall that my joy is the joy u-haul
just a little background here paul wrote first corinthians because the current
interest was very divided
and they needed to be strongly rebuked
for their karnow there
on spirituality there
divisive spirit in attitude
here we see in second grade kids chapter two verses re
paul informs them in this second letter that his first letter was written to
turn his sorrow in detroit
and sold at his joey
could be shared by them
therefore there's a correlation
we see
between paul's joel a
and uh... you know that t
evidence
they correspond
unity
now look at second corinthians chapter seven percent
second corinthians chapter seven bkr seven
paul writes and not by his coming only but by the constellation of where with
he was comforted in you
when he told us of your earnest desire your morning year for a bit mind toward
me so that i rejoice the more
when titus reported back to paul
that the current instead responded to his first letter wonderfully
paul understandably rejoice
plus the connection between a church as you know that's a
and the apostle paul's so i A
is a step towards
vare united
he has to it
because his joy is related to their unit
yet we still need to know whether or not paul's desire to be filled with joy
because of the church's unity
when you know whether that's self-serving or not
busy being selfish
philippians chapter two for sixteen
philippians chapter two for sixteen
paul writes holding forth the word of life
that i may rejoice in the day of price that i have not run in vain neither
labored in vain
as you see if your loss
you run in vain you labor in vain
every single thing you have ever done
your entire life
has been a prompt fleas
and artwork
beast
if you die without price
mask
it's very it's empty
here we see
paul
anticipating the day of christ in the future
and his own rejoicing because of the philippians having held forth the word
of life
had they not held forth the work of life his efforts on their behalf would have
been to use his words bank
utterly
meaningless that which is basically everyone sick person's life the life is
a federally utterly
octal without me
therefore
here we see a connection
between paul's chile
and the philippians holding forth the work life which i take to be
getting the gospel out two senators
bearing fruit
so there's a connection between the apostle paul's joy
holding forth the work for him
not turn the colossians chapter two verses line
colossians track to respond
soared drills almost over
colossians chapter two verses five
all rights
for though i'd be absent in the flesh letters i'm not there
amai with you in the spirit joe yang and be holding your order and the
steadfastness of your faith
in price
to the correct install store was connected to their divisiveness coming
to an end
to the philippians false choice seems to be connected to their solidly outreach
now to the colossians paul's so i was related to their order and their
steadfastness
both of which happened to be military terms
refrain first to being in formation
and second to refusing to breaking ranks embattled
sounds like a description of unity does
it really is a description of unit
we see a pattern emerging turned the first thessalonians chapter two
first thessalonians chapter two
versus nineteen and twenty
for what is our hope or joy or crime of rejoicing are not even me
in the presence of our lord jesus christ is coming
for a year are our glory and joy
here paul stirling is related to the precious souls
that he had been useful
to bringing to christ
describing them as crowns of rejoicing
crisis coming therefore
would you take a step back and you tell you about what you see that about half
the passages which deal with postal air related to a church is unity
while the other half of the passages which deal with paul's joy are related
to folks in the one way or the other coming to christ
let me ask you spot being selfish here
there's no evidence of poll say they're doing or in any way being self-serving
here at any of these passages that we've looked at if we remember the prayer of
the lord jesus christ in the garden of gets emanate
wherein he connected unity to folks believing that he was truly sent by the
father family a realize why paul wants these full at the end still fulfill
those joy
and we see how fulfilling his drawing fits into
an appeal for unity in the congregation
palnet
perhaps so much better than you or i will never understand this side of
heaven
how critical is the connection
between new york city in our church and getting folks
so he rejoiced at the font of folks being safe
and he also rejoiced at the thought of the church has been distributed eight
because nico that you tried to
stuff folks being sad
cvv
without unity
will not
work together to accomplish anything
without unity
cannot
work together
to accomplish anything
periodically
periodically we have to grant
periodically god does raise up spirits transmittal cast
along shadow over their fellow man of the affairs of men
every once in awhile dot raises up of varying abandoned grad stature
will cast a very long shadow attached
profoundly influence
i'm thinking of edward some thinking of whitfield i'm thinking of westlake i'm
thinking of spurgeon
but throughout most of history
for most of the last two thousand years
god has worked through
ordinary people
who in order to have an impact
ordinary people who in order to make a difference
ordinary people who have had to work together in unity and harmony
to get the job growth reaching launched
don't be so distracted by the occasional
charles spurgeon
that you forget that for most of christian history
it has to be all of us pulling together
unity is important
unity is critical without unity we are
easily scattered
and we're defeated
so let's do more than give lip service to the cost of christ xiao lee
let's let's let's unite so that we can get the job done every single austin
seeing our church in monrovia
stand as a lighthouse
shall we
not every man doing that which is right in his own eyes
and we now know why unity is important
however we do not yet know want unity really is in practical terms
lord willing over the next two weeks we will from paul's explanation
and from the apostle paul's elaboration com dot understand what unity is in
practical terms
so if you don't really want to know what unity is in practical terms this coming
sunday night and the next sunday night will be the two sunday night you're
gonna wanna figure out a reason to be
someplace else so that you will be held responsible by god
all by the way the hold you responsible anyway
what's come together
unity is not
and option
the apostle paul urged the philippians to fulfill his job
set anglian a selfish thing to tell folks to do it is now quite obvious
that what paul had in mind was the peel or spiritual delight to install
that would be experience as a result of a spiritually united congregation
more effectively preaching the gospel
and seeing centers more frequently find the salvation from since that comes off
only through faith in jesus christ
at sundown
that's not bad not all that i can't find anything criticize about that
therefore paul was not being selfish at all one st
he was being quite spiritual into issuing that command of the philippians
fulfill ye my joe isn't that a marvelous thing to consider that a child of god
could derive so much satisfaction so much delight so much of what we called
satellite by engaging in an activity that is guaranteed to produce joined the
lives of other people
plus the private in that
i say that because first john chapter one first floor says and do these things
a right wing unto you thought that your johnnie maybe fault
quite a bold statement to make to people who have never experienced julie
don't have any idea what it is
never seen it
never heard it
never crossed her mind
there are some people who had never experienced what the bible terms joy
there's some people in this role
who have never experienced but the bible terms joy why not
because only save people can experience realtor
it's impossible for pt
lest you think you're a christian and have been saved for me since because
you're happy person be careful
i did not say nor do i believe that unsafe people can't be happy and
cheerful did say that
you must certainly can be however happiness and good cheer is not the same
as charlie is it
you'll have to take my word that it isn't because you don't know
if you're wrong
some who are dead and trespass isn't sins are quite happy
and they're quite full of cheer
understand however that happiness depends upon what happens
sheer depends upon the emotion of the moment
and the fox of delight amusement an accomplishment
that are just passing through your mind
what high and speaking about is jewel
you recognize
during those melancholy days that you have
please don't deny that you have the minute you do
those melancholy days
during those episodes
at night
during those times
of despair
you recognize that you have children
you recognize it
especially at those times
but the reality is you've never had to go
you've never
you've never had that entered in light of the heart
that depends not upon circumstances or feelings
you've never had
you don't have eight clue
wanna know why you've never had joy and why you have no joy
right now
you have no joy because you have not the forgiveness of sin
i say this because since they're not for a bill to you
consider this
lighting
is not a terrible wrong
when it suits you
changing is not
it terrible soon to you
when it suits you
gossip is not but terrible scindia when it suits you
build on sat
fornication is not a terrible soon do you when it suits him
even if only in your mind
so for nick a
sure ul
bitterness is not horrible to u profit
had two years not horrible to your had tree is not for a body of does the says
not harm
below do those things
mall but you choose to proves with also delayed and that they did
it doesn't bother you
because you're a sinner
and because your consciences seared
and no longer tender and sensitive to wickedness
use sleep at night
after you would have thought
and done wrong
cement effect you probably sleep well
that's not a good indication that's pets updated please
what does this have to do with the fact that you have no joy of sins forgiven it
has to do with this
you will not seek forgiveness for that which is trivial to you
you will not seek a remedy for that which he
routine to be relatively unimportant sends her to you at least at this point
in time in your life sans arava only incidental importance to you
they're not a big deal
you are not going to seek the forgiveness of things that are not big
deal
just remember this my friend
though you may never think in this lifetime that your sins in equities are
important
they have separated you from god
they have outraged dot so in your opinion of the ms unimportant his
opinion of them is
they have offended
your sins have offended the holy war
they have outraged
they have secured for you
is right
it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living dot
i say this because he has not sought the forgiveness of sins you cannot stop the
forgiveness off soon
interceptor look at the back of somebody's head
you've done nothing more if you've done anything at all that mollify your
conscience
that's what you've done if you were supposedly save data charismatic church
or a
pentecostal church or all likelihood even at a baptist church
now why do i say that because the church israeli preach the gospel of jesus
christ
rarely i'm talking about that
leader
historical christianity and that is to say biblical christianity
has a view of sand that is quite different than yours
historical christianity has viewed
has been c_n_n_'s horrible
has viewed c_n_n_'s terrible
as condemning as did finally as damaging as destroying and that's damning to the
sol
as a result of that correct view of sense in terms of only became christians
saga forgiveness is sorry
remember the response to simon peter sermon on the day at pentecost
now
when they heard this
they where precut in their heart
and said entertainer and to the rest of the apostles
meta rather and what's your week
you have never
somu
by such a realization of simplest
as this
that it resulted in you seeking
forgiveness
how about the philippians trailer
he sprang into the president came trembling in fell down before paul and
silas and brought the mountains of stars what post i got to be saying
friend you have never
been sold moved by the horror of your sin
forgiveness
in this way
therefore not being for given your sense that you have not the joy that comes
from stands for get them
so next you have no joy because you are at war with the father
iti is it possible for the creature to have joy
while he is inactive rebellion against his good and gracious creator
of course not
perhaps you delude yourself into thinking but i'm not god's any i
realized that i'm not greatest god's greatest ally but i'm but i'm by no
means god let me
now that's a nice sentiment
but that's all it is it's in
in romans chapter five percent
the great apostle paul was perhaps the most righteous unsaved man who ever
lived
before he was saved from his sins
acknowledge that everyone of us is god's animate
on last and until we are safe from our sins
and are free given all of our city
however that's never happened to you
perhaps without realising it you are dot so i don't think that's another reason
why you have knowledge of all you've got a lot
then you could tell could you could have and merriment
all of you what my friend
but until you are saying you will not have until you are saying you cannot
have
let's join trials
who are no longer docs everybody
that starting just a thought by ferry
abt peace with god
finally
you have no joy because you have not the spirit
relations five twenty two begins but the fruit of the spirit his low
surely
the spirit of god window wells each and every say person
each and every person who sins are forgiven
each and every person who used to be but no longer it's an enemy of god
that indwelling holy spirit produces joy and the ***
every single person who would say
he does that
it's not depended upon circumstances
it's dependent upon him being there and doing that
which you don't have the spirit of god and when you why not the cousins are not
horrible to you because you've not stop the forgiveness of those sams
which defile and contaminate your eternal soul
two estimates that connection let me remind you that the holy spirit is a
spirit
who happens to be
holy
holiness
is his nature
holiness is the essence of his being
because this is true he will knock end well anyone who is not cleaned
he will not quite an anyone
who spiritual self and if i am but
which began at conception remains
therefore because the one who produces jo in a person's heart
does not into well u
regal joy it is impossible for you to experience
is impossible for you to imagine
is it possible for you to conjure up
so long as the holy spirit of god is missing from your life
the joy which he had long brains will also be missing
from your life why things outside of the law
be filled with murtha merriment from time to time honorato
but you don't have to go away
you could never sing in the dungeon
like paul
that's quite beyond
because you have not the holy spirit
i suppose i could have spent
time this evening preaching about now after all
person who sends are not forgiven is down for help
after all a person who is god's entity is bound for help
after all a person who's not at all by the holy spirit of god is bound for l
psychiatrist about now
however held as a long way into the future for most of you here this evening
it's a long way off for most of you
trail maybe only and that's the way if for some of you
however for most of you in our audience who are unsafe held as a practical
reality is probably
you terrorist into your feature if not decades
so i want to ask you what about now
what about right now
what about this minute
what about this moments
do you realize that julie is that
possession of almost everyone who is genuinely saved and that those who are
genuinely saved you do not have joey right this moment can have joy
as soon as they comply with god's will for their lives
as soon as they stop greedy prosperity as soon as they stopped watching the
spared
so its return
returned drive-by salvation
and it happens and you
so every christian either has joined or it's very close
that you were not safe
be just in imitator of real christianity
especially if you come from a church where there's confusion about how to be
genuinely saved
you have never known real job
you've never you've never you've never experienced
so let me say
do not
seek after
do not
joy rather
the forgiveness of your sins
c reconciliation with god through faith in jesus christ
one all is truly well with your soul
would you have confidence that your sands are truly forget that
and that you are reconciled to god through faith in christ
majali unspeakable and full of glory will be doris
but not before